FOs in storage?

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snappyllama

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Howdy folks!

I'm preparing to move across country and am wondering about storing my collection of FOs. How do you think they would do in a storage facility for what might be several months?

They will end up in a mover's warehouse for at least a few weeks and then might be housed in a storage facility's "climate controlled" rental for several months. Those places are never really air conditioned well... and they are going to the south - in summer.

If it will ruin the FOs, I'd rather just give them away.

As always, thanks for the advice!
 
Oh, snappy, you're leaving the beautiful Rockies? I hope the re-location goes well and you enjoy your new area. :)

Unfortunately I can't help with the FO situation since my only experience is the temp fluctuation during shipping (and that's days compared to months). What about your soaping oils? I'd be concerned about a big mess and possible rancidity once you're settled into your new home.
 
Right now I'm up in the foothills - about 45 minutes from Denver. DH and I love it here for the most part but really want to downsize and have an easier time of it as we get older. Although it's still a ways off, I want to set down roots where I'll eventually want to retire. Four feet of snow into May on our 2 acres is a pita that I cannot image dealing with forever. Driving 30 minutes to a pharmacy/decent grocery store and having to practically beg people to take my money for things like home repairs is starting to grate. Seriously, I've had five roofers come out, give me an estimate that I agreed to, scheduled a time, and then never showed up. I believe it's called "working on mountain time" up here. Grumble.

I'm not a huge fan of Denver (sorry - no offense meant to anyone) so moving down the hill really doesn't appeal.

I will miss the beauty and serenity though. This morning I've watched foxes, deer, elk, rabbits, ground squirrels and woodpeckers. Giving that up is hard. Sigh.

The kids are still at a pick-up-and-carry stage so now seems like the right time. We are moving to the Charlotte NC area - either in town or around Lake Norman. My sister-in-law is there, housing is so inexpensive compared to here, and being relatively close to mountains and ocean seems awesome.

I'm planning on giving away all my soaping oils, a bunch of other FOs, and just a ton of other stuff. I hope to have everything sorted by next week. I will post a 'first come gets it all - meet me in Denver' post on the forum once I finally have that list together.
 
Contacting the manufacturer would be best, if you don't have MSDS information. BB I know is easy because they list it on their website. I imagine the FO's flashpoint would be a large indicator on how to ship and store them.

DH and I were looking into SC as a place to move in a few years. The Carolinas are pretty nice. :)
 
Howdy folks!

I'm preparing to move across country and am wondering about storing my collection of FOs. How do you think they would do in a storage facility for what might be several months?

They will end up in a mover's warehouse for at least a few weeks and then might be housed in a storage facility's "climate controlled" rental for several months. Those places are never really air conditioned well... and they are going to the south - in summer.

If it will ruin the FOs, I'd rather just give them away.

As always, thanks for the advice!

With the summer heat coming, I think some chemicals in the FOs will be fine while others will morph. Some FOs will survive but might be a little different when you finally use them. I don't think it is worth the risk. Is it possible to leave your collection with a friend (or mail them to a friend) with a basement who can then forward them to you when you're ready? I would hate for you to lose your collection and then have to buy it again.
 
The best you could do is try and minimise the temp difference the FOs are going to experience. So wrap them well and put the in an insulated bag or cool box that will slow down the rate of change.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I'll whittle them down to a single box and mail them to my sister in law who is already there. :)
 
Good call snappy, I think that's exactly what I would do (provided I could whittle them down to a single box!). Or you could send them to me for safekeeping muwahaha! I could mail them back to you once the dust settles . . . or you could make a road trip to B'ham to pick them up and hang out with me & dixiedragon. I promise we could make you feel better about your FO addiction since your measley FOs fit in a box and our collections probably need a whole closet, each #thesicknessisreal.
 
Good call snappy, I think that's exactly what I would do (provided I could whittle them down to a single box!). Or you could send them to me for safekeeping muwahaha! I could mail them back to you once the dust settles . . . or you could make a road trip to B'ham to pick them up and hang out with me & dixiedragon. I promise we could make you feel better about your FO addiction since your measley FOs fit in a box and our collections probably need a whole closet, each #thesicknessisreal.

Ha! I've been trying to be soo good. I haven't bought anything soapy since last year since I knew I was going to move. Even so - I've got at least 13 unused bottles that will not be going in my box. It's a big box, but I must purge!
 
Oh boy, a big move! I had mine last year. I packed my EOs and FOs best I could, then sealed them in bunches in small tubs. I simply labeled them as "soap supplies" and the movers took them unquestioned.

They were moved from Alaska to Montana, via both land and sea. Three months later, in the month of July, they caught up to me. Not a single bottle broke or leaked. I did not notice any morphing or fading. I was probably lucky but I did take good care packaging them up. As for regular oils, I don't think I packed any aside from possibly an unopened small bottle of castor or two.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you.
 
Oh I miss Colorado so much it aches! (Sigh!)

2 years ago I moved from NM to Phoenix,AZ - Big weather change.

If you're going to ship the FOs you might consider using insulated shipping boxes that you can get from Uline, and I'm sure other places. You can refrigerate the FOs before carefully packing, and they should be okay. You should check the flashpoint for them, as you may need to ship via FedEx or UPS instead of post office.

Another - unsolicited - piece of advice. You're moving from a fairly dry climate to a humid one. You might consider getting some non-clumping cat litter when you get to NC, to help with storing your lye and absorbing moisture from curing bars, once you're there. It makes a great (and inexpensive) desiccant.
 
