Curing rack ideas

[SPowers]

This is my set-up. Mind you, this pic was taken during my first or second year year of soap-making. My racks are stackable cooling racks made of coated steel sold by Pampered Chef (coated with some kind of non-stick rubbery stuff). I have amassed a good handful of them over the years because I have family and friends that sell the stuff. Some I use for baking, and the rest are used for curing soap. Anyway, they work great for the modest amount of soap I make. Each rack can hold up to 27 soaps if the racks are not stacked (three of my 2.8 pound batches), and a little less than that if they are stacked.

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IrishLass

Great idea!

 

[Rsapienza]

I keep thinking I want to buy those (ED), but even with the best sale prices, the shipping costs add so much more back onto the price, I have yet to ever get them. If I would think ahead and pre-order them for delivery at one of the conferences (they always do that in place of free shipping), I might get some. But now, how long will it be before we have another F2F conference? Or maybe on my next trip to Florida I could swing it, whenever that might be.

I, actually, got very lucky with mine. I was browsing around on FB Marketplace and a woman was selling a bunch of them for 10 bucks a piece. She was only 10-15 minutes from me.

 

[shunt2011]

I keep thinking I want to buy those (ED), but even with the best sale prices, the shipping costs add so much more back onto the price, I have yet to ever get them. If I would think ahead and pre-order them for delivery at one of the conferences (they always do that in place of free shipping), I might get some. But now, how long will it be before we have another F2F conference? Or maybe on my next trip to Florida I could swing it, whenever that might be.

I have two of those trays. I don't like them at all. They are big and bulky. I much prefer my racks for ease of curing and access. If you were closer I would give you a really good deal on them. They are just standing in a corner of my soaping room.

 

[penelopejane]

I keep thinking I want to buy those (ED), but even with the best sale prices, the shipping costs add so much more back onto the price, I have yet to ever get them. If I would think ahead and pre-order them for delivery at one of the conferences (they always do that in place of free shipping), I might get some. But now, how long will it be before we have another F2F conference? Or maybe on my next trip to Florida I could swing it, whenever that might be.

Earlene,
Not sure they’d provide much airflow around the bars anyway.

 

[Kathymzr]

I use inexpensive bamboo shoe racks from amazon. Works well. I have no pets.
Just accumulate them as needed.

Do temperature extremes make any difference? I live in northern Arizona; nowhere near as hot as Phoenix but my garage can get pretty hot in the summer.

Hahaha! I live in Tucson and put my newly gelled soap on my shaded patio, thinking it could dry there, since we have low humidity! Wrong-o! It started to melt from the heat as if I had put it in a crock pot! Oil dripping everywhere! Saved it by putting the cutting board it was on on newspapers on a bamboo rack in the bathroom, where it is drying just fine.

 

[shunt2011]

Earlene,
Not sure they’d provide much airflow around the bars anyway.

They do have decent airflow. They have slits all along the bottom and the stacked trays have space between them. They are just big and bulky. A hassle to have to un-stack them to get to the next tray. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I'll stick to my shelving and my fruit flats that take up much less space and easier to handle.

 

[earlene]

Thanks for the information Shari, and for the kind thought as well. When I watched the video ED has on the website about the curing trays, I did wonder if I'd really want to be lifting full trays of soap off of a stack like that. Lifting one would not bother me so much, but stooping to the floor to lift would. After reading your experience and re-thinking how awkward I feel squating on the floor (old lady bones), I am starting to think it's not the best system for me.

 

[Kathymzr]

Putting paper towels under soap works well so they won’t stick.

 

[shunt2011]

Thanks for the information Shari, and for the kind thought as well. When I watched the video ED has on the website about the curing trays, I did wonder if I'd really want to be lifting full trays of soap off of a stack like that. Lifting one would not bother me so much, but stooping to the floor to lift would. After reading your experience and re-thinking how awkward I feel squating on the floor (old lady bones), I am starting to think it's not the best system for me.

The trays are a nice idea but too bulky and heavy when full of soap. I really want a bread rack with trays but will stick with my shelves. They work so well and the soaps are easily identified and get great circulation for curing.

 

[Quilter99755]

The trays are a nice idea but too bulky and heavy when full of soap. I really want a bread rack with trays but will stick with my shelves. They work so well and the soaps are easily identified and get great circulation for curing.

I've seen your system and drooled over it for months. I have a bread rack. The full sized trays are unwieldy. They are not easy to slide in and out and with my balance and back issues it is difficult to get the trays in and out. The half trays are just a tad small in the width so they don't slide on the side bars level. One side is up on the side bar and the other is just on the lip of the tray so bars standing on edge fall over. I don't make a lot of soap so I have lots of space to lay the soaps on their side, but it means turning the soaps often in the first few weeks of curing...or I feel like I should. I use the half sized plastic trays with liners covering the trays rather than metal trays which according to ED leaves metal shavings on your soap.

All in all I love the rack and tray system, but there are draw backs. I sort of think a perfect soap rack system is like the perfect purse...you will never find or make one! LOL I'll stick with my rack and adjust when needed. It "Exactly Fits" into the space I wanted it to be placed along side of my sewing machine...out of the light, but still has airflow and even temps. And another plus is that my sewing room smells oh, so nice while I'm playing with my other hobby, quilting.

