How do you clean kitchen sink soap dispensers?

You clean a kitchen sink soap dispenser by flushing warm water through the pump to clear any clogged, dried soap, washing out the bottle or reservoir and the pump mechanism, and soaking a badly clogged pump in warm water or a vinegar solution to dissolve the hardened soap. The main problem with soap dispensers is dried or thickened soap clogging the pump tube and spout, which stops them dispensing properly, so the key is periodic flushing and cleaning to keep the soap flowing. Built-in sink-mounted dispensers and countertop ones are cleaned much the same way, by clearing the pump and washing the reservoir, with the built-in type having a bottle under the sink you refill and can remove to clean. Our Best Kitchen Sink Soap Dispensers compares five of them.

Why soap dispensers clog and need cleaning

A kitchen sink soap dispenser holds washing-up liquid or hand soap and pumps it out through a tube and spout when you press the top. The main issue they develop is clogging: soap, especially if it is thick, or dries out in the pump and spout when the dispenser is not used for a while or soap sits in the narrow tube, hardens and blocks the pump, so it stops dispensing, dispenses poorly, or the pump sticks. Residue and dried soap in the spout and pump mechanism are the usual cause of a dispenser that will not pump.

So cleaning a soap dispenser is mainly about clearing that clogged, dried soap and keeping the pump and its tube free-flowing, rather than removing dirt in the ordinary sense, since it holds soap, which is itself a cleaner. The reservoir can also build up thickened or gunky old soap, and refillable ones can get a mix of old residue. Understanding that the problem is dried, clogged soap in the pump and spout explains what cleaning needs to do, flush and clear the pump and wash the reservoir, which is the heart of keeping a soap dispenser working.

Flushing and clearing the pump

The most important cleaning task is flushing the pump to clear clogs, which is often what is needed when a dispenser stops working. To do this, you run or pump warm water through the dispenser: for example, empty out the soap, fill the reservoir with warm water (or hold the pump under warm running water), and pump repeatedly so warm water flows through the tube and spout, dissolving and flushing out the dried or thickened soap clogging it. Warm water dissolves soap, so this clears most clogs and gets the pump dispensing freely again.

For a stubbornly clogged pump where warm-water flushing does not clear it, you can soak the pump mechanism (or the whole dispenser top) in warm water or a warm vinegar solution for a while to dissolve the hardened soap, then pump it through and rinse, and clear the spout opening with a pin or small brush if dried soap blocks it. Doing this flushing periodically, before soap dries and hardens in the pump, prevents clogs in the first place. So flushing warm water through the pump, and soaking it if badly clogged, is the key to cleaning a soap dispenser and keeping it dispensing, since the clog is the main problem.

Washing the bottle or reservoir

Alongside clearing the pump, you clean the bottle or reservoir that holds the soap, especially when refilling it. Over time, old soap can thicken, build up residue, or, if you top up different soaps, mix into a gunky layer, so periodically emptying the reservoir and washing it out keeps the soap clean and flowing. For a refillable countertop dispenser, you can take off the pump and wash the bottle in warm soapy water, rinsing it well so no residue is left, then dry or drain it before refilling.

For a built-in sink-mounted soap dispenser, the reservoir is usually a bottle under the sink that the pump draws from (you refill it from above or by removing it), and you can remove that bottle to empty, wash and rinse it, then refit it. Washing the reservoir when you refill, and not letting old soap sit and thicken for too long, keeps the supply clean and reduces clogging. So cleaning the reservoir, by washing out the bottle and refilling with fresh soap, complements flushing the pump, together keeping the whole dispenser clean and working. Using a soap that is not too thick (or diluting very thick soap a little) also helps it flow and clog less.

Keeping it working and the built-in type

To keep a sink soap dispenser working and clog-free, flush warm water through the pump periodically, before soap dries in it, especially if the dispenser is not used for a while, refill and wash the reservoir regularly with fresh soap rather than letting old soap thicken, wipe the spout and pump top of any soap buildup, and use a suitably fluid soap. These simple habits prevent the dried-soap clogs that are the main trouble, so the dispenser keeps pumping smoothly.

The built-in, sink-mounted dispenser is cleaned on the same principles, with a couple of specifics: its soap bottle sits under the sink and is refilled and can be removed to wash, and its pump and spout are cleaned by flushing warm water through and clearing the spout as above, so if a built-in dispenser stops pumping, flushing the pump with warm water usually fixes it. Whether built-in or countertop, the approach is the same, clear and flush the pump of dried soap, wash the reservoir, and keep it maintained. So you clean a kitchen sink soap dispenser by flushing the pump with warm water, soaking it if clogged, washing out the bottle, and doing this periodically, which keeps the soap dispensing and the dispenser clean.

The short answer

Clean a kitchen sink soap dispenser by flushing warm water through the pump to clear the dried, clogged soap that is the main problem, washing out the bottle or reservoir, and soaking a badly clogged pump in warm water or a vinegar solution to dissolve hardened soap, then pumping it through and rinsing. To flush it, empty the soap, run warm water through the reservoir and pump it repeatedly so it dissolves and clears the soap blocking the tube and spout, clearing the spout opening with a pin or small brush if needed. Wash the reservoir, especially when refilling, so old soap does not thicken and build up, and for a built-in sink-mounted dispenser remove the under-sink bottle to wash it and flush the pump the same way. Keep it working by flushing the pump periodically before soap dries in it, refilling with fresh soap, and using a suitably fluid soap, which prevents the clogs that stop a dispenser pumping.