Integrated Soap Dispenser

An integrated soap dispenser is usually out of the question if you're renting. Even if you own a house, you're probably not in a position to add one unless you throw it in with a full bathroom remodel by a contractor. Here's a quick and easy way to add one to an old sink.

TOOLS

• Saw: I used a small pull-saw, but a pipe saw would work fine as well.
• Tape: This gives you a guide for making an even cut around the cap
• Felt Pen
• File
• Calipers

MATERIALS

• Plumbing Escutcheon: You can find these at any hardware store, they're made to cover the holes where pipes come out.
• Hand Soap Bottle: Be sure to pick one where the screw-on cap fits snugly in the hole of the escutcheon. You can fill it with whatever soap you like later, so don't worry about the brand.

There are three things you need to measure:

1. The height of the escutcheon at the top
2. The thickness of the sink
3. The depth inside the cap at which the threads end.

To find where to cut the cap, take the [depth of the end of the threads inside the cap] - ([height of the escutcheon] + [the thickness of the sink at the hole]). Mine came to 1/2" that needed to be cut off the cap.

Mark the length of your cut with a felt pen around the cap measured from the bottom, then wrap some tape around at the dots to get a straight cut.

When you're done cutting use the file to clean up the edge.

My sink used to have a separate hot and cold faucet, so I took one of them out and installed my own mixer faucet. This left me with an empty faucet hole that I just added a screw-back cap to.

At this point all you need to do is place the bottle in the hole from the underside and screw on the cap with the escutcheon from the top. If you measured everything right and made straight cuts, it should fit snugly.