Soap Testing Station

[CatahoulaBubble]

So I usually just sell at local farmer's markets and I don't do too badly but one of my customers has been selling for me in that she makes people wash their hands with my soap whenever she has visitors and apparently they all love my soap and want to know where to get it. She of course sends them to me but she mentioned that I should set up a washing station at my booth so people can use a test bar of my soap. I was trying to figure out an easy way to do this and all I could come up with is basically bring a few jugs of water and use a rubber maid container to catch water and I pour it over the people who want to test it but then I'd have to figure out what to do with the wash water. I already have a giant glass jar that I fill with water and drop my shower steamers or bath bubble bars and the fizzing and bubbles get people's attentions and it draws them in. I also have a mini cauldron that I put dry ice in and a bit of my soap dissolved in water and it makes foggy bubbles that pop and fog overflows onto my table which seems to fascinate people. I just feel like the washing station might take up more of my attention in having to help people wash their hands and then having to empty the water after use so I don't have a gross container of used water on my table. Thoughts?

 

[amd]

If I had an unlimited income (and a huge trailer to haul the setup of my dreams, along with a team to put it together for me - hey, a girl can dream!) I would get something like this

(I'm sure you could find a way to make it fancy/hide the ugly plastic). But we aren't there yet are we... sigh.

What I have done is put samples in bathrooms, or anywhere that people wash their hands at shows (if the organizer allows me, I always ask) and a sign that says "Like the soap? Get your own at ___ booth - and leave this one here for others to enjoy." [You'd be shocked by what people will "borrow" from a public restroom.]

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

If I had an unlimited income (and a huge trailer to haul the setup of my dreams, along with a team to put it together for me - hey, a girl can dream!) I would get something like this
View attachment 43627
(I'm sure you could find a way to make it fancy/hide the ugly plastic). But we aren't there yet are we... sigh.

What I have done is put samples in bathrooms, or anywhere that people wash their hands at shows (if the organizer allows me, I always ask) and a sign that says "Like the soap? Get your own at ___ booth - and leave this one here for others to enjoy." [You'd be shocked by what people will "borrow" from a public restroom.]

I found a mini kind of version of this on amazon for $60 that's foot pedal operated. I might try that and see how it works. The only problem is the gray water would have to be drained to another container but maybe I can hide a bucket under my table to collect the gray water.

 

[Millie]

It sounds like your set-up is awesome! I wouldn't ruin it with a wash station unless it is super classy, like if you add a granite and chrome 5 star en suite to your tent hehe The foggy bubbles cauldron is genious.

 

[shunt2011]

I put a bar of my soap in the restrooms at my shows with a note on the mirror on where to purchase it. Generally my booth number. I tried a wash statin but it was messy and made a puddle on the ground which turned to mud. Things got wet. It would have to be something like amd posted worth it’s own area fro me to do it again.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

It sounds like your set-up is awesome! I wouldn't ruin it with a wash station unless it is super classy, like if you add a granite and chrome 5 star en suite to your tent hehe The foggy bubbles cauldron is genious.

I love the cauldron and I did it by accident. It was really hot one summer and my lotion bars were melting and I was dying for cold water and I bought some dry ice to put in a cooler to keep everything cold and I was playing with a piece of dry ice and thew it into a red solo cup of water and the fog rolled out on my table and some kids came clustering over and since they were so entranced I tossed some liquid soap I had on hand into it and it started bubbling and the next thing I new people were popping the bubbles and then they started smelling and then buying my bath and body products. So from then on I got a little mini cauldron instead of my red solo cup. lol

I put a bar of my soap in the restrooms at my shows with a note on the mirror on where to purchase it. Generally my booth number. I tried a wash statin but it was messy and made a puddle on the ground which turned to mud. Things got wet. It would have to be something like amd posted worth it’s own area fro me to do it again.

I may try soap in restrooms although most of the markets I go to have porta pottys.

 

[mishmish]

I love the idea! Don't the kids try to stick their fingers into the cauldron? Would it hurt them if they did?

 

[Megan]

I found a mini kind of version of this on amazon for $60 that's foot pedal operated. I might try that and see how it works. The only problem is the gray water would have to be drained to another container but maybe I can hide a bucket under my table to collect the gray water.

I know this is an old post, but I have a foot operated one. I just stick the outlet for the drain (there's a long plastic hose) into an empty gallon jug (I have to cut two slits in the opening for it to fit right). I keep a few around in case I need to switch out mid way but haven't had to yet.

It works really well and I would recommend.

The one down side to a set up like this is that little kids will climb all over it and hang off of it (the sink that is)...so since their parents weren't telling them to stop, I did have to politely explain to some kids that this was not nice to do.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

I love the idea! Don't the kids try to stick their fingers into the cauldron? Would it hurt them if they did?

Yes kids to stick their fingers in the cauldron but they usually just play in the fog and even if they reached the water it's just cold it doesn't hurt them.

 

[mishmish]

I'm going to borrow this idea for Halloween! (If my markets have opened up by then....)