# Your Curing Area



## marghewitt (Mar 3, 2013)

Just curious what everyones soap curing area look like! Here are two of my shelves :razz:


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## three_little_fishes (Mar 3, 2013)

I don't really have an area yet. I have one batch curing over my dryer on a shelf and another 2 batches in a closet that has the same sort of shelving. The shelves that you have are exactly what I'm thinking about getting when we move soon.


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## Hazel (Mar 3, 2013)

That looks great! I have soap curing where ever I can find space - in the dining room, in the middle room and in my bedroom.


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## marghewitt (Mar 3, 2013)

My co-workers were offering to cure some in thier homes before I got the shelves.


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## cliff (Mar 3, 2013)

Mine is the guest bedroom dresser, which is *not* gonna work :thumbdown:. I'm already out of space and I've only made 5 batches so far. 

I have no idea where I'm going to store anymore...


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## hlee (Mar 3, 2013)

I leave them on my bakers rack in the breakfast room for a few days. The scents can get a bit overwhelming there though because we eat right next to them.
After a few days they go on shelves in a large linen closet in the upstairs hallway.
I leave the door of the closet open most of the day for ventilation but shut it at night because the scents again can be a bit much right next to the bedroom at night.
I need to organize the linen closet soon, running out of soap space.


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## paillo (Mar 3, 2013)

Baker's racks are fantastic! My curing area with bakers racks is in a small unused bathroom -- we actually took the toilet and vanity out so I could have more space, as I don't have much space anywhere else in the house (cuz every other available space is filled with soap supplies


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## nebetmiw (Mar 3, 2013)

I use a wire rack that has 4 shelves.  It is located in my master bedroom closet.  We bought it at lowes for somethings else but now this is what it is used for now.


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## Hazel (Mar 3, 2013)

marghewitt said:


> My co-workers were offering to cure some in thier homes before I got the shelves.



And they would have returned them after 4 weeks? Uh huh. 

*@ paillo* - Lucky you that you had an unused bathroom. I'd hate to hear the comments if I suggested we remove the toilet and vanity from one of the bathrooms.


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## lizflowers42 (Mar 3, 2013)

Mine is on an old ironing board in my basement. I never iron  If a spray bottle of water anf ashot of hot air from the hairdryer dont fix it then it's too high maintenance for me!


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## Aunt Polly (Mar 3, 2013)

WoW!  That looks great!  Mine are drying on the bookshelves in the keeping room and on a rack in 2 open cedar chests in the downstairs man-cave.  I keep moving things to put soap there to cure. Then I have to move other stuff to put the put the stuff I moved first there...and on and on.....


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## LovelyMalia (Mar 3, 2013)

I have a long white cabinet thingy in my living room that my soaps are resting on top of...soon, I'm going to have to clean out the cabinets and start putting them in there since I don't have much room left!


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## deirdreanne (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm using a black metal rack that I was given for Christmas. Previously, I was using a bookshelf that I had rigged out by placing a wooden shoe rack on each shelf to allow for air circulation.


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## melstan775 (Mar 3, 2013)

thanks for shairng pics. Lovely! I just put my stuff up in the closet for now, though I have a bookshelf in the garage I will probably bring in, and I will replace the shelving with slotted shelves


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## Badger (Mar 3, 2013)

Wow, I love what people are using to cure their soaps... I am going to have to make some room in our linen closet, cause I can't think of anywhere else to put it in our over-crowded apartment (well, without giving up books, and not quite ready to give up more books yet ;-) )


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## Smee (Mar 4, 2013)

I am so jealous!  Everyone's pics look sooo incredible!
My stuff is hiding on the bottom shelf of the hall linen closet.

DH's garage is lined with Elfa shelving.  I'm thinking I may have to resort to selling all
his garage stuff to clear off space for curing.  Anyone think he'd a) notice b) mind?


