A pointless product?

[RobertVA]

"Touchless" hand soap pumps for household use. The battery powered devices automatically squirt the liquid soap on your hand when you hold your hand under the nozzle.

The selling point being you don't have to touch a contaminated pump handle to get soap. Apparently the theory is that previous liquid soap dispenser users contaminated the device with bacteria on their hands from other necessary bathroom activities. Since you don't need to push down on a pump handle the touchless dispensers allow you to avoid contaminating your hand.

But whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands? I suspect most people are going to add a little water and give them a good washing. So why are you worried about an invisible quantity of bacteria on the soap dispenser? (assuming the pump plunger isn't covered with an obvious crust of excrement)

I'll stick with the 16 ounce manual pump I bought at the dollar store (the more expensive name brand pumps are less than 1/2 a pint!)

 

[Mr. B]

I don't get it either, since you proceed to wash your hands after touching the dispenser. It's just another thing that shouldn't require batteries.

 

[AdAstra]

Totally useless. Every time I see one of the commercials, I start ranting to whomever is near me.

(no wonder I live alone)

 

[ElBurro]

Exactly my thoughts. Every time you touch a soap dispenser, you wash your hands afterwards.

Sensor activated taps is what you need if you're that germ phobic.

 

[Subcommander R.]

Totally useless. Every time I see one of the commercials, I start ranting to whomever is near me.

(no wonder I live alone)

+1.

 

[Rarewolf]

ut whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands?

Public Toilets are even worse. I wash my hands, but whats the next thing I need to do - touch the door handle to leave. Knowing that other users haven't washed their hands

 

[ManOnTheWave]

It is a convenience. Nothing more.

 

[DonIago]

Clearly the point is that you also have touch-free faucets and paper towel dispensers. If your bathroom door doesn't open automatically you put gloves on before touching it or use a paper towel to open the door.

And now I'm totally flashing back to "The Aviator"...

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I see ones that just dispense a mostly-alcohol antiseptic onto your hands, and you rub them together and let it evaporate. No water needed. The ones positioned over sinks are admittedly a bit silly, though, unless the sinks are also motion-activated (which many are these days.)

 

[ManOnTheWave]

^Don't forget to keep your urine in a series of jars. I am told Kleenex makes excellent footwear.

 

[scotpens]

^Don't forget to keep your urine in a series of jars. I am told Kleenex makes excellent footwear.

You beat me to the punch.

 

[Brian]

I tried the touchless pump and I like it, mainly because it doesn't "gum up" the way the manual pump soaps do.

 

[LitmusDragon]

ut whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands?

Public Toilets are even worse. I wash my hands, but whats the next thing I need to do - touch the door handle to leave. Knowing that other users haven't washed their hands

I usually just kind of paw at the middle of the door and hope it opens. I figure my odds are better that way.

If it has a handle I'll try and use my elbow.

(Not the slightest bit germ-phobic, not I)

 

[Miss Chicken]

ut whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands?

Public Toilets are even worse. I wash my hands, but whats the next thing I need to do - touch the door handle to leave. Knowing that other users haven't washed their hands

This is the reason I like the Ladies toilets at my shopping centre - no entry door.

The Ladies are at the end of a corridor and the entry to them is like this

The other toilets - Mens, Disabled and the Parents Room that run off the corridor all have entry doors.

 

[Brian]

I just use the towel I dried my hands on to open the door, or if it opens out I use my foot or elbow to push it open.

 

[sojourner]

ut whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands?

Public Toilets are even worse. I wash my hands, but whats the next thing I need to do - touch the door handle to leave. Knowing that other users haven't washed their hands

I usually just kind of paw at the middle of the door and hope it opens. I figure my odds are better that way.

If it has a handle I'll try and use my elbow.

(Not the slightest bit germ-phobic, not I)

I just use a papertowel to grab the handle, then through it in the trash before the door closes again.

 

[Miss Chicken]

^^^What about if the toilets only have automatic hand-dryers and no paper towels?

 

[scotpens]

The Ladies are at the end of a corridor and the entry to them is like this. . .

No, I'm not even going there.

 

[Holdfast]

The selling point being you don't have to touch a contaminated pump handle to get soap...

But whats the next thing you're going to do after dispensing liquid soap on your hands?

Yeah, I never understood this either.

In an ideal world, I'd have sensor-activated taps though.

 

[RJDiogenes]

This is the sort of thing Adrian Monk would love.

I suppose it won't be long before people are wandering around in HazMat suits with built-in waste disposal units.