to think that touchless soap dispensers are pointless?

[ScribblerOnTheRoof]

Even if you touch a soap dispenser you are washing your hands after anyway?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

There is a MNer who has a DD with one hand. It's perfect for her.

Otherwise, YANBU.

[ScribblerOnTheRoof]

Well yes, that would be ideal, however they market it as a tool to prevent contamination.

I just dont get it. Not that it has a major affect on my life, it's just that the adverts annoy me!

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

Well actually they are more economical, you will get a measured amount each time. So places like classrooms where kids could take too much etc won't.

Also, many people don't actually wash their hands efficiently enough to remove all germs. Hence the reason the NHS and other places have signs up at sinks showing how to properly wash hands.

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

Also stops the dispenser getting continuously touched and looking grotty.

[Sairelou]

YABU. Normal dispensers, you cut up some raw meat and need to wash your hands, so you have to pump the dispenser to get soap out. Now the dispenser is all chickeny

[VenusRising]

I like them, they give you a 5g dose of foam and that's plenty to wash hands with.
I like the automatic taps, automatic blowers, and automatic doors too.

Cannot understand why there are doors you need to put your hands on to open to get out of a public lav. It's madness! Much better to have in and out swing doors, or none at all, just a twist in the corridor.

[ScribblerOnTheRoof]

but you are washing your hands after touching it!!!

[VenusRising]

Or even a 1g dose of foam!

I agree, Sairelou, there are some bugs you don't want on the pump, the tap or the door handle. E.coli is definately one of them!

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

But the soap dispenser would harbour germs if you touched it with raw chicken and they can then spread and multiply across other surfaces. And like I said most people don't wash their hands efficiently. So one person touches the pump with raw chicken hands then the next person to use it is a kid who doesn't wash properly and walk away with the germs off it multiplying on their hands which then touch their food or go in their mouth.

[VenusRising]

Scribbler, the ones we have round this way just use a movement sensor, you don't touch them at all. They squirt 1 g foam into your hand, or tissue or whatever you put under the spout. Same for taps and for doors.

Much better than cross contamination by touching, and saves on those soapy drips everywhere, and soapy taps, and death trap doors!!!!

[hatters]

whatever you put under the spout
I put my coat down at college the other day and it got a healthy dose of soap...
Other than that one time, I like them!

[EarSlaps]

YANBU about the germ thing, but I like my one in the kitchen as it avoids me getting big smears of dough or sauce all over the soap dispenser when I'm cooking.

They are also good for encouraging the DC to wash their hands, it's a treat to use the 'magic soap'.

[thebestfurchinchilla]

Yes I thought the same thing. It's the tap you touch after that could do with being hands free.

[VestalVirgin]

As others mentioned, many people don't wash their hands in a way that removes all germs, so their hands could actually contain more germs after washing than before touching the soap dispenser.

For public toilets, etc, one should always assume that people are going to be careless and stupid.

Making decisions assuming that all people are going to be sensible and thoughtful is a recipe for disaster.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

A stray basil leaf covered my friend's kitchen in foam

[HeadandBrickWall]

How does it help with cross contamination when you touch the tap to turn it on so will get that all chicken, plus reinfect yourself when you turn the tap off? Only safe way is to wash tap while washing your hands in which case you may as well give the soap pump a wash too. Touchless soap is a good idea but only next to a touchless tap.

[Leelu6]

YANBU. The Dettol ads annoy me too. Automatic soap dispensers could not be any more of a first world problem.

[AyeAmarok]

I totally agree OP. I've always wondered this.

[youngestisapsycho]

I have pump soap, when my hands are chickeny i press the pump with the back of my hand.

[Tfoot75]

YANBU. I do wonder where all this hyper consciousness of germs will get us. Obviously antibacterial product advertisements are not going to be the most impartial judge of the effect of touching a tap with raw chicken on your hands!

Apart from using basic common sense, I am fairly lax about disinfecting, and can honestly say I've never got e Coli etc etc, or even a stomach bug that is not clearly traced to direct contact with family members who have just had it (always ultimately traced to toddlers!). My understanding is that E. coli type infections are extremely rare, and usually not caused by contact with soap dispensers. Interested to hear any anecdotal evidence that suggests otherwise though

[Speederman]

The best I've seen is a touch less sanitary bin. Made a lot of sense!

[TPel]

Where if falls down as a germ issue is that

1. You turn on tap with dirty hands
   
2. You use the automatic soap dispenser to avoid gets germs on the pump
   
3. Wash and rinse
   
4. Turn off the tap - which has the germs on it - with your clean hands.
   

[Rainbunny]

Tfoot - Theoretically you could get an e coli infection from a contaminated soap dispenser surface since e coli infections can spread from contact with an infected person's feces. I've never heard of it happening though and I don't know how long the bacteria can survive exposed to air.

I don't recommend antibacterial handwashes as tests have shown that hands are teeming with bacteria again within two minutes after using an antibacterial product. There is also concern that they kill good bacteria as well. I just like to wash my hands thoroughly in soap and I do like the touchless soap dispensers. We had one but we have stopped using it since it went through batteries really quickly and I was beginning to get worried about the environmental impact of our battery usage.