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## Paintguru (Mar 5, 2013)

Right now I have my limited number of soaps curing on one of those wire cube organizers in the basement with a mini-box fan circulating air through them.  I thought the fan would help speed up the hardening process by evaporating the water faster.


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## Miz Jenny (Mar 5, 2013)

Everytime hubby finds a stove at the dump, he grabs the oven racks.


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## houseofwool (Mar 5, 2013)

oooooh, my dad goes to the dump every week.  I will have to see if he finds any ovens there.  I need to finish rearranging my basement because I have a wire cube organizer that is currently being used for toy storage, buuuut, it is soon going to find new life as soap storage.


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## Mommysoaper (Mar 5, 2013)

I have a drawer organizer from wal-mart I use for some soap storage (already cured) and I use an old cupboard in the kitchen, the tops of my kitchen cupboards, and the plate rail in my dining room to cure.  It pretty much over runs the house, but hubby is ok with it and as long as I keep the 1 year old's hands away from it, I'm good!

Hoping to get some wire shelving when the funds are available.


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## MaitriBB (Mar 5, 2013)

I'm not sharing my pics b/c my racks are in the laundry room and it's a pit of messiness.  Off of the laundry room, though, we have an unused bathroom with a shower stall, and my husband said I can set up shelves in that shower stall.  Unfortunately it's a matter of $$ at this point.  As in, he also said I'm spending too much of it


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## Badger (Mar 5, 2013)

I have the feeling this is what my apartment is going to look like... there will be soap everywhere ;-)


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## Hazel (Mar 5, 2013)

Smee said:


> DH's garage is lined with Elfa shelving.  I'm thinking I may have to resort to selling all his garage stuff to clear off space for curing.  Anyone think he'd a) notice b) mind?



Go ahead! I'm sure if he does notice, he won't mind. ;-)


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## deg195 (Mar 5, 2013)

here are some of mine...


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## Moonshea Botanicals (Mar 5, 2013)

Until the basement is ready for me to soap in I will be curing my soap (when I make it that is) in my bedroom. It's a 11' x 9' bedroom. Will the smell take over my room?


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## Badger (Mar 6, 2013)

Moonshea Botanicals said:


> Until the basement is ready for me to soap in I will be curing my soap (when I make it that is) in my bedroom. It's a 11' x 9' bedroom. Will the smell take over my room?



If it is anything like my MPs and if you like strong to medium strength scents, then most likely yes, the scent will take over your room.  I have my MP lemongrass and lavender in a plastic bag and I still smell it through the living room and kitchen.  I do not see this as a bad thing, your own mileage may vary depending on how you feel about the various scents that you use.


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## Badger (Mar 6, 2013)

deg195 said:


> here are some of mine...



I find it a little frightening that you used the word "some" there ;-)


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## Miz Jenny (Mar 6, 2013)

MIZ JENNY said:


> Everytime hubby finds a stove at the dump, he grabs the oven racks.



Refrigerator shelves work too.


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## songwind (Mar 6, 2013)

Has anyone used a garage for curing in really cold areas? My garage *usually* stays above freezing, but it's frequently not very far above. I wonder if I'll have to move inside during the winter?


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## CaliChan (Mar 12, 2013)

This is my curing area
Top two shelves are still curing and 3rd is for soaps that are done curing. (6 weeks or more)


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## sagehill (Mar 12, 2013)

A month ago my friends built me this rack out of an old 6-ft tall bookcase fitted with old freezer shelves:






It's so huge I have it in the basement. lol


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## Badger (Mar 12, 2013)

Wow, that is very nice... if I still didn't have boxes unpacked cause we have no room for stuff... lol!


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## Seifenblasen (Mar 12, 2013)

Somehow I manage to keep 100 to 180 bars at a corner of my kitchen counter ...  :shock:

(The white soap is being cut into embeds.  Tried cutting the other loaf but it is still quite soft, must wait another day or so).


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## marghewitt (Mar 12, 2013)

Dang we really are addicted to soaping!


