It's Curing... What next? How do you store your soap?

[ColleenB]

I have several batches of soap curing on cooling racks on a covered shelf right now, but I am wondering how to store these once they are cured? I've read on a few diy websites about wrapping the soap or storing it in an air-tight container (separated by recipe to preserve scent), etc. How do you store your soap to preserve the scent and keep it fresh? Thanks!

Colleen

 

[shunt2011]

I store mine in baseball card storage boxes once cured 4-6 weeks. I use shrink wrap bands and wrap them when storing or sometimes just before I need them.

As for curing on cooling racks you need to have them lined with something. Soap will react with the metal and can cause DOS.

 

[earlene]

A cool dry place away from sunlight is best. I now store them inside pretty boxes. I try to wrap them first, but if not, I still store them, and wrap them later.

 

[ColleenB]

I store mine in baseball card storage boxes one cured 4-6 weeks. I use shrink wrap bands and wrap them when storing or sometimes just before I need them.

As for curing on cooling racks you need to have them liked with something. Soap will react with the metal and can cause DOS.

Oh dear! The cooling racks are coated metal. Does this make a difference?? Thank you for the tip!!

A cool dry place away from sunlight is best. I now store them inside pretty boxes. I try to wrap them first, but if not, I still store them, and wrap them later.

What do you wrap with? I have seen several suggestions such as wax paper, freezer paper or shrink-wrap.

 

[shunt2011]

Oh dear! The cooling racks are coated metal. Does this make a difference?? Thank you for the tip!!

Yes, put some paper towel or baking paper between the rack and soap. I would watch them for DOS if they’ve been there for awhile.

 

[steffamarie]

@ColleenB I would put down freezer paper or waxed paper or even just parchment paper as a liner. I bought a roll of plastic drawer liner from IKEA for like $4 or something and cut it to fit my curing racks.

As for wrapping, I buy shrink bags from TwoWildHares on Etsy - the smell-thru kind - and wrap once they've cured 6 weeks or so. I don't sell, so I just use a Sharpie and write the name on one side and store on an empty bookshelf in our spare bedroom.

 

[ColleenB]

Yes, put some paper towel or baking paper between the rack and soap. I would watch them for DOS if they’ve been there for awhile.

Yikes! I just checked and no DOS yet. I lined the racks. I guess all I can do is cross my fingers. Thank you, again!

@ColleenB I would put down freezer paper or waxed paper or even just parchment paper as a liner. I bought a roll of plastic drawer liner from IKEA for like $4 or something and cut it to fit my curing racks.

As for wrapping, I buy shrink bags from TwoWildHares on Etsy - the smell-thru kind - and wrap once they've cured 6 weeks or so. I don't sell, so I just use a Sharpie and write the name on one side and store on an empty bookshelf in our spare bedroom.

Awesome, thank you for the info!

 

[earlene]

What do you wrap with? I have seen several suggestions such as wax paper, freezer paper or shrink-wrap.

I wrap my soaps in smell through shrink wrap as well, then label them with labels I design using Avery online - I use the 8217 template and tweak it to fit for each soap I make based on size & shape of soap as well as what I include on the labels. I got the soap label idea from recommendations here at SMF, but can't remember who actually suggested the Avery 8217 template. It works very well for me creating cigar-band types labels. I don't use stickers for labels.

 

[Obsidian]

I'm a bit more low tech but I don't sell so I have no need for shrink wrap or labels. Once my soap has cured, I put them in brown paper lunch bags and store them on a shelf in a closet.

 

[Pat McGlothlin]

I had two large wire racks, one for curing, one for storing. The curing rack was lined with old towels and I used tiny alligator clips to hold name tags. The storage rack was full of plastic shoe boxes with printed names on them. I didn't wrap until just before a craft show or order.

 

[Zing]

I store them in ugly old shoe boxes with holes punched with a knife. My scents are essential oils so I also include cotton balls soaked in the particular EO. And I throw in a couple of those silica gel packets.

 

[ColleenB]

I wrap my soaps in smell through shrink wrap as well, then label them with labels I design using Avery online - I use the 8217 template and tweak it to fit for each soap I make based on size & shape of soap as well as what I include on the labels. I got the soap label idea from recommendations here at SMF, but can't remember who actually suggested the Avery 8217 template. It works very well for me creating cigar-band types labels. I don't use stickers for labels.

Thanks so much!!

I store them in ugly old shoe boxes with holes punched with a knife. My scents are essential oils so I also include cotton balls soaked in the particular EO. And I throw in a couple of those silica gel packets.

I love the cotton ball idea. Thank you!

I had two large wire racks, one for curing, one for storing. The curing rack was lined with old towels and I used tiny alligator clips to hold name tags. The storage rack was full of plastic shoe boxes with printed names on them. I didn't wrap until just before a craft show or order.

Fantastic. Thank you!!

 

[Dawni]

Shoe boxes for me too.. But rice grains, coz I don't have silica gel packets on hand

Mine's mostly unscented (80%) so they all go inside one box, unwrapped for now (coz I'm lazy and/or don't have time lol) but not touching each other.

 

[ColleenB]

Oooo great idea! Does the rice stick to the soap at all?

 

[Dawni]

Oooo great idea! Does the rice stick to the soap at all?

Sometimes, but I check often, coz I don't have that many that are past the curing stage, so I can take em off when I see a stray grain. I try to have the rice on the corners only.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I'm a bit more low tech but I don't sell so I have no need for shrink wrap or labels. Once my soap has cured, I put them in brown paper lunch bags and store them on a shelf in a closet.

I was thinking of using this approach to store my cured soaps. This is how I stored handmade soaps that I purchased from a soap maker for over 20 years until she retired. I never had a problem, but I don’t know how long her soaps were cured when I got them. Do you put anything between the individual bars?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Good question, and after seeing the answers I wonder if I SHOULD be packing mine up into closed boxes? I currently cure and store in the same place. I use the lids of photocopy paper boxes lined with baking paper to cure my soaps, and space the soaps out about an inch apart. Once cured I stack 'em up real close to each other so they take up less space, and I put about three batches of similar-scented soaps together into one box lid, and there it remains uncovered.

What happens if they are left uncovered for too long? I have some that have been there for 6 months and they seem fine to me.

 

[Obsidian]

No, I don't.put anything between the bars before I store them away. I cure for at least 6-8 weeks but if I'm lazy, they could sit out for 6+ months before I get around to moving them.

The only issue I ran into from leaving them out is dust or pet hair. Easy to solve by covering the soaps with a lightweight linen.

 

[Chispa]

What happens if they are left uncovered for too long? I have some that have been there for 6 months and they seem fine to me.

I stack mine like a Jenga tower until they are used up. On the front soap bar I write the date and name with a sharpie. I have some two year old soaps in there with no issues.

 

[Primrose]

What happens if they are left uncovered for too long? I have some that have been there for 6 months and they seem fine to me.

Mine just get dusty, but it's soap so it washes off with the first use