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Ever found your brand-new soap bar getting cracked, soggy, and eventually turning into a pile of goop after a couple of washes? It may not be the quality or nature of ingredients in your bar soap, as many might think, that leaves the half-melted soap scum spread out all over your countertop. Perhaps it is the saucer-like soap dish that keeps your soap submerged in its own stagnant water that causes the sogginess.
Sure, liquid soaps are one way to eliminate the fuss once and for all, but these can be less environmentally friendly than bar soaps. Replacing your plain old ceramic and plastic soap holders with properly designed soap dishes offering generous holes and gaps for maximum water flow is a better solution.
As a necessary staple for every bathroom, soap dishes come in various styles, shapes, and materials, leaving it up to you to pick a user-friendly dish. After reviewing and testing a lot of holders, we have curated a list of the finest soap dishes.
Buyer’s Guide To Finding a Soap Dish
Seeing your slippery bar soap succumbing to water and melting away into a clammy goop is everyone’s dilemma. If you, like most other homeowners, believe it’s the cheap quality ingredients of your soap that make it disintegrate into scum so fast, you may need to consider the surface your soap is sitting on.
Most of the time, the constant contact of water from the sink or shower, or its own puddle of stagnant water, damages the structural integrity of your bar soap. Soaps are manufactured from fatty acids and need some time off to dry out the excess moisture. So, instead of spending cash on new bars of soap every time, it is time you invest in an effective self-draining soap dish to protect your soaps.
Bar Soaps: Are They Truly Safe?
From being used as a treatment for skin diseases in ancient times, to being a crucial staple for washing and bathing, soaps have remained a constant, reliable product in our lives. But with the onset of liquid soaps as a more user-friendly version, it must have caught you wondering whether your bar soap is sanitary, or simply crawling with germs.
Unlike liquid soaps that dispense out of a container, bar soaps have direct contact with the environment and the bacteria in them. This may sound alarming, but your skin also comes into frequent contact with these germs. Bars of soap are also better at killing surface bacteria than your skin, so it can stay cleaner for longer. As long as you keep your soap dry when not in use, bars of soap are perfectly sanitary for everyday use.
What Types of Soap Dishes Are Available?
Out of the wide array of styles, shapes, and materials, the following types of soap dishes deserve your attention:
Adhesive wall-mounted
Instead of lying flat on your countertop, these soap dishes use strong adhesive strips to mount against the wall beside your sink or in the shower. Such soap holders come in two parts; a transparent adhesive strip, and stainless steel or plastic soap container.
Since the container is placed on a hook, you can remove it for easy cleanup. Make sure to check the description to see if it is dishwasher safe. They come in different sizes, styles, and shapes that elegantly settle in with the theme of the room. Some also feature additional hooks for hanging razors and towels.
Double deck
The double deck soap dish comes with a soap holder that lays on top of a water container creating a double deck size. The holder on top features wide perforations that drain out the water, while the deep decked container underneath collects the soapy water and chunks.
Unlike its single slate counterparts, the double deck soap dish keeps the scummy water from running out on the countertop. While it’s a cleaner version of soap dishes, you’ll have to empty it yourself to prevent the bar soap from submerging into its own puddle.
Freestanding self-drainers
Mostly manufactured from more durable and flexible silicon, they feature the most unique, intuitive designs, best-suited for modern bathrooms. They normally have curved or slopped drains that seamlessly remove the scummy water while your bar soap lays straight on the individual brackets.
Unlike plastic and stainless steel, silicone is non-toxic and eco-friendly, which makes it harmless for people with skin issues. These soap holders are also embedded with a slip-free pad at the bottom that keeps them from sliding down the sink.
Factors To Consider When Buying a Soap Dish
Cleanliness
Besides extending the life of your bar soap, a soap dish will help keep it clean, hygienic, and germ-free at all times. Unlike a dry bar of soap, a clammy disintegrated one is more likely to grow harmful bacteria.
By removing the excess water and soapy residue from the platform, soap dishes keep your soap bar clean and safe for use. While some dishes exhibit a self-draining phenomenon, you can find containers that collect the residue water, allowing you to manually dump it when needed.
Ventilation
A bar of wet soap is not only susceptible to bacteria, but has a higher chance of getting soggy and disintegrating unless it is provided with proper ventilation. This makes it very important to get a soap holder with large perforations, ridges, and slats, to ensure the ambient flow of air above and below the surface. The wired, stainless-steel designs have proved more effective in the overall ventilation of the soap.
Placement/mounting
While it may not matter much for most, a soap dish’s placement or mounting style keeps it within easy reach. From standalone versions designed to lay on your countertop or shelves, to adhesive wall-mounted containers, the location of your soap dish is important.
You mount it close to the sink or inside your shower area to keep it within arm’s length when showering. You can also find versions that support semi-permanent installation, allowing you to change the location in case the previous one doesn’t work out.
