It's not the soap making, its my lack of organization. What tips do youn's have for small soaper spaces?
Running out of room
- Thread starter norrysoaper
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Jibbian
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I'm also struggling with this! I keep all of my non-oil ingredients organized in plastic bins from Ikea, which I store in a spare closet. I also added a small metro-style rack to that closet, which my soaping supplies share with towels and guest linens. It's far from perfect, but it gets the job done. Looking forward to hearing other people's solutions!
Not sure if any of this will be of any help to you, but here is the good, the bad, and the ridiculous:
I use plastic boxes (mostly shoebox size) from the dollar store to organize different categories of items: micas, spatulas, additives. Some larger plastic totes corral the smaller bottles of expensive oils and syndet supplies. All of those things, plus my molds, cutters, mixing bowls, etc. take up 1.5 large (3'w x 6' tall) cabinets in the family room.
My bulk soaping oils and bath bomb supplies take up a good portion of the pantry cabinet in the kitchen. All scents are in the large credenza in the front entryway. Curing soaps are on a small rolling rack + a bookcase in the spare bedroom. The insulated boxes that I use for gelling soaps are in the closet in that bedroom. Used soap dishes awaiting wash day are in a tub out in the garage.
We will be moving in about 3 weeks, so this is a great time for me to do some advance planning about how to get as much as possible in one space. I currently soap in the kitchen, but my husband has suggested putting a folding table in the spare bedroom for me so I could have everything in one room and just soap in there. It's tempting, but then there would be no room for guests. Would that be a bad thing?
I use plastic boxes (mostly shoebox size) from the dollar store to organize different categories of items: micas, spatulas, additives. Some larger plastic totes corral the smaller bottles of expensive oils and syndet supplies. All of those things, plus my molds, cutters, mixing bowls, etc. take up 1.5 large (3'w x 6' tall) cabinets in the family room.
My bulk soaping oils and bath bomb supplies take up a good portion of the pantry cabinet in the kitchen. All scents are in the large credenza in the front entryway. Curing soaps are on a small rolling rack + a bookcase in the spare bedroom. The insulated boxes that I use for gelling soaps are in the closet in that bedroom. Used soap dishes awaiting wash day are in a tub out in the garage.
We will be moving in about 3 weeks, so this is a great time for me to do some advance planning about how to get as much as possible in one space. I currently soap in the kitchen, but my husband has suggested putting a folding table in the spare bedroom for me so I could have everything in one room and just soap in there. It's tempting, but then there would be no room for guests. Would that be a bad thing?
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I have a 90 sq foot room in our basement that is solely dedicated to my soapmaking (I call it the soap dungeon because it's in the basement), I'm not sure if 90 sq feet is what you have in mind for small... I have a FB link of a video tour that I did for my FB Group here. I tried to use every space available. I have a second hand counter that I got when a friend was redoing her kitchen, we added a clearance countertop to it. I use a variety of organizers and bins that I found at the dollar store to help organize things in the cabinet itself. I use a pegboard on the wall above my space to organize the majority of my tools. My husband also built a shelf for my microwave to get it off the counter. The other counter in the soap area is just a foldable work table that is attached to the wall that I found at the hardware store on clearance. I do not fold mine down because I now have the mini fridge underneath it. The bins that I use to organize the fragrances and ingredients are a combination of dollar store cheapies and some good stacking bins that I scored from work when they were reorganizing the warehouse. My organization has changed slightly since this video (I think this was end of May or beginning of June 2020) but I still use the same ideas. What I don't show is my overflow into the "common storage" area in our house - this is a hot mess, TBH. Some day I'll get it all squared away - or move into a bigger area.
Probably the biggest organization tip I can give you is to keep as many "like" things grouped together as possible. Know what you use the most and keep those things toward the front. Never underestimate the power of labeling things.
Probably the biggest organization tip I can give you is to keep as many "like" things grouped together as possible. Know what you use the most and keep those things toward the front. Never underestimate the power of labeling things.
I second this! It has helped me a lot.
I think I fall into the small space soapers category as I live with my partner in a 50mq studio apartment. You either choose food/clothes or soaping supplies lol.
For me the key was finding storage spaces which would end up unused otherwise.
I have all my mixing bowls, tools and scale under the bed (it's one of those lift storage bed), oils and lye are in a cardboard box in the corner cabinet of my kitchen (those awkward-positioned ones where you can't see or reach the bottom of), and a few other random items like clays live in another box in my library. I cure soaps on the top shelf of the same library, and then move the cured soaps in a cardboard box under the bed. I don't have a dedicated soaping space now, so I just take whatever I need from those boxes and set my dining table up for soaping, it kinda works for now.
I started with a laundry basket that I quickly outgrew. After much deliberation I bought a rolling kitchen island
And it held all my ingredients and equipment. I later add a shelf above the cart for colorants and a Command Hook for my Stick Blender.
It’s been two years and it still works well...when certain members of my household quit using it as a dumping ground for dirty pots and pans (instead of just washing them). But I’m want to expand my operations and so it is time to clean out the garage.
And it held all my ingredients and equipment. I later add a shelf above the cart for colorants and a Command Hook for my Stick Blender.
It’s been two years and it still works well...when certain members of my household quit using it as a dumping ground for dirty pots and pans (instead of just washing them). But I’m want to expand my operations and so it is time to clean out the garage.