 

[Claudette Carignan]

I went Into the dollar store today and bought a bunch of plastic paper trays that stack one on top of the other. I’m going to line them with a very heavy brown paper. Hopefully they will be strong enough once the soap is resting on them.

 

[Claudette Carignan]

I have a metal shelving unit but use the lids of copy boxes to hold the soap and stack them and rotate.

That’s a great idea using the kids from the copy boxes! I’ll have to remember that. I just Bought plastic paper trays from the dollar store that 5 high and fit perfectly on the top shelf of the shoe rack. I can Stack 2 on the bottom and middle racks.

 

[earlene]

That’s a great idea using the kids from the copy boxes! I’ll have to remember that. I just Bought plastic paper trays from the dollar store that 5 high and fit perfectly on the top shelf of the shoe rack. I can Stack 2 on the bottom and middle racks.

You can also ask the grocery store staff for the lids/bottoms of boxes, but right now with CoVid-19, it may not be a good idea as the virus can survive on cardboard for 24 hours. But if you are willing to let the cardboard sit untouched somewhere outside your home for 24 + hours (maybe in direct sunlight if you have a dry climate), then go for it.

That's what I started out using for most of my curing soaps and still use them when I need to, lining them with plastic mesh to raise them up for a little more air flow and keep them from sitting directly on the cardboard.

 

[Claudette Carignan]

You can also ask the grocery store staff for the lids/bottoms of boxes, but right now with CoVid-19, it may not be a good idea as the virus can survive on cardboard for 24 hours. But if you are willing to let the cardboard sit untouched somewhere outside your home for 24 + hours (maybe in direct sunlight if you have a dry climate), then go for it.

That's what I started out using for most of my curing soaps and still use them when I need to, lining them with plastic mesh to raise them up for a little more air flow and keep them from sitting directly on the cardboard.

Using the mesh is another great idea!!

 

[Shannybell]

Can soap take on another scent that it is curing next to?

 

[shunt2011]

Can soap take on another scent that it is curing next to?

I've never experience that happening. I cure 3-5 different scents on the same shelf and will generally have 5-6 shelves with soap on them when I'm in production mode. However, after curing, I do keep them separated in baseball card boxes by scent. When I do shows, I will put 4 of each fragrance, 3 fragrances to a box of similar scents and have no issues with them picking it up. Those are my display soaps. I can display 30 different fragrances, 4 of each fragrance on between two displays.

 

[dippy]

I love your wire storage Jersey Girl and it looks fantastic use of space! It does look like it would be very tricky to load with soaps though. Do you find it ok or is it difficult? I could imagine them falling like dominoes! Also getting them out I guess you wouldn't easily be able to get the middle bars of a shelf out so you would need to think about what order you stack them.

I currently have my soaps stacked in mushroom shipping containers from a greengrocer that cost me 10 pence each. They are great but quite weak plastic so I can only store about 10 soaps per tray. I need to find a better solution.

Edited to add: I have just re-read this thread and seen shunt and others use this wire storage system with 2 lots of shelves into one storage rack. It obviously works well if a few of you use it.

 

[Shannybell]

I've never experience that happening. I cure 3-5 different scents on the same shelf and will generally have 5-6 shelves with soap on them when I'm in production mode. However, after curing, I do keep them separated in baseball card boxes by scent. When I do shows, I will put 4 of each fragrance, 3 fragrances to a box of similar scents and have no issues with them picking it up. Those are my display soaps. I can display 30 different fragrances, 4 of each fragrance on between two displays.

That sounds like a great set up! Thanks for the info. I've only made 6 batches so far, but they are all different scents and I don't want them to take on other scents before I get to even try them out!

 

[Jersey Girl]

I love your wire storage Jersey Girl and it looks fantastic use of space! It does look like it would be very tricky to load with soaps though. Do you find it ok or is it difficult? I could imagine them falling like dominoes! Also getting them out I guess you wouldn't easily be able to get the middle bars of a shelf out so you would need to think about what order you stack them.

I currently have my soaps stacked in mushroom shipping containers from a greengrocer that cost me 10 pence each. They are great but quite weak plastic so I can only store about 10 soaps per tray. I need to find a better solution.

Edited to add: I have just re-read this thread and seen shunt and others use this wire storage system with 2 lots of shelves into one storage rack. It obviously works well if a few of you use it.

I stack them on the shelves in the order I make them so as the last ones are cured and wrapped more room is made for the new ones. They are all numbered and labeled with cure dates, scent and ingredients on a small post it. I don’t find it hard at all to access them. If I want to rotate them I just remove them from one shelf at a time starting at one end. It takes a little time but I don’t mind it as it gives me the opportunity to sniff and love on them. Lol It really can hold a lot of soap in a relatively small area.

 

[math ace]

I had hubby make me this curing rack. I'm a hobby soap maker and usually make 1 pound batches. I thought this would be big enough for my "hobby", but I've already filled the shelves.

I've got 20 new fragrances that need to be tested, but am out of curing space .... AGAIN!