The Top Soap Dish You Can Buy
Happitasa Soap Dish
– Best Overall
From keeping your vanity countertop and in-wall shower shelves dry, to leaving your kitchen shelves stain-free, the Happitasa Silicone Soap Dish is the secret to a fuss-free daily routine. The soap holder introduces sloped engravings that lead the dripping soapy water to a chute, and then to the sink drainage, while your bar soap lays flat on the protruding brackets.
Built from high-grade silicone, this pack of two soap dishes lasts 3 times longer than a typical holder. Besides, it also maximizes your bar soap’s life cycle by keeping it clean and dry. The convenient size easily adjusts onto the sink countertop, and is even fit to carry those big family-sized bars. In case you plan on using one as a spoon rest in your kitchen, the durable silicone can endure extreme heat levels as well, making it the best overall soap dish on the list.
Pros
- Exhibits a unique and intuitive design
- Supports easy cleaning in a dishwasher
- Built-from durable and heat-resistant silicone
- Versatile design works for bathrooms and kitchens
Cons
- May develop hard water stains
Roleader Soap Dish
– Multi-Functional Usage
If you’re looking for a solution to mushy soap, this wall-mounted Soap Dish from Roleader might be what you are looking for. The holder is made from rust-resistant 304 stainless-steel wires with sufficient gaps to remove that soap scum.
There is no need to drill screws or hammer nails; this fixture comes with a strong adhesive component that easily fastens to your tiled walls and glass panels. Want to mount it at a different location? Simply heat it up with a hair dryer until it starts to loosen, then strip it off with force. With the two additional hooks, the soap dish supports multi-functional usage allowing you to hang your towel, loofah, or a body razor.
Pros
- Aesthetic and stylish outlook
- Stainless-steel construction makes it rustproof
- Provides additional hooks for multifunctional usage
- Allows hassle-free installation on tile
Cons
- Can be difficult to remove
Topsky Soap Dish
– Non-Toxic Plastic
Want something that smoothly aligns with the traditional look of your bathroom without sticking out? It’s time you try out the Topsky Soap Dish. The dish features two main components; a slotted platform that holds the soap while draining the excess water, and an attached container underneath that collects the water, preventing it from leaking onto the countertop.
Built from durable plastic, these soap dishes can endure any kind of drop without cracking. It isn’t made from harsh materials or chemicals, so it won’t contaminate your soap at all. Because the bottom container is quite deep, it will need to be emptied frequently so that the soapy water does not collect in it.
Pros
- Ideally sized for most soaps
- Made from durable and non-toxic material
- Keeps soap dry and clean
- Keeps water from leaking
Cons
- The container needs to be emptied periodically
EOYCPM Soap Dish
– Best Value for Money
The EOYCPM Soap Holder boasts an intuitive, yet simple design that is seamless, practical, and easier to clean, beating its counterparts by a lot. Place it on your vanity countertop, mount one near your kitchen sink, or place it beside your stove for your curry-stained spatulas; the slanted grooves will lead any residue down the drain.
With its high-grade, flexible silicone material and self-draining mechanism, you no longer need to worry about rust, corrosion, or foul odors. Also, the eco-friendly construction makes it safe for people with allergy issues. The dish is equipped with anti-slip pads at the bottom that keeps it from slipping down into the sink.
Pros
- Non-slip pad supports traction
- Made from high-quality materials
- Hassle-free self-draining mechanism
- Versatile design allows usage in multiple places
Cons
- Drains water right on the countertop
Guukar Soap Dish
– Best Soap Saver Pads
Nothing will preserve your bar soap and align with your classy chrome faucets better than the Guukar Bar Soap Dish Holder. Like any other stainless-steel product, this soap dish is resistant to rust and corrosion and offers more sturdiness than its silicone and plastic siblings.
The soap holder is modeled in a gentle slope, almost concave-like, that keeps your slippery soap bar from sliding off. Whether you place it by a ceramic sink, a tiled shelf, or a marble stool beside your bathtub, the four anti-slip feet will keep it fixed at a spot. Since it is elevated from the surface, your bar soap will remain well-ventilated and clean. This option is perfect for those looking to spruce up the look of their bathroom, as the holder has a classy design to it.
Pros
- Elevated surface keeps the soap dry
- Sloped metal wire design supports self-draining
- Stainless-steel construction is sturdy
- Offers protection from water
Cons
- May form water stains
People Also Asked
Q: Do soap dishes help preserve soap?
A: Soap dishes provide a clean and ventilated environment to a bar soap that keeps it dry and prevents it from melting away into a soggy residue. This helps to extend the life cycle of your standard bar of soap.
Q: Can I craft my own DIY soap dish?
A: Yes, you can build your DIY version of a soap dish using a plastic bottle or a piece of wood as long as it is flat. Don’t forget to punch in some perforations to drain any excess water.
Q: Are bar soaps better than liquid soaps?
A: It depends on the user’s preference and point of view. No doubt liquid soaps have better protection against germs and bacteria in the form of dispensers. But, regarding limited carbon footprint and eco-friendliness, soap bars take the lead.
