Fully-Cured Soap Storage Ideas?

[MissE]

I'm getting close to the full cure of some of my soaps, and having been around here a while and learned a few things about cured soaps (like how they might sweat or how they might absorb scents from one another), I thought I'd ask here about how everyone stores their soaps and see if any of your ideas might work for me.

Space is an issue, and I have only a medium-sized drawer where I could put the fully cured soaps. So how to best to keep them all there and any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[MorpheusPA]

I have a couple storage options.

In-the-pipeline, shortly to be used soap is in the bathroom. That definition is loose and there are currently 30 bars in there on the center vanity. I don't recommend this for neatness...

I got a cheap, rough-wood storage cabinet at my local craft store, with air slots in the drawers, open slats on the sides, and the drawer opening handle also open. It was about $10, and stores around 50 bars.

In the walk-in closet, I use old (cleaned thoroughly and disinfected) 1020 flats that have cracked and aren't good any longer for raising seedlings. They have wide-ridged bottoms that allow air circulation right to the base, and are great for both curing and closet storage. You can toss a light cloth over the top to avoid dust if you wish.

 

[jcandleattic]

I sell, so my situation might be different.
When my curing racks are full, and I need the space, I package my cured soaps for sale, and then I put them in boxes, and put the boxes near my "Craft Fair Storage" area. (I only sell at craft shows, or online) Then when it comes time, I don't have a lot of extra work that needs to be done right before my shows, as it's done on a semi-regular basis.

Then repeat as many times as necessary until it's show time.

Once the show is over, and I box everything up, I just leave them in the boxes they went to the show in, and fill them up with the new cured soap.

(hopefully that makes sense)

 

[IrishLass]

I store my cured soaps (unwrapped) in acid-free baseball card storage boxes that I buy from Amazon. I have 2 sizes which happen to accommodate my 2.8 batches and my 1.3lb batches perfectly with enough wiggle room between each bar of soap so that they are not pressed up against each other. The boxes stack very neatly on top of each other and my soap keeps very well in them. For what it's worth, I don't sell, but I do a lot of gifting, and none of my soaps get wrapped until I want to gift it away.


IrishLass

 

[MorpheusPA]

For what it's worth, I don't sell, but I do a lot of gifting, and none of my soaps get wrapped until I want to gift it away.

IrishLass

Uh, not to hijack too much, but...I've always labeled them with cigar bands at about a month (or later if the soap isn't solid at that point, which is rare).

I hope that's OK and I'm not risking DOS or anything from the slightly restricted airflow...

 

[IrishLass]

Uh, not to hijack too much, but...I've always labeled them with cigar bands at about a month (or later if the soap isn't solid at that point, which is rare).

I hope that's OK and I'm not risking DOS or anything from the slightly restricted airflow...

I think you're fine, Morpheus. The reason why I don't wrap until I'm ready to actually gift a soap away is because I wrap my soaps 'present-style' in white, greaseproof paper sandwich wrap, where the bars are completely encased/hidden inside the wrapper except for a small, decorative 'breath hole', or 'smell-hole' depending on how you look at it. I would hate to give away any of my soaps without seeing if it's still in perfect shape all around, and that's hard to do with my particular type of wrapping. I'd basically have to totally destroy my wrapping job to make sure all was well and then re-wrap with a new wrapper. Not fun for the likes of me. lol

In comparison, a cigar band lets you see more of what the soap looks like, and also gives it plenty of breathing room.


IrishLass

 

[shunt2011]

I do the same as IL. Cure them on my racks or in the cardboard raspberry crates from COSTCO. Once cured (6 weeks or so) then wrap/label and store in baseball card boxes.

 

[MissE]

I have a couple storage options.

In-the-pipeline, shortly to be used soap is in the bathroom. That definition is loose and there are currently 30 bars in there on the center vanity. I don't recommend this for neatness...

I got a cheap, rough-wood storage cabinet at my local craft store, with air slots in the drawers, open slats on the sides, and the drawer opening handle also open. It was about $10, and stores around 50 bars.

In the walk-in closet, I use old (cleaned thoroughly and disinfected) 1020 flats that have cracked and aren't good any longer for raising seedlings. They have wide-ridged bottoms that allow air circulation right to the base, and are great for both curing and closet storage. You can toss a light cloth over the top to avoid dust if you wish.

