Review: SimpleHuman, Making Life Simpler

I was at Pepcom recently and as I walked through the conference looking at all the different kinds of tech being presented there, it occurred to me that while there is a lot of tech for tech’s sake and tech geared towards specific jobs, there was  little tech that targets what I do most of the day: taking care of my family and home. Oh, sure, I can track my (theoretical) dog’s movement when I’m out or buy a phone that can withstand being dunked in water. And those are helpful, but my life is mostly made of up of the little moments. A lot of those involve stress. Changing diapers, making food, dealing with the kids dumping out all of the soap. Again. For the third time in one week. All of which is why the sight of a garbage can demo caught my eye.

SimpleHuman brought an assortment of housewares to Pepcom, including a garbage can and a soap dispenser that each come with a sensor. I was immediately intrigued and received a review unit of each, which have been in use in my house for the past few weeks. The 48 liter butterfly garbage can takes six C batteries, has an optional AC adapter for sale, and comes with a five-year warranty.

There’s also a switch on the back to turn off the power completely, useful for vacations or, for me, the Sabbath, when I don’t want to set off the sensor. The can is sturdy, but easily slid across my hardwood floors without scratching them. Unlike most steel appliances, it’s fingerprint proof. A small sensor on top of the can opens the hinges, with a small whirring sound (the sounds as it closes unnerves my husband). After the sensor has been activated, the range of the sensor extends to sense if there is ongoing activity. So, if I have a dirty diaper and need to scrub my hands, the can will open for three seconds. If I need to lift out the lightweight plastic receptacle to change the bag, it stays open for 30 seconds.

And the best part? There’s a charcoal filter that captures bad smells. It’s become a pleasure to walk into the kitchen again.

SimpleHuman sells liners sized to the can, but our regular garbage bags work as well.

Of course, after I throw out that diaper, it’s time to get my hands clean. This is usually one of the more irritating parts of my day – touching the soap dispenser with germs all over my hands makes me crazy. Whether it’s from changing diapers, prepping raw chicken and meat, or cleaning up the garbage after the raccoons got into it, it completely skeeves me out to press the pump or lift the bottle. Am I the only one who stands there and washes the soap bottle with soap? Luckily, SimpleHuman also sent a soap dispenser with a built-in sensor.

The 13 ounce dispenser comes with one free sample of SimpleHuman’s own soap and takes four AA batteries. There are volume buttons on top of the dispenser to control how much soap is dispensed with each use as well as turn off the sensor and a wide opening for refills. This soap dispenser spent time in the kids’ bathroom and the kitchen. As I mentioned, my kids have been dumping out soap and shampoo for a while. With the dispenser, they really enjoy putting their hands under the sensor and getting a small handful. My four year old is no longer using three pumps and then rinsing her hands for 10 minutes. But best of all, when my hands are germ-ridden, I pop one under the sensor, lather up, and then wash my hands clean without spreading the germs around. The pump hasn’t dripped in weeks of use.

The SimpleHuman soap dispenser is not made for use with soap that has gel beads or foaming soaps. We refilled the pump with Seventh Generation dish soap, a thinner consistency that is well-suited for the dispenser.

I love the soap dispenser, and plan on buying more of them for use throughout my home. The butterfly garbage can has changed the nature of my kitchen by eliminating bad smells. I highly recommend both products.

Both the butterfly sensor can and the sensor pump are available at SimpleHuman.com and Amazon. The  can is $275 and the sensor  is $45. Please note that all Amazon links take you to the Techcitement Affiliate store.