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## Smee (Mar 12, 2013)

marghewitt said:


> Dang we really are addicted to soaping!



Not me.  I could quit any time I want.
.
.
.
Oh who am I kidding  :Kitten Love:


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## Hazel (Mar 13, 2013)

sagehill said:


> A month ago my friends built me this rack out of an old 6-ft tall bookcase fitted with old freezer shelves:



Thanks for sharing the pic and I think you have wonderful friends. That's a great idea! I have an old entertainment center (huge) that I had thought of drilling holes into for extra shelves. I blew off the idea thinking it wouldn't work but now I see your picture and I think it would turn out fine. I'm already using it for soap/lotion supplies but I could move everything off the big shelf which was intended to hold a TV. But then I'd have to find space to store these supplies. roblem:



songwind said:


> Has anyone used a garage for curing in really  cold areas? My garage *usually* stays above freezing, but it's  frequently not very far above. I wonder if I'll have to move inside  during the winter?



I haven't used a garage for curing but I have set soap on the back porch to prevent gelling. I brought it into the house after it saponified to cut it and let it cure. My concern about you saying it usually stays above freezing would be that it would really extend the curing time. I don't know where you live but the weather where I am is cold and damp. I think if you have similar conditions then the cold and the dampness in the air wouldn't allow for curing very well. I think it would be better to cure your soaps in your house but this is just my opinion.


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## S_S (Mar 13, 2013)

I love this thread!  There are some very creative ideas pictured here.


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## Mommysoaper (Mar 15, 2013)

sagehill- I love the shelves your friends built!  Looks lovely and I bet it holds a ton of soap!


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## Maythorn (Mar 15, 2013)

I use open cardboard boxes and shove 'em under the bed.  But I don't have that many.  I take them out and see how the color and the scent is doing and rotate them.  I want a shelf something like yours.


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## Badger (Mar 15, 2013)

Hmm, a box under the bed might work if it is tall enough to keep the cat out... I have a tub I can put things in, but it has a lid, and not sure I should have them curing in a covered container as it needs air... though the closet idea is not a whole lot better...


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## IceBabygirl (Mar 18, 2013)

Long time lurker here...I love my shelves I got from Lowes...this is from several months ago and have been scoping out new wall/floor space in the house as my soaping room has no more room


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## Clemmey (Mar 21, 2013)

So I am sooo jealous of all your fancy racks! As you can see below I have 3 fantastic plastic "racks" that I use to cure my soaps. They fit nicely on top of the bookcase... Hey it works!


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## Badger (Mar 21, 2013)

Clemmey, I like your curing racks  I could actually use something like that cause space is sort of at a premium here.  I am not sure how well they would work on top of the bookcases though cause my cat is a jumper and likes peering down at his domain from the tops of them...I might find someplace to stick something like those though, if I can find some...


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## christinak (Mar 21, 2013)

Can soap go into cardboard boxes to cure of is it essential to have air circulation?  I live in a tiny house with no room.  My bars are on cupcake cooling racks on my tv right now.  The only other place I have is in the studio out back but theres no heat in there.


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## Clemmey (Mar 21, 2013)

Badger said:


> I might find someplace to stick something like those though, if I can find some...



You might try your local pepsi guy... these might have come from one, they might have held bottles of soda before I commandeered them.


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## Clemmey (Mar 21, 2013)

christinak said:


> Can soap go into cardboard boxes to cure of is it essential to have air circulation?  I live in a tiny house with no room.  My bars are on cupcake cooling racks on my tv right now.  The only other place I have is in the studio out back but theres no heat in there.



As far as I know yes, you would just have to rotate them every so often so that all sides get air to them.


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## Badger (Mar 22, 2013)

My soap has to get cozy with my books, as I have very little space in my apartment.  Right now, it is all on one bookcase, but I can see it starting to take over other bookcases in the near future.  So, here is my current curing area, such as it is...


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