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Comment by cebert | Hacker News Reader

I’ve noticed an increasing number of hotels I’ve stayed at have shower pumps for soap, conditioner, and shampoo. These pumps are locked so that they cannot be easily tampered with. This solution seems much more environmentally friendly. It has the additional benefit that you needn’t worry about running out.

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Yes, it reminds me of the “Americans designed a pen that can be used in space, Russians just used pencil” joke.

Even though that joke is wrong… graphite breaks off and is a fire hazard… in this case using dispensers seem to eliminate this problem and the massive apparatus used to support it.

Maybe Hilton guests just really like their bar soap? How many people don’t bring their own anyway?

> How many people don’t bring their own anyway?

I never bring my own, because there's always good soap at every hotel. I used to have a soap caddy when I was in college and it got so gross, and was occasionally lost, that I just don't want to deal with it.

I'm picky about shampoo and conditioner, so I bring my own in travel containers.

I always bring my own because there's never good soap. I wear a motorcycle helmet all day for weeks, so I need The Good Shampoo.

I just use a 3n1 product that is body wash, shampoo, and conditioner all in one...

Makes like simple, keep in a 3 oz squeeze bottle for airport security theater even though i do not really fly anymore.

That doesn't work for my hair. There's a reason most people buy separates.

Stepping out of the house I always bring my own unscented soap. Perfume allergy is a reality for thousands of people. If I accidentally wash my hands with scented soap I got 20-30 minutes of itchy nose and wheezing before the smell wears off :/

Same here! Accidentally using most commercial restroom soap is almost an emergency for me. It’s even a problem to travel in a car with someone else who has washed their hands with it recently. If I get that type of fragrance on my hands I have to wash it off with unscented soap as soon as possible.

I had thought the Russians used grease pencils rather than graphite, yet again inverting common knowledge tropes.

Is that not the case?

I bring my own because scent is an irritant.

I remember staying at a (modest) hotel in Netherlands 20+ years ago and seeing this for the first time and thinking what a brilliantly pragmatic idea. It's amazing and sad that it didn't catch on everywhere.

I stay at a lot of hotels and I'd say it's becoming very common now days, at least in the UK and Europe. Pretty much the norm in all low-to-midrange chains, as well as many independents and even some of the more fancy chains (although I stay in those a lot less often!). There are some surprising exceptions, however: Hilton and Hilton Doubletree still do silly little plastic bottles!

It’s a status thing and it takes time for public perception to change. The hotels have been careful to explain the environmental and carbon benefits everytime they make a change like this - even ten years ago “pump soap” would be considered something you find in a large public restroom, not a fancy hotel.

Even if the hotels are using it as an excuse to save money; good on them. Senseless waste is silly.

> explain the environmental and carbon benefits

I'm extremely allergic to seeing these "for the environment" claims, because it's usually obvious they're doing it mainly to save costs. I have no issue with them doing a sensible thing, but I consider lying rude.

Both can be true. If environmental changes are also financially beneficial, that’s the fastest way to drive change. When it’s more expensive to be eco-friendly, takes a much longer time.

Also been seeing this more in the US. It's a welcome change, both for the environment, and a pump is easier to use than travel sized bottles.

I used to pack my own bottles with refillable Nalgene carry on ones, but now that there are the pumps, it reduces travel clutter a bit.

Ibis Budget has these in some buildings along with built-in hair dryers.

So much better. I despise those little bottles that never have enough and then are untidy when empty.

What about people who pee on or in them?

You can’t get into the pump, so it’s at least impossible to pee in them. I guess you could pee on them, but it would be a pretty high shot, and honestly, why would you?

It's possible to have pre-filled, sealed bags with pumps. Almost like box wine.

How are they refilled?

Could someone just pee into a cup and from there put into the container?

Because shitheads exist?

How do you know there isn't a shithead at the soap factory?

That wasn't the question

Maybe not the question but their answer is a good one. Spend all the time worrying about one attack vector when there’s dozens of other places along the supply chain where just as nasty or worse things can happen.

At the last hotel I stayed at, peeing on them would be somewhat difficult, though not impossible, especially if you have a penis. Peeing in them would be very difficult indeed as you simply cannot open the top easily.

One solution for body soap is basically a handsoap dispenser with body soap in it - you simply aren't peeing in the bag and there aren't many places to pee into.

On top of it all, someone had to show ID to get access to the hotel room, and you are can very well get charged for such things.

In that case, the soap is the least of your problems.

You could almost as easily tamper with a shampoo bottle and leave it make it look unused.

And if the pee on the taps? Bed? Closet? Minibar? Shove the tv control up their ass?

But what if some madman pumps out all the soap, then carefully fills it back with sulphuric acid using a syringe?

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