I. Love. Fluffy Soap! It’s true ~ I love the foaming suds… but not the price.
Homemade Cleaners are a simple way to save BIG, so one day I decided to make Homemade Foaming Soap! I’ve been doing this trick for years now… and you can too!
What You’ll Need:
- Liquid Hand Soap {Softsoap, Dial, antibacterial or other} *Don’t use the thick & creamy soaps. The clear-based soaps foam best!*
- 1 Empty Foaming Hand Soap Bottle {Bath & Body Works, Dial, etc.}
What You’ll Do:
- Fill the Empty Foaming Soap Bottle with approx. 1 inch of your liquid hand soap
- Slowly fill the rest of the bottle with tap water.
- Put lid back on, and gently tip upside down & side to side to mix.
- Don’t shake {it will get too sudsy ~ just trust me}
Now isn’t that easy??
Give it a try ~ making Homemade Foaming Soap is a cinch! Your hands… and wallet will thank you! 
While you’re at it… you can make some DIY Foaming Dish Soap, DIY Foaming Tear-Free Shampoo, and Foaming Baby Wash too… because, why not?!?
See Also:
BIG List of Homemade Cleaners
Wow…now I’m gonna have to try that! Thanks for such a great tip!
I have been doing this for a while with dish soap, but putting even less than a whole inch of soap in. It makes the dish soap last longer because less soap is wasted down the drain. One bottle of good dish soap like Dawn, because it starts out so think, has lasted me 6 months or more.
I’ve done that too, and I agree, 1″ is using way too much (and wasting) soap!! You don’t need near that much.
I’m actually still working on the amount to use, but that is way more than you need!
I’m having trouble with some of my foaming pumps tho. (Sometimes even the bottles I’ve bought just to get the bottles & pumps, before that bottle is even empty!) Anyone else having trouble with the pumps. Some seem to work fine, and can be reused several times (my daughter has some she’s been using for years), and and sometimes they don’t even last thru the first bottle.
I think the Dial foaming soap pumps are sturdy and have had great luck using a refill to replenish the quantity of just 3 pumps around my house for at least a year. Typically my husband throws one out once empty, no matter how many times I nag him about it. I recently bought an Orla Kiely edition of Method purely for looks, and it seems to work well enough. Fingers crossed!
Isn’t it amazing …it’s actually LESS soap and yet it costs TONS more at the store.
It’s funny, I was never a fan of foam soap (I felt it went quicker than regular hand soap). But with this trick, it’s cheaper to do it this way. I’ll give it a try!
Thank you so much. I’ve been making my own laundry soap for quite a while now and I love it. I even make it for my sister now and my kids love helping me do it. Can’t wait to try this one!
I would like the recipe for the homemade soap.
Hi Sally ~ here’s a link to the Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe…
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html
~ Heidi
I have been doing this since you posted it over 6 months ago and LOVE IT. I have told everyone I know about this little trick. THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I’ve refilled the foaming bottles with just plain water before, and have been able to still use it.
ok i need to go get a foaming bottle now…my kid goes thru that softsoap sooooo quickly its ridiculous…sounds like it will last me alot longer this way..thanks
I do this as well, but you have to watch what soap you use because some will separate no matter how much you mix. (Softsoap Aloe soap always separated for me.) Dish soap does work very well, but it was drying my daughter’s hands out.
Very true, about the dish soap. But if you purchase the Dawn Plus Hand Renewal Dish Soap, that will be amazing on your hands, even when washing the dishes! If you’re on a tight budget, like me, Walmart came out with their Great Value brand of the hand renewal for only 2 bucks, and it has the same ingredients, and works just the same, if not better. I have the pomegranate scent so it works well in the kitchen and bathroom!!
The Softsoap with aloe one separates because it is more creamy…if you get a soap that you can see through in the bottle you won’t have any problems with separation. Can’t say the same for the creamy dish soaps though because I haven’t tried it, has anyone had any separation with the creamy dish soaps?
Carole, will you please share your recipe for home made laundry soap? Does it make your clothes just as clean? I hate dingy laundry. Thanks so much for any info!
THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION
the homemade laundry soap is wonderful and it realler gets my whites whiter
I do this too!
I’m excited to try it! I would also like to have the laundry soap recipe, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I love these tips, thanks!
What perfect timing! I just finished up a bottle of foaming soap and tried this with my regular soap. It worked great!
I’ve always heard it was one tablespoon per bottle and if I put in too much soap the pump gets gunked up and will get stuck after each press.
Has anyone seen a more decorative, permanent foaming soap dispenser? I’ve been doing this for years and would like something more than just refilling the plastic bottle.
You can always decorate the bottle with the clear backed stickers, or add silk flowers to the bottle.
Try Bath and Body works when I was there the other day I got a Stainless steel cover that fits over the foam bottles. It was 5 bucks but not to bad considering you can us it forever. The semi-annul sale just started last week so you could pick up something on sale or another coupon maybe coming out soon the current on ends in a day or so.
I saw an idea on Pinterest that you can spray paint the soap dispencer in a bronze/ brown spray paint then put a monogram initials on it!
Bath and Body had cute covers for the soap dispensers over Christmas.
I recently found a super cute craft idea on pinterest on how to make your own soap dispenser out of a mason jar. Now that I know I can still use the foamy pump…. woohoo! I can’t wait to make mine
I had always added soap to the bottle about 1/4 the way up. I have discovered that sometimes it is too runny and I use more if I don’t add enough, but I plan to try using less next time until I find my perfect amount, now that I know it works with less. On the other hand, if you use too much soap it is hard to pump and comes out thick like Cool Whip and dries your hands out.
We have done this with the foaming dish soap too. Works wonders.
I do the same type of thing to make detangling spray for my daughters hair. Just put enough conditioner in the bottom of a spray bottle to cover the bottom. Then fill with water and shake
I have been doing this for quite a while and love it. I need to get my hands on some more foaming bottles.
If you can’t locate “foaming bottle donations”, Pampered Chef has a bottle that does the same thing. You can use the hand soap or dish soap, the measurement is on the bottle. I have one for both.
This isn’t a plug for business, but just a response!
Use a vinegar/water mixture in the swiffer as well. It will clean & disenfrct your floors great!!
What swiffer are you talking about for the vinegar/water mixture?
What great ideas!
I will be trying the leave in conditioner as well ;0)
thanks!!!!
Sweet! I’m going to have to try that!
Have a great weekend!
Sherry
Wow! What a great money saving tip…I am going to have to try this!
My girls just finished a bottle of foaming bath soap last night during their bath. Do you think this will work with body wash? I am going to try it. Thanks
I tried it yesterday with a cheap bottle of Suave Body Wash. Worked perfectly.
Definitely works-that’s how I use up body wash that makes my body itch!