Preventing clogging of Liquid Soap pump

[Carl]

I'm about 1/2 way through one of my bottles of LS that I made. I'm using it as a hand soap in a pump bottle (the regular kind, not the foamer kind).

It's starting to clump a little bit where it comes out.

Is there an additive or something I can add to prevent this?

 

[DeeAnna]

Nozzle "snot" is caused by the liquid soap drying out in the nozzle and returning back to paste form. You can slow it by diluting more, so there's more water in the soap at the nozzle tip for a longer time. You can use a dispenser with a flip cap or something like that rather than a pump with an open nozzle, so you reduce the evaporation at the opening by keeping it covered. You can add more water and use a foamer bottle. And you can use the soap more frequently so the soap at the nozzle opening is fresh. But absolutely prevent it? Nope.

 

[Clarice]

NOZZLE SNOT! I love it! I never quite knew what to call it - I would call it soap boogers, but I like Nozzle Snot better!

I think if you COULD find a way to fix it, you would be on your way to an island in Fiji!

 

[earlene]

You can use a smaller bottle that needs to be re-filled more frequently, thus making the liquid inside less likely to dry out as often. When re-filling, clean the squirt-part by running hot water through it and squirting it through.

I get that on the bottle I use for my sink-side liquid dish soap dispenser (a re-purposed Noxzema bottle). What I do when it builds up, is flick it off with my fingernail & squirt a bit of soap onto a sponge to clear the squirting tip. But mostly, it's the cleaning when I re-fill the bottle that keeps the problem at a minimum. I think the only time I really see much build-up is when I am using it less that usual.

 

[amd]

What DeeAnna said. I discovered that the boys weren't using the liquid soap in their bathroom because the "pump was broke". Neither one of them thought to unclog it.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

The best part is when it squirts in a totally random direction because of the nozzle blockage!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I take the pump off, stick it in alcohol or just plain hot water; give it a few pumps to clear it; clean it with a spritz of alcohol; put it back on and pump a few times to get rid of the excess and to it going again.

HTH

 

[Clarice]

Pumps usually decide to squirt in random directions (and by that I mean directly onto ME) only when I am wearing something silk or otherwise special, or when I am late leaving for an engagement, often wearing something special.

GREMLINS

 

[earlene]

Yes, Clarice! And the only time I spill salad dressing on myself is when I am wearing a silk blouse! I ruined so many, I just stopped wearing silk blouses altogether.

 

[IrishLass]

The best part is when it squirts in a totally random direction because of the nozzle blockage!

Hahaha! Yep.

The thing that helps me prevent shooting soap syndrome is cupping my hand around the nozzle so that when I press down, all exit points are closed off and the only place it can shoot is directly into my palm.

I need to teach my nephew (who is currently living with us) my little trick, because I often find liquid soap splatters all over my mirror above the bathroom sink after he uses the bathroom. lol


IrishLass

 

[Susie]

I add more water, and in the case of the guest bathroom, I have a pair of pointy tip tweezers that I can run in there and scoop out the clog. Works a charm.

And if your soap needs more dilution, you will find that the aeration chamber gets soap in it. To clear that out, take the pump out, turn it upside down, and pump until clear. But that is the dead giveaway (assuming you did not overfill the bottle) that it needs more dilution.