A parent's ultra-simple soap hack is getting attention for a reason — using just two zip ties to limit how far a pump can travel, it purportedly reduces each squirt by about 75%.
For households on a close budget with children — especially toddlers who tend to overdo it during hand-washing — that could mean less wasted soap, less mess, and fewer trips to buy replacements.
What happened?
A user on Reddit's r/Frugal described a simple way to stretch a bottle of soap much further, writing, "Cut down on soap usage by 75% just by using 2 zip ties on your soap dispenser."
The idea was straightforward: place two zip ties around the pump near the neck so the top cannot travel its full distance when pressed. By shortening that motion, each push releases less soap, which may help in households where young kids tend to press the pump more enthusiastically than necessary.
The hack may be too much to bother with for some, as seen in some comments saying soap was not expensive enough to worry about, but others supported it as worthwhile, and the post reached nearly 4,000 upvotes.
The discussion was lively; users both laughed about children using too much soap and swapped other soap-conserving suggestions.
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One user joked about the original poster's safety, humorously alluding to a suds cartel angry over lost profits.
"If anything happens to OP, investigate big handsoap," they quipped.
Because the materials were cheap and easy to find, the hack was simple to test.
The zip ties can also be removed or repositioned, so households can experiment without needing to buy a different dispenser.
Why does it matter?
A minor change to a common household item can make a noticeable difference over time, especially for families that run through hand soap quickly.
If the pump output truly drops by around 75%, one bottle may last significantly longer, though actual results will depend on how often people wash their hands and whether they compensate by pressing the pump more than once.
That could add up to meaningful savings. Households with several sinks in regular use may notice the biggest effect.
Lower soap use can also mean fewer refill purchases, less packaging waste, and fewer drippy spills to clean around the sink. For many parents, avoiding some of that cleanup may matter as much as the money saved.
Compared with more demanding money-saving strategies, this one is relatively low effort. It is just a small physical adjustment to an item many households already have.
What can I do?
If you want to try the hack, start with any pump bottle that seems to dispense more soap than you actually need.
Secure two small zip ties around the pump stem or neck area so they act as a stopper, then test how much soap comes out with a single press.
Adjust gradually. Too little soap may lead people to pump multiple times, which defeats the purpose.
The sweet spot is enough soap for effective hand-washing without the oversized blob that often ends up down the drain.
Other practical options can work too: refill foaming soap dispensers, dilute concentrated soap only if the product instructions allow it, or switch to dispensers designed to release smaller amounts.
In homes with toddlers, reducing the pump output may also help cut down on waste before it happens. Less soap per press can mean fewer slippery sink globs and less annoyance when kids get a little overexcited.
Commenters vouched for the hack and variations of it.
"Yep! I saved a plastic ring from a pump bottle of something or other and put it on my soap dispenser from the same reason. It now dispenses less soap but still enough to get the job done," one attested.
"Rubber bands also work well for this," another replied.
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