MorpheusPA, I would worry about the bathroom always being warm and would be bringing my soaps out for line up and inspection every day! LOL ... the flats is a really neat idea. However, again, I would worry about the scents of different soaps all mixing together. Do you ever have trouble with this?

 

[MissE]

I sell, so my situation might be different.
When my curing racks are full, and I need the space, I package my cured soaps for sale, and then I put them in boxes, and put the boxes near my "Craft Fair Storage" area. (I only sell at craft shows, or online) Then when it comes time, I don't have a lot of extra work that needs to be done right before my shows, as it's done on a semi-regular basis.

Then repeat as many times as necessary until it's show time.

Once the show is over, and I box everything up, I just leave them in the boxes they went to the show in, and fill them up with the new cured soap.

(hopefully that makes sense)

Great for organization, jcandleattic! What do you use for packaging and does it not sweat or maybe just lose some of its crispy-newyness?

 

[MissE]

I store my cured soaps (unwrapped) in acid-free baseball card storage boxes that I buy from Amazon. I have 2 sizes which happen to accommodate my 2.8 batches and my 1.3lb batches perfectly with enough wiggle room between each bar of soap so that they are not pressed up against each other. The boxes stack very neatly on top of each other and my soap keeps very well in them. For what it's worth, I don't sell, but I do a lot of gifting, and none of my soaps get wrapped until I want to gift it away.


IrishLass

Love it, thanks, IrishLass!

 

[MissE]

I do the same as IL. Cure them on my racks or in the cardboard raspberry crates from COSTCO. Once cured (6 weeks or so) then wrap/label and store in baseball card boxes.

.

Excellent, thanks, shunt!

 

[MorpheusPA]

MorpheusPA, I would worry about the bathroom always being warm and would be bringing my soaps out for line up and inspection every day! LOL ... the flats is a really neat idea. However, again, I would worry about the scents of different soaps all mixing together. Do you ever have trouble with this?

I do place similar scents together, so the cross-over wouldn't be too bad. I also keep the flats in open air, so cross-over would be limited.

I have heard of people placing physical barriers between soap scents, like little mazes the odors can't escape from or something. Essentially a stinky sort of Minotaur.

I can't say if it works, but a plastic or Saran-wrapped piece of cardboard between scents and between columns might be a good idea.

 

[jcandleattic]

Great for organization, jcandleattic! What do you use for packaging and does it not sweat or maybe just lose some of its crispy-newyness?

I have several large curing racks, so my soaps can stay on the curing racks for up to 6 months, and I never package before my soaps are at least 8 weeks old.

Once I need the space, I take the oldest (longest on the curing shelves) and shrink wrap and label.
They do not sweat, and the packaging does not get loose/sloppy. If it does, I just zap it with a heat gun and it shrinks right up again.

I must preface this with, I am in a very dry climate, with hardly any humidity. IF I was in a high humidity environment, I believe I would do what others do and wait until right before time of sale and then do all my packaging/wrapping.

 

[toxikon]

I just have a desk upstairs in a spare room that I covered with parchment paper and placed my bars on - about 1" apart. I bought a big sheet of sheer fabric from Joann's to drape over the bars to prevent dust/pet hair from gathering on them. I like keeping them away from the humidity of the bathroom. I don't make enough soap to think about curing racks yet (although they would be nice!). My desk can hold about 60 bars.

 

[Dahila]

on left hand side plastic containers are to store the soap, unpacked . I pack as I need it

 

[MissE]

I have several large curing racks, so my soaps can stay on the curing racks for up to 6 months, and I never package before my soaps are at least 8 weeks old.

Once I need the space, I take the oldest (longest on the curing shelves) and shrink wrap and label.
They do not sweat, and the packaging does not get loose/sloppy. If it does, I just zap it with a heat gun and it shrinks right up again.

I must preface this with, I am in a very dry climate, with hardly any humidity. IF I was in a high humidity environment, I believe I would do what others do and wait until right before time of sale and then do all my packaging/wrapping.

Lucky you! Great!

 

[jcandleattic]

Lucky you! Great!

Thank you. I am very spoiled.

Also, when I label and package I do try to do as much as possible because I hate doing it so the more I do at one time the less I have to do later.