I was intrigued last year when I learned of the introduction of Reckitt and Benckiser's Dettol No-Touch Hand Wash System, but it was the considerably high price tag of £9.99 that I found rather off-putting. However, several months ago I had the opportunity of making a half price purchase where I received the dispensing unit, a refill bottle of hand wash together with 3 x AAA Alkaline batteries and this review discusses my experience with using it. The Hand Wash System is available in five fragrances, namely "Cucumber Splash", "Ginger and Original", "Cleansing Green Tea", "Refreshing Grapefruit Essence" and the one I chose, "Aloe Vera and Vitamin E with moisturisers".

The products are contained within sturdy tightly wrapped transparent packaging, which is somewhat of a challenge to remove and I found myself needing to use a pair of scissors. The dispenser is fairly heavy with the majority of its weight being located in its lower section where the batteries are housed. I cannot admit to being much of a fan of its matt silver appearance, curvy design and black finishing touches, as it is rather bulky with its measurements of 14½ cm in height, approximately 9½ cm in width at its widest part and 6½ cm in depth. The underside of the unit displays four petite feet, which are situated at the outer edges of the battery cover and these ensure that the unit is firmly positioned when in use.

The upper section of the unit protrudes some 4½ cm and located underneath are two small circular areas; one of which is the dispensing nozzle and the other the sensor with a further sensor being somewhat larger and situated on the lower front of the unit. Setting up the dispenser was an easy task where I simply needed to remove the red arrow shaped plastic insulation tab by opening the battery cover and giving a firm tug. After closing the cover it was necessary to remove the blue and white tamper evidence sticker situated on the lower side of the 250 ml bottle of hand wash refill. I then pushed the bottle into the dispensing unit until I heard it click into place and I positioned it on my bathroom window cill ready for use. I flicked the "on/off" switch located on the back of the unit into the "on" position and was now ready to try out my new toy.

I placed my wet hands underneath the nozzle, which activated the sensor and caused the unit to emit a sequence of whirring sounds. It was necessary to repeat this process a few times for the unit to draw the liquid soap through its dispensing section; after which a sufficient amount of good consistency pearly white soap dropped into my hands. The soap effectively removed all dirt and grime from my skin and created enough lather for me to complete the task. It was easily rinsed away without leaving any stickiness and the stunning aroma of aloe vera delicately lingered on my skin. Whilst I had expected the unit to drip it was only on one occasion that this occurred, which I believe was due to the fact that I had moved my hands away before fully accepting the hand wash that had been dispensed to me.

A few days later I decided to clean the bathroom and cautiously reached out to move the unit from the bathroom window cill only to be greeted with continued whirring sounds and splodges of hand wash that dispensed all over my hands and onto the floor. I frantically reached for the on/off switch, whilst trying my hardest not to re-trigger either of the sensors and unfortunately, I failed resulting in the unit going into overdrive! I thought I'd learned a valuable lesson from this, but I was soon to be proved incorrect!

For some reason, I then began to wipe along the sensor with my finger tips immediately after the unit had dispensed some hand wash to me and I thought nothing of my actions. However, a few evenings later whilst I was half asleep and snuggled up in bed I could hear the dispenser activating. Presuming my husband was in the bathroom I took no notice, but the whirring continued to sound every twenty seconds or so. Consequently, I stepped out of my cosy warm bed to investigate only to discover that the area of sink located between the hot and cold water taps had turned into a pool of pearly white hand wash!

I immediately realised my mistake, which was wiping along the sensor with my fingertips, as I had unknowingly coated the lens with a thin layer of hand wash. As a result, the unit had become confused and had continued to churn out my beautifully fragranced hand wash. However, my sink had a good clean that night albeit a rather expensive one. As a result, I no longer touch the unit unless I am cleaning it and of course, I switch it off prior to doing so. It is important that the unit is regularly cleaned to prevent any build up of soap debris and this is effortlessly carried out with a damp cloth. The front of the dispensing unit offers a viewing window, which enables me to see how much soap is remaining.

I cannot admit to being struck by this product, as whilst the concept of a "no touch" system reduces the risk of transferring germs and bacteria the hot water tap needs to be turned on in the first instance, which rather defeats the object. The unit should not be placed in direct sunlight although this was the only option available to me as mine is located on my bathroom window cill. Unfortunately, I find the appearance of the unit rather obtrusive, as it does not blend in with my bathroom décor, but I suppose this is me being a fusspot.

There are five fragrances available and with a retail price of £3.05 per 250 ml per refill bottle I feel this is too excessive for a hand wash that claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria. I also feel this range is rather limited as I favour alternating hand washes and do not wish to have only a choice of five fragrances. A few weeks ago I was fortunate to be in a position to print off an online voucher offering £5 off the pack containing both the dispensing unit and refill and as Asda had temporarily reduced them from their normal price of £9.99 to £5.00 I obtained it for free. I cannot speak of the battery life, but would advise that I have nearly finished my second refill and there are no signs of the batteries having reached the end of their lifetime.

I cannot admit to being that impressed with this product due to the reasons discussed and as a result, it receives only 3 stars from me. I would probably repurchase the refills if the price was significantly reduced, but otherwise it's far too expensive for me.

I hope you found my review useful and thanks for reading.