# Soap Dish With Drain: Does Drainage Matter? >

Does a draining soap dish keep bar soap from getting mushy? No study tests it, but two studies show what bacteria on bar soap does and does not mean, and what our own listings do not claim.

- **URL:** https://sampsonecoshop.com/blogs/sampson-learning-center/soap-dish-with-drain-does-drainage-matter A draining soap dish is a tray with slats or ridges that lifts the bar off the surface so water can run away. This guide covers whether drainage matters, what the research says about bacteria on bar soap, and how to pick one. We sell a [slatted bamboo soap box](/products/box-soap-tray) and a [ridged bamboo soap tray](/products/natural-bamboo-soap-dish-tray), so read this with that in mind. Where the evidence is thin, or where our own listings say more than the sources support, this guide says so. For a different way to stretch a bar, see our [soap saver bag guide](/blogs/sampson-learning-center/soap-saver-bags-do-they-make-bar-soap-last-longer). In this guide [What Does a Draining Soap Dish Do?](#what-does-a-draining-soap-dish-do) [Does a Soap Dish With a Drain Keep Soap From Getting Mushy?](#does-a-soap-dish-with-drain-keep-soap-from-getting-mushy) [Do Bacteria Grow on Bar Soap in a Soap Dish?](#do-bacteria-grow-on-bar-soap-in-a-soap-dish) [Is It Unhygienic to Use Soap That Sat in a Dish?](#is-it-unhygienic-to-use-soap-that-sat-in-a-dish) [How Do You Choose a Soap Dish That Drains Well?](#how-do-you-choose-a-soap-dish-that-drains-well) [What Do Our Own Bamboo Soap Dish Pages Claim?](#what-do-our-own-bamboo-soap-dish-pages-claim) [When Should You Talk to a Professional About Soap and Skin?](#when-should-you-talk-to-a-professional-about-soap-and-skin) [Frequently Asked Questions](#faq) **Key takeaways** A draining dish lifts the bar clear of standing water. We found no study testing whether drainage keeps soap firmer or longer-lasting, so the benefit is plausible, not measured. A 1984 study found bacteria on all 84 bar soap samples from 26 public washrooms. Bars in real use kept high bacterial levels even after 48 hours, so drying does not sterilise a bar. In a 1988 study, 16 people washed with bars loaded with E. coli and Pseudomonas, and none had either bacterium detectable on their hands afterwards. Bacteria on a bar is not transfer. Our own bamboo listings say bamboo has antibacterial properties and resists moisture. We found no source for those claims, so we do not repeat them as fact here. ## What Does a Draining Soap Dish Do? It holds the bar above the tray so water collects underneath instead of pooling around the soap. Designs differ, so look at how the water actually leaves the dish. - **Slatted box:** Our [bamboo soap box](/products/box-soap-tray) has a slotted insert that sits inside a tray, so water drips through the slots into the box below. It measures 12 x 8.5 x 5 cm, according to the product page. - **Ridged tray:** Our [bamboo soap tray](/products/natural-bamboo-soap-dish-tray) has raised curved ridges on small feet, so the bar rests on the ridges and air can reach the underside. It measures 11 x 8 x 2.1 cm, according to the product page, and has no separate catch tray. - **What to check:** A dish with no gaps, or with holes that drain onto the counter, may not solve the pooling problem. Check where the water goes before you buy. ## Does a Soap Dish With a Drain Keep Soap From Getting Mushy? It should help, but we found no study that measured it. Resting a bar in standing water is the usual cause of a soft, slimy bar, and a dish that lets water run off removes that cause. - **What is plausible:** A bar that sits in a puddle stays wet on its underside between uses. Lifting it so air reaches that side gives it a chance to dry. - **What is not shown:** No source we found gives a percentage of soap saved or a drying time. Treat any number you see online as a guess. - **What matters as much:** Where you keep the dish counts. A dish in the direct spray of a shower stays wet whatever its design. ## Do Bacteria Grow on Bar Soap in a Soap Dish? Bacteria are found on bar soap that has been used, yes. In one study of public washrooms, every one of 84 bar soap samples grew bacteria, and bars in use kept high levels even after more than 48 hours. - **The 1984 study:** [Kabara and Brady’s paper](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6394740/) sampled bar and liquid soaps from 26 public washrooms. All 84 bar samples yielded positive cultures, against 3 of 39 liquid soap samples, and bars carried between 2 and 9 different genera of organisms. - **What drying did:** Bars that were deliberately contaminated in the lab lost their organisms in under 6 hours, but bars in real