Diana's Brilliant Tip: Use Aloe in Your Suds Pump!

[raebates]

Don't you love customers who share brilliant ideas with you? Today Diana told me that she uses aloe with the soap instead of water to fill her Suds Pump. She said it keeps her hands nice and soft all year long.

I'm using this in my July newsletter. I know we think of dry hands in winter, but summer can be tough on hands, too, with gardening, swimming, and sports.

Just thought I'd share what I think is a great tip.

 

[Dotty]

It is a neat idea, but it would invalidate the warranty.

 

[raebates]

How would it invalidate the warranty? Diana's been using it for years without any problem. Aloe doesn't degrade plastic. It is a watery liquid, so it wouldn't clog the pump.

 

[Dotty]

What makes you sure it won't clog the pump? What testing did you put it through? Where did she get the aloe? What form did it come in, what other additional ingredients are in the aloe? What will you say when a customer puts in aloe gel and it clogs?

Are you willing to back the warranty personally in case it does fail and HO won't take it because the customers didn't follow their directions that say to add water?

Please don't take this as a personal attack. I can't use the suds pump at my house. I've tried multiple times and it always gets clogged within 3 months and the next pump gets clogged. I stopped asking for replacements and have given up. I can't figure out how to clean it. My only conclusion is that because I have well-water, some buildup is occuring within the pump. I'm sure that HO wouldn't have sent me replacement parts if I told them I used aloe in place of water.

 

[raebates]

No worries. I didn't take it as a personal attack. I was just curious. I've emailed the HO to share the idea with them. If they say it will void the warranty I'll not share the idea with my other customers. (I often take this precaution just in case.) Straight aloe is what she uses. She's done it for over 5 years. I know because it's the Suds Pump she bought from me. Plus, she shared the information with another customer who's been doing it for a couple of years without any problem.I have well water and haven't had any trouble with the 3 Suds Pumps we've had in use in our house for a long, long time. (I bought them before I became a consultant over 6 years ago.) I wonder if it was the soap you were using.I'll let you know what the HO says.

 

[babywings76]

The suds pump was something I bought at my very first PC party I went to. It was before you could find similar things for cheap at the stores. I loved it at first, but after a while it would get stuck in the down position. I got a replacement one and it did the same thing. I figured it was a lost cause and just gave up and threw it away. I haven't thought to get another one now that I'm a consultant, cause I assume the design is still the same and heard others mention the bad luck with theirs.The aloe idea is pretty neat. I wonder what HO will say.

 

[raebates]

Oh, and to answer your question, Dorothy, yes. If a suggestion I'd made to one of my customers resulted in a problem and the HO considered the warranty voided I would replace that item out of my own pocket.

 

[Dotty]

Oh, and to answer your question, Dorothy, yes. If a suggestion I'd made to one of my customers resulted in a problem and the HO considered the warranty voided I would replace that item out of my own pocket.

Great, it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Good luck with it. I never did figure out if it was the soap or the water. I did try different soaps with different pump heads, but they also got stuck in the down position. I now use the Dawn suds pump and refill it similar to the PC one. I've had it for 2 years and it is now starting to get stuck. I think the design of the PC suds pump is not as robust as the Dawn one.

 

[raebates]

Heard back from the HO. They liked the idea and were forwarding on. No warranty problems at all. Yay!

 

[pamperedharriet]

Heard back from the HO. They liked the idea and were forwarding on. No warranty problems at all. Yay!

That's great, Rae!

 

[cheflorraine]

Great idea - thanks for sharing, Rae! I'd probably be more likely to wash my hands more often if I knew it wasn't going to dry them out so much!
Can you buy aloe in just a regular pharmacy/drugstore?

 

[Chefgirl2]

Years ago we were told to not use "Hand softening agents" like aloe or moisturizers in the Suds Pump because it would cause the pump to stick and not work anymore. In fact, I said that at my show tonight. I'm surprised HO changed their stance...except they now give 2 pumps instead of one when you buy it...maybe they figure you can't wear out 2 pumps in the time the warranty expires

I love the idea of being able to say we can use "any soap" in there...if we can. Rae, let us know what they put in writing!

 

[raebates]

The email I got simply thanked me for the great idea. Lotions are different than aloe. I can see where lotions would clog the pump. Lorraine, I don't know if plain aloe is available at drug stores. I know I can get it at my local health food/supplement store.

 

[TrishPCMommy]

Question... I know the U&CG says not to use shampoo, but can baby shampoo be used in the pump without clogging? It's usually thinner in consistency than "adult" shampoo...

 

[raebates]

I don't know. Sounds like a HO question.

 

[ShellBeach]

Oh, never realized UCG said not to use shampoo!
I have shampoo in one that I use to wash my makeup brushes. Now, THAT one works fine. The one with liquid soap is the one that's stuck in the down position and I'm getting ready to throw out!