How do I care for and dispose of my Hand Wash Pump?Updated 6 minutes ago
TL;DR: Rinse the Hand Wash Pump nozzle with warm water every few refills to keep it dispensing cleanly, and store it upright away from heat. This is a keep-and-refill bottle: the soft-touch matte finish means it is not accepted in kerbside recycling, so refill it from the 1.5 L box. The pump head can be recycled on its own, because there is no metal spring inside it.
How do I keep my Hand Wash Pump working well?
Three habits keep the pump running for its full life.
Rinse the nozzle every few refills. Run warm water through the head to flush out dried product. That keeps the mechanism smooth and the 2 ml dose consistent.
Store it upright, out of direct sun. Upright stops leaks. Prolonged heat and sunlight can affect the pump mechanism over time.
Warm water and mild cleaners only. Solvents, bleach and abrasive scourers can damage the pump mechanism and dull the matte finish. Press the head normally rather than forcing it.
Troubleshooting
Pump feels stuck or tight
New pumps arrive with the head locked so they do not leak in transit. Twist the collar beneath the nozzle counter-clockwise, firmly, to unlock it. If it is still tight, wrap a cloth around the collar for grip and try again gently.
Pump is not dispensing anything
Check the head is unlocked. If the bottle is new or just refilled, prime it with several full pumps until product flows. If it still gives you nothing, flush the nozzle with warm water to clear the blockage.
Leaking from the pump head
Usually overfilling or heat. Wipe off the excess, check the head is screwed on firmly, and move the bottle out of direct sunlight. Fill to just below the neck next time.
Dose feels smaller than it used to
Product buildup inside the head is the usual cause. Flush it with warm water and let it dry before refitting. The pump is rated for around 3,000 presses at 2 ml each.
How do I dispose of my Hand Wash Pump?
The bottle and the head are handled separately at the end of the bottle's life.
Pump head
Polypropylene with no metal spring inside, so nothing needs separating out. Twist it off and put it in your kerbside recycling.
Bottle
Keep it and refill it from the 1.5 L box. The soft-touch matte finish means it is not accepted in kerbside recycling, so at the very end of its life it goes in the general waste bin.
The bottle also carries the Reloop additive in its plastic. In a microbe-rich environment such as landfill or soil, the additive is designed to draw microbes to the plastic so they can break down its molecular structure over time. Independent test methods for additive-assisted plastic breakdown are still debated, so Koh describes the mechanism rather than promising a timeframe.
⚠ Before you replace it
The Hand Wash Pump is rated for around 3,000 presses and refills many times over. If yours has stopped working before that, rinse the nozzle with warm water or work through the troubleshooting above. Most problems clear without a replacement.
350 ml HDPE bottle with 50% recycled plastic content and the Reloop additive. Built to refill, not replace.
Pairs Sensitive Hand Wash with the Hand Wash Pump. Fragrance-free, pH 5.5, recognised by the Eczema Association of Australasia.
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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Koh Australia