use kept high levels after more than 48 hours. - **The limit:** This tested public washrooms, not a home dish, and did not compare dish designs. It tells us a drained bar is not a sterile one, nothing more. ## Is It Unhygienic to Use Soap That Sat in a Dish? As far as the controlled study we found shows, no. Washing with a bar loaded with bacteria did not leave detectable bacteria on the hands of volunteers. - **The study:** [A 1988 paper in *Epidemiology and Infection*](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/washing-with-contaminated-bar-soap-is-unlikely-to-transfer-bacteria/5288F47EC23D2410B92DFA1BAC8D48AC) inoculated deodorant soap bars with *E. coli* and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, at levels 70 times higher than those reported on used bars. Sixteen volunteers washed with them, and none had either bacterium detectable on their hands afterwards. - **Who ran it:** The authors worked for The Dial Corporation, a soap maker, which is worth knowing. The [PubMed record](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3402545/) lists the same paper. - **The 1984 authors' view:** The [Kabara and Brady abstract](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6394740/) concluded that bar soap may be a reservoir for cross-infection in public institutions. The two papers point in different directions, and neither tested a home dish. Featured in this guide Box Soap Tray A bamboo soap box with a slotted insert over a catch tray. Full details are on the product page. [Shop now →](/products/box-soap-tray) ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee · Free shipping over $75 ## How Do You Choose a Soap Dish That Drains Well? Pick one where water has a clear way out and the bar is lifted off the surface. These steps are ordinary practical advice, not findings from a study. - **Look for slats or ridges.** The bar should rest on raised parts, not lie flat against the dish. - **Check where the water goes.** Slots over a catch tray keep a counter dry; ridges on feet let water run off the edge, so keep them near a sink. - **Match the size to your bar.** A bar that overhangs the edge drips on the counter, so measure your soap against the listed size. - **Keep it out of the spray.** Put the dish where the shower does not hit it, so the bar can dry between uses. - **Empty and rinse it.** Tip out the water and rinse the dish now and then, and let it air dry. Our listings advise not soaking bamboo for long periods. ## What Do Our Own Bamboo Soap Dish Pages Claim? Our product pages say bamboo has antibacterial properties and a natural resistance to moisture absorption, so the dish never shrinks or swells. We could not source those claims for this guide. We are reviewing that wording. Until it is backed, treat it as the seller's statement, not as evidence, and rely on the sourced points above. ## When Should You Talk to a Professional About Soap and Skin? Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if soap leaves your skin red, itchy or broken, or if you have a skin condition or a weakened immune system. This guide is information, not medical advice. If a bar looks slimy or smells off, rinse it and let it dry, or replace it. ## Frequently Asked Questions Does a soap dish with a drain make soap last longer? It should help by keeping the bar out of standing water, but we found no study measuring it. Where you place the dish matters too. Do bacteria live on bar soap? Yes. A 1984 study found bacteria on all 84 bar soap samples from 26 public washrooms, and used bars kept high levels after 48 hours. Can you get germs from a used bar of soap? A 1988 study found no detectable bacteria on the hands of 16 volunteers who washed with bars loaded with E. coli and Pseudomonas. It tested handwashing only. What is the best soap dish for bar soap? One with slats or ridges that lift the bar and a clear path for water. Match the size to your bar and keep it out of the shower spray. Is a wooden soap dish a good idea? It can drain well, but wood stays damp if water pools. Rinse it, let it air dry and avoid long soaks, as our care notes advise. [See the Sampson Bamboo Soap Box — 30-Day Guarantee](/products/box-soap-tray) ## Related Articles [Soap Saver Bags: Do They Make Bar Soap Last Longer? →](/blogs/sampson-learning-center/soap-saver-bags-do-they-make-bar-soap-last-longer) [Bar Soap vs Body Wash — Which Is Better? →](/blogs/sampson-learning-center/bar-soap-vs-body-wash) [Natural Loofah vs Synthetic Sponge →](/blogs/sampson-learning-center/natural-loofah-vs-synthetic-sponge) [Why Handmade Bar Soap Is Better for Your Skin →](/blogs/sampson-learning-center/why-handmade-bar-soap-is-better-for-you-and-the-planet)