Cut costs and while easily saving money with this easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe!

Then save even more money when you try this method for How To Make Foaming Dish Soap!

Flowers next to a container of foaming hand soap.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe

Are you wondering how to make your own foaming hand soap refill?  It’s so much easier than you think!

You are going to LOVE this easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe!

Angie writes: "I've been doing this for years and have saved so much money, we love it."

I. Love. Fluffy Soap!  It’s true ~ I love the foaming suds… but not the price.

So one day I decided to just make my own Homemade Foaming Soap!

What did I have to lose?  Only money in my wallet, so I thought… why not give it a try?

Well guess what… it works!  And it’s so easy.  And it will save you SO much money!!

I’ve been doing this trick for years now… and you can too!

Homemade Cleaners are such a simple way to save BIG, and this is one of the easiest tricks to start with.  So are you ready for my favorite foaming handsoap recipe?

It takes just a few seconds to make… seriously, how easy is that?

Here’s what you’ll need to do…

Related: Best Bath and Body Works Coupons & Sale Hacks

Person washing their hands.

Foaming Hand Soap Reviews

What Your Frugal Friends Are Saying About This Foaming Hand Soap Recipe…

Jeanie writes: “Tried this and it worked great!”

Angie writes: “I’ve been doing this for years and have saved so much money, we love it.”

Dawn writes: “The formula was perfect!”

Heidi writes: “Wow- super easy and worked perfectly! My kids love foaming soap and this really stretches the dollar!”

Melissa writes: “Works perfect!”

Crystal writes: “Works perfectly!  Literally less than a nickel to make!”

Daniela writes: “It worked!  We have foaming soap!”

Rebecca writes: “I do this all the time.  This saves so much money!”

Mrs. H. writes: “I have made multiples for my kitchen and bathroom, very easy to make.”

Jordan writes: “I do this and love it! Thanks for the hot tip!”

Joyce writes: “I run a home daycare and the kiddos LOVE to go through the soap.  It gets us just as clean, the scent is not as over powering and if you bought them during the Bath and Body Works Sale you are really saving $$$$. I love stretching the budget!”

Tiffany writes: “Works like a charm!!!”

Angelica writes: “‘I’ve been using this method for years.  Great idea/method!!!”

Katie writes: “I just used the bottles from the Dial fluffy soaps, and I buy a bulk size of a soap I like maybe once a year. I keep more bottles on hand than we need (we need 4, I think I have 8 now) and pull out a full bottle whenever one runs out. Then I just fill all of them at once when we don’t have any more full ones to replace with.”

Foaming soap dispenser and liquid soap dispenser.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Refill – What You’ll Need

You’ll just nee a few simple things to make your own foaming hand soap!

Check your bathroom cupboards or closet, or add the following to your next shopping list to make sure you’ve got everything on hand…

Clear-Based 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 (I use old Bath & Body Works bottles.)

Optional: Add in several drops of your favorite Essential Oil to give it a nice, light scent.

See… I told you this was going to be EASY!

YouTube video

How to Make Foaming Hand Soap

You won’t believe how simple it is to make your own foaming hand soap at home!

Here’s what you’ll do…

1. Fill the Empty Foaming Soap Bottle with approx. 1 inch of your liquid hand soap.

2. Slowly fill the rest of the bottle with tap water.

3. Put lid back on, and gently tip upside down & side to side to mix and shake gently if needed. (No need to shake vigorously, though… it will get too sudsy ~ just trust me.) 🙂

4. Then, when it’s time to wash your hands, pump a few pumps of foaming hand soap onto your hands, and wash well with warm water.

5. A nurse at the hospital where I worked once told me to wash at least as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday to yourself in your head… about 20 seconds or longer.  Don’t forget to wash under your nails, too!

6. And here’s one more tip from frugal friend Vicki…  “And remember to turn the faucet off with the back of your wrist”

So that’s it!  Now isn’t this Foaming Handsoap Recipe so easy?

You really need to give it a try.  Making Foaming Soap is such a cinch!

Plus, your hands… and wallet will thank you! 😉

I personally use my leftover foaming hand soap pump dispensers from Bath and Body Works to make foaming hand soap for my kitchen and all the bathrooms around my home.

Foaming Soap Variations

Once you know how to make foaming soap, there are so many other things you can make that foam, too!

You won’t believe how much money you’ll save around the house!

Simply use the same ratio and process as above, and give these a try, too…

Foaming Body Wash

(1 inch clear-based body wash + water)

Amy writes: “I do this all the time! Works perfect!”

Bottle of body wash next to empty foaming soap container.

Foaming Shampoo

(1 inch clear-based shampoo + water)

Nicky writes: “Loved this idea, tried it and it worked great. Smells Great. Cleans just as well as our normal Johnsons!”

Bottle of shampoo next to empty foaming soap container.

Foaming Baby Wash

(1 inch clear-based baby wash + water)

Bottle of baby wash, empty soap container, and rubber ducky.

Shanna writes: “I’ve been doing this for a while now with my two boys. They have so much more fun with the foam in the tub, and it goes a lot further!!”

Lindy writes: “This worked perfectly!  Love it.”

Brooke writes: “My 2 year old loves it.  I decorated the bottle with his favourite character stickers and he always uses this for hand washing (instead of stronger stuff that irritates his skin)”

Karena writes: “Saved me quite a bit of money”

Rajene writes: “Best refill I’ve tried yet and smells great!”

