# where do you soap??



## gallerygirl (Feb 10, 2008)

I have always told my pottery students, if they are going to be seriously doing production, they need to carve out a space - a studio space.
I need to do just that for the soaping, as of right now, it would be my kitchen and dining room :roll:   Which you all know what that means....cleaning everything before, during and after, especially after making the soap/body products.  So, now I am trying to find a place in my home that is exclusively where I will store materials, produce and store finish products.  sigh.  So, where do you soap??? k


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## Missjulesdid (Feb 10, 2008)

I am in the process of building a studio... I have an eat in kitchen so I really didn't need a dining room so I gave away all of my dining room furniture and moved my living room furniture into my old dining room. My studio is in my old living room. I have doors to keep it an animial and kid free zone. The space is 18x20 and is plenty large to keep my oils, equipment and product and have work space. Right now I'm installing some cheap wall cabinets as a convenient dark plaqce for eo's. There is also a water pipe running right under the room in the basement so I will be running some water pipes up there too... I'm just starting out but One day if I am successful I wouldn't mind having a factory/store, but that wouldn't be for a long time.

I like the idea of having a separate studio so much better than working in the kitchen because it keeps everything segragated, and I don't have to worry about my soap equipment encroaching on my wedding cake supplies!


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## CPSoaper (Feb 10, 2008)

I have a workshop.  Right now, my space is so small that I have to soap in the same space I make candles and all my B&B.  Soon I will have a larger space and will have separate areas for soaping, candles and B&B.  Before I had my shop, I had a room in my house that worked in.  It is nice to have your own space.


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## Lane (Feb 11, 2008)

*The kitchen!!* I am in a small apartment now and space is tight...it is a pain having to clean everything before and after I work on a project...

But I have an excellent storage space in my bed room! My husband put up shelves and we cleared everything out to put up a six foot shelf. I am however, always running back and forth between the kitchen and bedroom!

I have *MUCH* more stored in this area now...these pictures were taken like a month ago


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2008)

In the house, it's way to cold to do it outside?
sub zero temps get a little nippy in the winter

 :wink:


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## breathenatural (Feb 17, 2008)

I soap in the kitchen, and it was taking over my dining room...
But, now I have set up shelving in our back room/family room (we use the front living room more) and I have portable drawers/shelving and table set up.  As long as it is organized, I don't feel so bad about it taking over my house!

Jill 

ps...one day, I would love a store where I can work out of...


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## SouthernEssence (Feb 18, 2008)

I have my "soap shed" in my backyard.  It's about 10'x15' and is used for soap making only.  My hubby installed heating and AC because I was dying in the summer.






I melt the oils outside:





The lye water is mixed and sits on the work table in front of the window with a fan blowing the fumes out:





I'm hoping this summer to close in the lean to and extending my "factory".  First I have to get my husband a new shed for all his stuff:









We even got a wood stove for the lean to when we close it up.  the wood stove is the kind that you can cook on so I can melt the oils on it.


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## gallerygirl (Feb 18, 2008)

Green with envy here!!!  That is an awesome set-up for soaping SE!!!
I have a girlfriend who used to have a soaping business and she too had her set-up in a nice little out-building.  She called it and her business the Soap Shack!  k


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## gbtreasures (Feb 19, 2008)

Just wondering ..........  do you all sell that much soap?  I would probably use my kitchen, unless I was really into the soaping.  That would also depend on how my business was doing.  The more business, the more accomodations, etc.  Some of you have some nice hubbys.  Mine wouldn't do anything for this unless he saw a profit in it.


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## SouthernEssence (Feb 20, 2008)

gbtreasures said:
			
		

> Just wondering ..........  do you all sell that much soap?  I would probably use my kitchen, unless I was really into the soaping.  That would also depend on how my business was doing.  The more business, the more accomodations, etc.  Some of you have some nice hubbys.  Mine wouldn't do anything for this unless he saw a profit in it.



Soap making isn't my hobby...it's my job.  I sell wholesale and I sell retail every day, I also do craft shows.  The reason I use the shed is because I make 6 eight pound batches at a time and usually have 400 bars curing at once.  No room for that in my house.


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## dragonfly princess (Feb 20, 2008)

I make my soap and B&B in my kitchen and dining room.  I have a shed that would be awsome but my hubby would have a problem with putting the motorcycle outside along with all his "man toys"    so I get to take up as much space as I want right now.


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## gallerygirl (Feb 20, 2008)

I haven't started selling yet myself.  When I do tho it won't be my main source of income...just hopefully extra income.  My oldest son is getting ready to move out and when he does, I will make a soap studio in the basement apartment in our home (okay - it is not technically an apartment - lol)  So then I will have my potters studio in one half and my soaping studio in the other.  They are two different rooms with a door between them so I don't have to worry about cross-contamination for either.


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## dragonfly princess (Feb 20, 2008)

gallerygirl said:
			
		

> I haven't started selling yet myself.  When I do tho it won't be my main source of income...just hopefully extra income.  My oldest son is getting ready to move out and when he does, I will make a soap studio in the basement apartment in our home (okay - it is not technically an apartment - lol)  So then I will have my potters studio in one half and my soaping studio in the other.  They are two different rooms with a door between them so I don't have to worry about cross-contamination for either.



I wish I had space like that!!!  Dang!!!!


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## Bret (Feb 20, 2008)

I have a corner of the basement for now. It's just an assortment of two tables and a dresser to make an L shape. I'd love to eventually get a nice kitchen cabinet set up for that area. But, I'd have to be selling enough to warrant it. Which right now, I don't.


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## gallerygirl (Feb 20, 2008)

DP - the challenge is getting our oldest to actually move.  lol.  He is kinda "out-of-the nest", but hasn't "Left-the-tree"      l


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## Neil (Feb 20, 2008)

Most all of the soap Ive made so far has been on the deck outside.. even when it was 20 dgrees out and snowing. Lately though the whipped soap ive been able to use the kitchen, mix the lye up outside and let it cool.

We have Birds and they are very sensitive to toxins so I dont take any chances. The back deck is covered so its not so bad. this summer I'll fix it up alittle with a cabinet and POWER! the extension cord always gets in the way.

SouthernEssence thats a really cool set up you have.

"This really is a very clean Hobby"


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## NameThatCandy (Feb 22, 2008)

I do it mostly in my garage.  I melt and weight the oil in the kitchen.

I wish I will have my own space like your guys do.  It will be nice that I don't need to clean every time after I finish soaping.


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