Help me open my Clean & Clear face wash!

May 31, 2009 5:14 PM

Help me open my Clean & Clear face wash!

My face wash comes in a container with a pump, like a regular hand soap dispenser. To prevent accidental spilling, the pumps are twisted down onto the container. I've been able to get these pumps out and working for other things but for some reason, this pump just won't unlock. Agh!

Is there any special trick that you use to get these pump things open?

Thanks!

posted by pulled_levers to grab bag (11 answers total)

Usually you need to push down with your palm and turn at the same time. That didn't work?
posted by Kololo at 5:26 PM on May 31, 2009

Yes, I've tried opening it that way with no success. I was wondering if you could disassemble the pump and force it out in a certain way--I started forcing it pretty hard and I was afraid I was going to break it.
posted by pulled_levers at 5:37 PM on May 31, 2009

Try unscrewing it from the bottle and messing with it once it's off. I have to do this to relock bottles and not make an unholy mess.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 5:37 PM on May 31, 2009

Uh, you don't have the bottle that you just used up, do you?

Just switch the pumps.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2009 [1 favorite]

I've purchased a bottle from Clean & Clear that I literally never got open. I had to return it to the store and watch them fight with it before they believed I'd never opened it.

That's never happened to me with any other brand, so the fact that it's the same makes me wonder if you also got a faulty bottle. (FWIW, if the store won't exchange or refund, you can also write to them and get a replacement.)
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:59 PM on May 31, 2009

While turning and pressing down on the top of the cap to the left (or whichever direction the arrow points), try turning the base of the cap to the opposite direction. This has happened to me before as when I was pressing/turning the top, I was also turning the base in the same direction, which opened the whole container, but did not release the pump.
posted by DeltaForce at 6:12 PM on May 31, 2009

Sometimes there's an extra plastic ring that you peel off/remove/unscrew before you can get the pump working.
posted by simplethings at 6:19 PM on May 31, 2009

I just want to second that I've had a bottle of clean & clear that I couldn't open. Good luck! I would just take off the pump to get to the soap. Never could fix it.
posted by lizjohn at 6:27 PM on May 31, 2009

Funny, I saw someone at the drugstore returning a bottle of clean and clear that they couldn't get open. The cashier couldn't open it either. Are you in Toronto Peanut? Was this about 3 weeks ago?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:41 PM on May 31, 2009

Anyway, I bet there's a 1-800 number on the bottle. Call it and complain. You'll probably get your money back or at least coupons for more bottles you won't be able to open.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:41 PM on May 31, 2009

Thanks all. In my last attempt to release the pump, I ended up breaking it. This is my first bottle of clean & clear so unfortunately, I don't have extra pumps lying around. This time at least, I guess I'll just do what lizjohn does.
posted by pulled_levers at 6:25 AM on June 1, 2009