Emily writes: ” LOVE LOVE LOVE this DIY, when you finish and realize that it works, it makes you feel so good about yourself, not to mention it smells good to!! However I used the bedtime bubble bath Johnson and Johnson”

Empty bathtub in master bathroom.

Genius Bath and Body Works Coupons & Sale Hacks

Stock up on your favorite lotions, candles, soaps and more with these Bath and Body Works Coupons and Sale Hacks that will save you SO much money!

Outside of a Bath and Body Works.

More Budget Cleaning Tips and Recipes

While you’re at it you can make some more easy foaming soaps, hand sanitizers, and cleaners… because, why not save even more money?!?

How To Make Foaming Dish Soap

Give this tip  a try.  It’s a simple way to save on dish soap and make your dish soap last so much longer!

Foaming Dish Soap dispenser and dawn dish soap.

Dawn Powerwash Recipe Refill Hack

The name brand spray can be a little pricey… but you can mix up your own spray bottle filled with Dawn Powerwash for pennies!

Person spraying Dawn Powerwash on a plate.

Homemade Granite Cleaner Recipe

Save money on that overpriced store-bought granite cleaner when you use this frugal Homemade Granite Cleaner instead!

A sparkling kitchen with white cabinets and white counters.

DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe

You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own hand sanitizer using this DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe!

Small container of hand sanitizer with yellow flowers.

Keep Shoes From Smelling (6 Easy Tricks)

Here are some really easy ways to help remedy that stink and make all those shoes more tolerable once again!

Pair of blue Converse shoes.

How to Clean White Shoes at Home

Whether your shoes need a good cleaning, or you just need to know how to clean white shoelaces, I’ve got you covered!

White shoes with fall leaves.

50 DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes That Work! (Surprisingly Easy)

Get ready for some serious savings with these simple DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes and Tips!

Collage of different homemade cleaners.

More Ways To Save Money On Soaps and Personal Care

You’ll love these creative ideas that will save you money and make your home beautiful…

Sephora Sale Hacks You’re Missing Out On!

Use these secret Sephora Sale, Ad and Discount Hacks to save BIG every time you shop!  Seriously… you won’t believe how much you’ll save!

Outside of a Sephora with palm trees.

Save Money Fast (20 Easy Ways to Save $2200 this Month!)

Are you wondering how to Save Money Fast?  It’s easy when you start slashing expenses and adding these extra sources of income to your finances!

A $50 bill and a $100 bill on a keyboard.

So have you tried this DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe yet?

Leave a comment and share…

Two containers of soap.

About Heidi Miller

Heidi Miller is the creator of The Frugal Girls, where she shares easy recipes with massive flavor! She has been creating and sharing recipes online for over 15 years, and brings warmth, expertise, and a personal touch to every recipe. Her work has been featured on Today.com, NBC, Fox, Parade, People, Country Living, Woman’s World, and more!

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155 Comments

  1. Kristia@FamilyBalanceSheet says:

    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

    1. Kristy says:

      I tried it yesterday with a cheap bottle of Suave Body Wash. Worked perfectly.

    2. MsKat says:

      Definitely works-that’s how I use up body wash that makes my body itch!

  2. Katie says:

    Wow! What a great money saving tip…I am going to have to try this!

  3. Sherry says:

    Sweet! I’m going to have to try that!

    Have a great weekend!
    Sherry

  4. Becky says:

    What great ideas!
    I will be trying the leave in conditioner as well ;0)
    thanks!!!!

  5. The Tight-Fisted Penny says:

    I have been doing this for quite a while and love it. I need to get my hands on some more foaming bottles.

    1. Becca says:

      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!

      1. Ginny frechette says:

        I had a Pampered Chef foaming bottle and it didn’t after a short time. Maybe they have improved. It was a number of years ago that I got it.

    2. Amy says:

      Use a vinegar/water mixture in the swiffer as well. It will clean & disenfrct your floors great!!

      1. Atonda says:

        What swiffer are you talking about for the vinegar/water mixture?

  6. Celia D says:

    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

    1. Amber says:

      Ha! I’ve got 3 little girls and I’ve done this for years… Thought I was the only one! Lol

  7. Sme says:

    We have done this with the foaming dish soap too. Works wonders.

  8. Denise says:

    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.

    1. Kim says:

      You can always decorate the bottle with the clear backed stickers, or add silk flowers to the bottle.

    2. Pam says:

      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.

    3. Donna says:

      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!

    4. Jenny says:

      Bath and Body had cute covers for the soap dispensers over Christmas.

    5. Amanda says:

      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 🙂

    6. MsKat says:

      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.

    7. Erin says:

      I saw one at Macy’s the other day, an actual foam soap dispenser, no soap, just the dispenser. Might have even had more than one type, I think there was a bamboo one and a stainless steel and black one.
      They weren’t cheap (compared to the plastic bottles that come with the soap in them, like Dial), I think they were like $20-25? Macys often has coupons though, you could prob get it cheaper. And if they’re at Macy’s, I’m sure they can probably be found elsewhere, like Bed, Bath, and Beyond or something.

  9. Susan Heim says:

    What perfect timing! I just finished up a bottle of foaming soap and tried this with my regular soap. It worked great!

  10. Olivia says:

    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!