dh has watered down the liquid soap

[EricaNernie]

i dont like this practice
it doesnt feel nice for a start
is it safe?

My parents do this and it drives me mad. It’s very obvious when something has been tampered with!

We could not live without bacteria. They are also essential to our immune system.

Leave the bacteria alone.

Soap and water is effective in reducing the virus.

also a bottle of water mixed with a variety of soaps, some of which are anti bacterial, shampoo and shower gel. For DH

^A what?!

Like pushing all the soap scraps together to make a new bar? But in liquid form?^

but only since starting this thread @ArriettyJones,
DH started the process with the added water,

@SharonasCorona tie an elastic band round the bottom of the pump but, it dispenses half the amount

it would be better to use the things that destroy the virus. Bleach or Dettol mixed as per the instructions.

I would have no skin left on my hands at all.
It isn't necessary to use either of these; soap works as well or better.

For those recommending bars of soap, they do do just as good a job as liquid soap, but once first used they hold on to most germs (presumably including Covid 19), especially whilst still wet. Which is why I gave up using bar soap years ago.

I use bar soap.. I use soap dishes that allow any water to drip away underneath so the soap can dry between uses. And if you're bothered about germs on the bar, I rinse under water then lather up. Bottles of liquid soap tend to have lots of germs around the pump, with everyone touching that, so I don't see bar soap having more germs than liquid soap.

I switched to bar soap years ago to avoid plastic bottles. I love my coconut shell soap dishes. They have holes drilled in them and stand on little feet so the soap drains.
Bar soap is fine for hand washing and washing up liquid and hot water is fine for cleaning surfaces.

but only since starting this thread @ArriettyJones,
DH started the process with the added water,

Oh well, if it keeps amused and feeling virtuous

@Thehop

tie an elastic band round the bottom of the pump but, it dispenses half the amount

I'll try that!

@Tonyaster, no, not 'absolutely classic Mumsnet', just advice from somebody who does this professionally, earns money for it, and is also insured up to their eyeballs against the possible consequences of getting it wrong.
You wouldn't buy soap from somebody who'd taken that sort of approach to formulating it. It would breach all the regulatory standards. You might be pretty annoyed if you found that the company you trust to make your soap had been taking the 'stick a load of water in it, doesn't matter if the water is sterile, doesn't matter if the preservative is too dilute to be effective, doesn't matter what the pH is or the precise formulation' approach. I'd be unlikely to dilute somebody else's recipe myself because of the hassle of doing it safely when I don't know precisely what the formulation is.

To the person who said we need bacteria and to leave it alone... we need some types of bacteria. Other types are pretty dangerous and can cause all sorts of unpleasant bacterial conditions. You don't want or need anthrax in your food, for example, because it could kill you, so there's extensive food safety legislation to prevent this. We try to stop the dangerous type of bacteria from growing in water-based cosmetic preparations such as soaps and face creams, becuase it could on occasion make you seriously ill. Again, there's extensive legislation to protect you from this.

it would be better to use the things that destroy the virus. Bleach or Dettol mixed as per the instructions.

It's better to have intact skin on your hands.
And fgs don't go mixing bleach with anything else other than water. Not sure if that's what you meant but that's a seriously bad thing to do.

i have now purchased a couple of wooden soap holders, thank you for the tip.

Why though? I spent £2 on two bottles of soap the other day. It's not expensive and I'm low income. You must be very frugal to feel the need to do this

I bought a dispenser that turns regular liquid soap into 'foam', which is achieved by mixing it half and half with water. It's not about being frugal, though, it's about reducing our plastic waste.

I bought a dispenser that turns regular liquid soap into 'foam', which is achieved by mixing it half and half with water. It's not about being frugal, though, it's about reducing our plastic waste

According to the soapmaker above you are dicing with death by doing this.

ChickenCluckWaddle

You mix soap with water every time you use soap. Putting an inch of water in a liquid soap dispenser so you are diluting the soap with tap water surely is no different to mixing the soap with water on your hands. The mixture is sitting around for a few days max.

I always do this at the end but have another one there as well

Rinsing our the end of a bottle and using it straight away is one thing. Diluting a lot, it would take us weeks to get through.

According to the soapmaker above you are dicing with death by doing this.

😂🤣

Mine does this too and I hate it. Feels all wrong.

@JinglingHellsBells
Bloody hell, sorry we’re not all experts on soap and viruses, if only I was as clever as you 😂

There is no economy to be gained from this because you just end up using twice as much soap!!!! I know I've tried it.

Ok @Tonyaster, I've obviously offended you - and 'dicing with death' is not what I said - but the OP asked a clear question as to whether the practice is safe, and the answer from an industry perspective is 'no'.

I think it's worth thinking through the following questions:

• why was this legislation enacted,?
• if manufacturers took the line that this doesn't matter, would you be happy to be sold soap manufactured in such a way?
• the OP presumably wishes to wash her hands. What is the point in her washing her hands in a solution which may be ineffective, compromised or contaminated? Her hands may not be clean afterwards.

Regarding the soap dispenser mentioned above - soap dispensers don't have to undergo cosmetic safety assessment. The company designing/marketing it may not have thought through or even be aware of the implications of altering the soap recipe.

OP, I'm sorry if I've annoyed anyone on your thread, and I hope the information was useful.

@Tonyaster, a few days might be enough if not refrigerated and if the water wasn't sterile. You just don't know.

When fairy liquid gets about one third empty I fill it up with water

Don’t do it with handsoap though although I prefer a good old bar of dettol soap or pears

@ChickenCluckWaddle I’ve heard it all now !
‘Water may stop soap working’
Holy Christ