Industrial soap dispensers are key to the health and well-being of employees and customers. A good commercial soap dispenser dispenses soap in an efficient and sanitary manner that allows the user to clean his or her hands and minimizes the spread of dirt and germs to other users.

There are many industrial soap dispenser types and styles, ranging from an automatic soap dispenser to an industrial foam dispenser. As you begin looking for an industrial soap dispensing device, consider which of the following best suits your needs:

1. Standard plastic liquid soap dispenser

2. Decorative soap dispenser

3. Commercial touchless soap dispenser

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Browse for a standard commercial soap dispenser

You know the standard style of industrial soap dispenser. You've probably seen it in countless public restrooms throughout your life. It is typically made from white or beige plastic and has a dispensing mechanism that the user pushes or pulls. Yes, it is utilitarian, but it is inexpensive and it does the job well.

I recommend: Take a look at the styles of plastic industrial soap dispensers that are available from SPORTSMITH. Also, Rand Materials Handling and Packaging Supplies displays several styles of commercial soap dispensers, including stainless steel dispensers and dispensers that can be mounted on a counter surface or on a wall.

Check out decorative industrial soap dispensers

Decorative industrial soap dispensers stand out. When paired with matching room decor, they tell your customers and employees that you are a business that cares about fine detail and quality. Often, decorative soap dispensers will be recessed in a countertop, but some styles are hung on a nearby wall.

I recommend: Fixture Universe, from Allied Trade Group, is an excellent place to check out dozens of styles of decorative soap dispensers. Some are freestanding, while others need to be mounted on a wall or countertop. PlumberSurplus.com has a good selection of soap dispenser styles that can be recessed in a counter.

Consider an automatic hand soap dispenser

These days, the desire for a sanitary sink area is leading more and more businesses to install automatic industrial soap dispensers. The user of a commercial touchless soap dispenser does not have to actually touch the device. Instead, a sensor determines when the user has placed his or her hand underneath the dispenser, and soap is automatically dispensed into the user's hand. This style of electric soap dispenser also reduces waste and soap spillage. Automatic dispensers cost a bit more than other styles, but many businesses believe the benefits are worth the extra price.

I recommend: Touch-Free Concepts is a good place to view several styles of automatic soap dispensers. SoapDispensers.com explains the differences between styles of automatic soap dispensers.

Industrial soap dispensers dispense more than soap. They're indispensible for workplace sanitation, whether you operate a retail store, restaurant, factory, medical facility or any other business. When you install a hand soap dispenser, you're following the advice of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which states that hand washing is one of the best ways to guard against the transmission of germs. Hand washing protects the health of both customers and employees, and could boost the health of your bottom line by cutting down on illness-related employee absenteeism.

Choose a commercial soap dispenser tailored to your workplace needs and budget. Look for:

1. Manual pump soap dispensers for employee washrooms, food preparation areas and other cleanup sites

2. Decorative soap dispensers (including commercial touchless soap dispenser models) for customer restrooms

3. Foot operated industrial soap dispensing for medical exam rooms and surgical preparation

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Economize with a manual pump-style industrial soap dispenser

Pump-style industrial soap dispensers are the most common style of soap dispenser, and a good choice for settings where you need to offer inexpensive cleanup facilities in quantity. Manual pump soap dispensers can be freestanding or mounted on walls or countertops.

I recommend: Global Industrial carries a wall-mounted stainless steel industrial soap dispenser that is rustproof and corrosion resistant. Fixture Universe stocks a very large assortment of commercial soap dispensers from wall-mounted to countertop, manufactured in plastic and stainless steel. MyKnobs.com provides a generous selection of decorative soap dispensers suitable for use in customer areas.

Provide easy access and convenience with a commercial touchless soap dispenser

Give your customers the convenience of automatic soap dispenser systems. Electric soap dispensers help save you money on soap by controlling quantities dispensed. In public restrooms, battery-powered touchless soap dispensers, which use infrared technology to sense the presence of a hand, allow customers to wash their hands without touching dispenser handles. Touchless options are also good for industrial soap dispensing in shop areas, avoiding the need to touch manual pumps with greasy hands.

I recommend: Touchless Products features commercial touchless soap dispensers that mount on the wall, with a 6-month limited factory warranty. Autoflushers.com stocks an electric soap dispenser that uses foam soap. A benefit of foam soap is that it is lather-ready and uses less water.

Focus on sanitation with a foot operated hand soap dispenser

In medical facilities, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations mandate touchless soap dispensing to avoid cross contamination. Foot operated soap dispensers use a pressure system to force soap out of a reservoir at the touch of a foot. For medical examination rooms, patient rooms and surgery suites, choose foot powered touchless soap dispensers with the capacity you need, and check for OSHA compliance.

I recommend: AmeraProducts Inc. carries a foot operated soap dispenser with a 32-ounce capacity. Highland Labs offers several styles of foot operated soap dispensers including the standard wall-mounted and countertop, as well as a freestanding model that can be easily used in exam and patient rooms.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Refills for a hand soap dispenser come in liquid, foam or powder form. Make sure that you choose an industrial soap dispenser with a large enough reservoir that you will not have to refill it constantly.