When we moved into our new house, I thought getting some shower dispensers would be a good idea. We used them in my girls’ bathroom in our previous house, and they worked pretty well. Back then, we had the 2 chamber dispenser because they preferred to use the kids’ 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner. Now that their hair has grown so long, I figured it was time to upgrade them to Mommy’s hair products. Our showers don’t have much storage area in them, and rather than have to fumble with finding space for product bottles of various sizes, I figured these dispensers were the best option.

I did some research and finally decided on purchasing the Better Living Products Clear Choice 3 Chamber Shower Dispenser from Amazon.com. Phew that’s a lot to type! I got two of them; one for my master bathroom and one for my girls’ bathroom. The guest bathroom isn’t used very often, and I figure that guests may just bring the products they’re used to using.

Anyhow. I checked our showers and put the showerhead all the way down, so I could see where the water was hitting. I put our dispenser just a bit lower than where the stream of water was, so that it wouldn’t constantly be dripped on. The one in my girls’ shower, I put even lower since they are shorter and need to reach. I figured this would be a great place for them. Out of the way, but within reach. My shower isn’t very big at all, so space is a hot commodity. Any way I can save space, I will. I followed the directions, using the 2 sided tape and the entire bottle of silicone glue to put up the dispenser holder. I then waited 24 hours ( a little over, actually), labeled and filled up the dispenser bottles, and then put the dispenser up on the holder. I was pretty happy with myself! It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I realized that something wasn’t right.

So after a few weeks of use, I noticed that my conditioner bottle was filling up with water. I took the lid off, and saw that water droplets were forming inside it, and wondered if it was just condensation or if there was something wrong. I kept an eye on it and saw that spray from the shower hitting me (or whoever was in the shower) was hitting the dispenser, and getting under the lid. There’s a lip on the bottle, but it was traveling up the lip and to the middle of the lid and then dripping into my conditioner. I tried to think of ways to seal it better, but couldn’t think of one that wouldn’t make it difficult to open/close the lid to refill it. I noticed the same thing was happening to my girls’ dispenser too. This wouldn’t do.

I called Better Living today to see if maybe I had faulty product, or if they had any other suggestions. When she asked me where I had installed them, she told me that I was wrong, and should have installed them on the back wall. According to her, all of their instructions and trouble shooting pages tell people to install the dispensers on the opposite wall from the shower head. Funny thing is… I’ve been through their FAQ and the instruction sheet on their website, and I can’t find anywhere that it’s noted where it’s best to install their shower dispenser. If you can, please let me know! Anyway, I asked her if there’s any way to make suggestions as far as the design goes. I offered to maybe somehow incorporate an small rubber ring around the opening so that the water couldn’t get back in under the lid. Well… You’d think I told her off or something.. She got very upset with me and told me “Well, the man who designs these has been designing products for over 16 years, and we’ve never had any complaints before. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.” I was kind of dumbfounded. I  didn’t think that making a small suggestion like that would be bad, I mean, don’t most companies welcome consumer suggestions? They may not ever use them, but shucks, sometimes companies can certainly learn a thing or two they might not have thought of when they listen to the people who actually use the product.

She then told me that she was sending me a new installation kit (she obtained my mailing info at the beginning of the call) and that I needed to move my dispensers. I guess she forgot that I don’t really have another wall that would be suitable in my small shower.. but that’s ok.

I have to say, I am pretty disappointed in the fact that the CSA took to my suggestion the way that she did. As far as the dispenser is concerned. It’s a decent product with one simple flaw. When the water gets in and really liquifies your shampoo, conditioner, body soap, or whatever you put in there, it makes it harder to dispense. It basically reverses all the priming you did to get the thicker liquids through it. I’m guessing adding a small rubber ring would also keep so much air out of the containers, helping the pumps work even more efficiently.

In any case… I do like the dispensers despite the issues I’m having with them. They are great for saving space and keeping clutter out of the shower. I haven’t had any other issues with them as far as dripping product, or broken pumps, just the issue of water getting in. I may, in the near future, look for a product that has a better seal on it’s soap bottles. I’ve got my eye on a couple other brands.. so if I end up changing them out, I’ll be sure to let you know what I think!

Have you used shower dispensers in your home? Which ones have you tried, and what did you think of them?

This post is not sponsored, and I purchased my own products for my home. As always, opinions are 100% my own, based on personal experiences with the product.