Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System a Passing Fad

Lysol began marketing a new product, the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System earlier this year. The product is designed to dispense just the right amount of soap to kill 99.9% of bacteria on hands, while sparing the user the necessity of touching a hand soap pump to wash their hands. Innovative or a waste of money? Find out why the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System is a passing fad with no staying power.

How the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System works

After struggling with the snugly shrunk plastic packaging (to the point that I actually cut myself), I wrestled the package and contents open. Inside were four AA batteries, a base unit, and a soap refill. Assembly couldn't be easier; it was getting the unit out of its packaging that was the most challenging. After placing batteries in the unit, I flicked the switch to on. The sensor detected my hand and dispensed a quarter's size splotch of soap into my hand. I recommend not turning on the switch until the unit is placed where needed to avoid the sensor going off, causing a soapy mess. Currently there are only three scents available, which may turn some scent-loyal consumers off from the system.

How much does it cost?

Expect to pay between about $6-$10 where you shop. Wal-mart has the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System on Rollback for $6 and if you have a coupon, you can save even more. The unit costs significantly more at drug stores. The affordability of the base unit indicates that the real money lies in the refills. Refills cost approximately $3.50 to $4.00. The cost of refills is a huge negative since hand pump competitors costs half or less than one refill for this new Lysol product.

The product is meant to get you to keep buying refills and not refill on your own, like you could with a regular hand pump soap dispensation system; however, there is an article on eHow that details how you can bore a hole in the plastic soap refill container to fill it with your own soap. This method does require the careful use of tools and may not necessarily be something that most people would be willing to do to save money.

Who does this product really appeal to?

Most people won't want to shell out up to $10 for the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System, only to have to keep shelling out $4 each time they want a refill. Unless you are a germophobe or do a lot of prep work in a kitchen where you would want to avoid touching spigots, I don't see this product as having lasting power beyond it's five minutes of fame as a passing fad.

If you happen to have a faucet with a motion sensor already, then this could be a nice complement since when I started using the system, I half expected my sink to turn on automatically too! However, families with young children might find a mess on their hands. If you have children that play in the bathroom, you may want to avoid placing a Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System in there because the sensor doesn't lock itself out and keeps dispensing each time it is activated. As an upgrade to the next model, if there is one, I would suggest a way to activate a time out of at least one minute for those with inquisitive children.

Sources:
Personal experience with product
Ehow: How To Make Soap No-Touch Dispenser Refills Reusable
Lysol site, product description