Oh I miss Colorado so much it aches! (Sigh!)

2 years ago I moved from NM to Phoenix,AZ - Big weather change.

If you're going to ship the FOs you might consider using insulated shipping boxes that you can get from Uline, and I'm sure other places. You can refrigerate the FOs before carefully packing, and they should be okay. You should check the flashpoint for them, as you may need to ship via FedEx or UPS instead of post office.

Another - unsolicited - piece of advice. You're moving from a fairly dry climate to a humid one. You might consider getting some non-clumping cat litter when you get to NC, to help with storing your lye and absorbing moisture from curing bars, once you're there. It makes a great (and inexpensive) desiccant.

Thanks for the suggestion of cat litter as a desiccant once I get set-up!

I decided to move my box of FOs with me on the drive rather than try shipping them. I should have plenty of room in the front seat since it will just be me, an elderly collie that doesn't enjoy car rides and 4 cats (mine + 3 from my daughter). Any lingering scent from the FO box will be most welcome.

If you see a F150 truck on I70 driven by a woman losing her mind, be sure to wave at me!
 
If your madness disorients you to I-90, roll down the window so I can catch a whiff (or cat wail) -- and wave! :wave:

Hauling them with you is a great idea that I'd have done with guts or more room. I brought two cats (yes, across 2500 miles of functional wilderness and two international border crossings) which had me fretting. But truthfully -- and to my surprise -- my girls handled it beautifully (with slight sedation), and we (err -- I) had a wonderful trip. We certainly could have accommodated more soap supplies!

I recommend packing your FOs ahead of time and confining the box to a small sunny space so you can mitigate/re-package in response to any vapor that emits. A little scent goes a long way, so pre-planning will likely pay dividends on a long drive like that.

I'm not real huggy, but my arms and heart reach out to you, family, and critters. It's a big move, but it will be fine -- you'll see! My proof is below. First pic is Alley Cat in a hotel room, navigating the map from Yukon Territory through British Columbia and Alberta to the MT border. Second is Gemma, glassing elk with Jeff, somewhere near Muncho Lake BC I think.

alley cat navigating.jpg


gemma and jeff glassing.jpg
 
What beautiful travel companions you have CaraBou! I have one little girl kitty that would ride in the car all day and be happy as could be. My 2 big, fat boy kitties? Not a chance. They behave like bratty 3 yr olds tanked up on Hershey bars during the 10 min drive to the vet. Hmmm... maybe it's not the car ride. Maybe they just know what our destination is going to be....
 
If you see a F150 truck on I70 driven by a woman losing her mind, be sure to wave at me!

:lol: If you're moving in July, I may be in CO, (HS reunion) and will wave. :wave: Just know I may be mistaking you for other friends that drive F150s, and often look like they're losing their minds.

Traveling with cats - Oh my, I could start another entire thread on long road trips with mine. Another small suggestion, if you have catnip oil, put it anywhere but in the cab with you. Whenever I make lotion bars with catnip EO my cats are nutty for days. Can't even imagine what they'd be like in a confined space. :crazy:

HAPPY TRAVELS!! Let us know you made it safe.
 
Thanks for the suggestion of cat litter as a desiccant once I get set-up!

I decided to move my box of FOs with me on the drive rather than try shipping them. I should have plenty of room in the front seat since it will just be me, an elderly collie that doesn't enjoy car rides and 4 cats (mine + 3 from my daughter). Any lingering scent from the FO box will be most welcome.

If you see a F150 truck on I70 driven by a woman losing her mind, be sure to wave at me!

That's plenty of room???:shock:

Are the animals going to be in crates in the truck? Or free to roam? I ask because I have a comfortable and secure cat harness I bought when moving my cat in case she was startled and tried to dash away. You can attach a leash to it of course. But in case any of the cats (or very small dog) are very skittish or inclined to run - I'd gladly send it to you!
 
We have the extended cab truck so the back seat turns into a pretty big space with the seats flipped up. Ms Beadie (the collie) is a nervous traveler - so she's getting sedated. The kitties will be all riding in crates.

Two of my daughter's cats will ride together (they do better that way though one always vomits within 10 minutes of a car ride and then settles down). Her gigantic ragdoll cat, Plumpers, will get his own accommodations. When me moved here from Texas, we kept worrying Plumpers had died since he slept in the same position the entire way. But that's all he ever does ... Thankfully, their crates stack and still leave plenty of room for a doped up dog.

I'll probably put my cat's crate on the floor up front since he doesn't like other cats very much. He's a very vocal car rider... singing the song of his people to us the entire time on that Texas to Colorado move. I wonder if he can keep up the song over two days this time...

My husband will be driving the car. I don't mind since the truck is super comfy on long trips (like driving a big ole couch), and Ms Beadie is "my dog".
 
OMG snappy, that sounds like the road trip from hell! Vocal, vomiting kitties and a doped up dog . . . I can't even imagine how much fun that will be. Maybe the box of FOs will mask any funky odors that might occur :)
 
Oh. boy.

Feliway has a spray (it's a pheromone) and its known to help calm cats, especially with the scent of other unwelcome cats.

Not sure how much you know about cats - but including toys/beds/towels with their familiar scents in their crates is helpful too.

Sedatives for cats don't work the way they do on humans; and really aren't helpful or healthy. I was lucky when moving my cat as she was calm by nature, and fully deaf. But you and your menagerie?....well...be glad you're not moving by covered wagon on the Oregon trail.
 
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