Soaps from Etsy

[jenneelk]

So I have 2 soaps I bought from Etsy that just arrived so I can compare them to mine here in terms of feel.
But maybe I'm being picky but my creamy white bar has a black hair coming out of it. Not just on top. Tried to pull it off and its stuck in the bar. And there is another hair on the top and it was wrapped in plastic seal.

My other white white bar has little hairs and black stuff in the corners.

These were from 2 different places.
So my question is.. is this normal after sitting for weeks and just let it go.. it's soap after all? The other handcrafted soaps I have bought were a while back and from local fairs and farmers markets. Maybe these are just really old and I'm only used to seeing my fresh. LOL

 

[jean1C]

Not just "NO", but Oh H*** NO!! I am sorry, but that is just gross. Maybe someone else has a different perspective...but ...for real?

What would you do if you bought a commercial bar of soap and had that happen? Okay...Then what if a friend who decided to make soap gave it to you (even then..would you feel comfortable using it? ). I don't think you are being picky.

 

[jenneelk]

Here it is. You can see its stuck in there and then a tiny one above and another on top u can't see. Maybe they have a dog. :/

 

[heartsong]

how awful for you! after spending your hard earned money, you expect some quality!

it's unfortunately a disgusting lack of personal hygiene! I have long hair, plus 2 long haired pups in the house, but I bind & cover my hair, thoroughly wipe down all work surfaces and minutely inspect all molds, pots and utensils...never heard anything like this!

:think: the only gross thing that ever happened to me was while I was stick blending my batter a fly fell in the soap and was blenderized before I could stop...that batch was poured into a double plastic bag and went into the trash!

 

[heartsong]

Here it is. You can see its stuck in there and then a tiny one above and another on top u can't see. Maybe they have a dog. :/

how did she miss the hair when it's right next to her stamp? maybe she needs glasses?

 

[jean1C]

I don't think that it makes it better.

Another scenario...what if you bought it as a gift for someone? Let's say a colleague at work.

I have pets...Lots of pets..2 dogs, 3 cats, 5 chickens, 10 little chicks, and 2 ducks. (fish don't count). I also smoke ( I know). Bottom line...I don't soap around the environmental hazards that are present in my home. I even store the soap while it is drying in a room that no one uses.

On the flip side...could be just a mistake..I don't sell my soap, so I can't say much about the product from a seller's standpoint.

 

[robtr31]

Here it is. You can see its stuck in there and then a tiny one above and another on top u can't see. Maybe they have a dog. :/

I would send picture person you bought from, see how they react may send some more out right away never now ,

I personally would want to now if I missed it in my bar for what ever reason,

 

[CaraCara]

I have cats that shed fur that sometimes gets on my soap so I can appreciate how it might have gotten there. I would never sell something with any hair on it, especially soap. A full inspection should have been done prior to sending that off and I would waste no time letting the seller know what you found.

 

[Moody Glenn]

No matter if it is dog, human or Sasquatch - contact the soapmakers by email, include your photos and express your total disappointment. Mistakes are made and the soapmakers should be aware of these 'quality control' issues. They need to be aware that they must be vigilant in providing excellent products. No one should find these objects embedded in a bar of soap.

 

[pamielynn]

I would crap myself if my customer found a hair in the soap!! I sell at a lot of outdoor venues and stuff is constantly blowing around in the wind - some of it sticks to the bars. BUT I carefully go over each and every bar to make sure there are no surprises. I know hair is not germy or anything, but it has a HUGE squick value

 

[jenneelk]

Thanks everyone.. I will contact them and see what they say.
I have a black cat and a dog so I'm super vigilant with sealing my products well and wiping down and inspecting. Soaps are new for me but I am putting Saran Wrap after cutting until I store them away from where the animals are allowed to go.

The other bar from another person makes me wonder about storing. Does your soap collect dust and hairs after sitting
For 6-8 weeks in the open? I planned to but might not.
This bar has little hairs on it and the bottom has black and brown stuff on it. Which is likely from something else.
Are your bars still pretty clean after weeks of curing? Do u seal them away somehow to keep dusty hairs off?

There is black on the other side just like this side.

 

[AngelMomma]

Maybe they were packaging, stamping or working in a darkish room????? I would not be able to bring myself to use that. I just couldn't. I would message, send a picture. Maybe they don't realize they are overlooking this??!

 

[AngelMomma]

Thanks everyone.. I will contact them and see what they say.
I have a black cat and a dog so I'm super vigilant with sealing my products well and wiping down and inspecting. Soaps are new for me but I am putting Saran Wrap after cutting until I store them away from where the animals are allowed to go.

The other bar from another person makes me wonder about storing. Does your soap collect dust and hairs after sitting
For 6-8 weeks in the open? I planned to but might not.
This bar has little hairs on it and the bottom has black and brown stuff on it. Which is likely from something else.
Are your bars still pretty clean after weeks of curing? Do u seal them away somehow to keep dusty hairs off?

There is black on the other side just like this side.

This is not ok.

Homemade and hand crafted does not excuse this.

After cutting I store mine in a cardboard tray that is lined with parchment paper. I loosely cover the top with brown paper that is taped down on each end. The paper and cardboard breaths while it prevents dust from settling on the tops of the soap.

 

[PinkCupcake]

I've spent most of my life working in restaurants and bakeries, so it's just a habit for me to put on a cap or a bandana. I would be absolutely mortified to give soap like that away for free, much less sell it to someone!

 

[Obsidian]

I could understand one hair being on the surface as a mistake but not a obvious hair stuck inside a bar. The seller is either really lazy or too greedy to chop up a bar and use it for something else. I would complain and either ask for a refund or a replacement.
I have 3 black dogs and I occasionally get a hair on the surface but I always remove them as soon as they are spotted. This is something I need to solve for when I do finally start selling. I would HATE to sell a a bar with a dog hair. Mine are lap dogs and I think most of the hairs fall off my shirt so I'm thinking about getting some kind of apron/coverall that hair won't stick to.
My house is pretty dusty but I've never had anything stick or settle on the soap while it was drying. At about 6 weeks, the bars go into a paper bag and in the closet.
I also got a bar of etsy that had a tiny amount of crumbs on the corners but I chalked it up to being in storage for over a year and being moved halfway across county when the seller moved states.

 

[jenneelk]

I rotate 2 aprons that I seem to be constantly washing. When not being used they go into my work drawer in my kitchen.

Storing I will maybe do the paper idea and recycle paper grocery bags.

OT - Obsidian (haha.. Love that my iPhone knows your name) I made a white bar today.. Finally!

 

[Koshka]

Ok, I'm sorry, that's just filthy! I understand that soap is soap, and most of that stuff will wash off, but I'm getting some serious second-hand embarrassment here. It's very unprofessional and unsanitary. I mean, come on! If I'm charging my customers i.e. $5 a bar, I would at least make sure it looks descent. And it makes me wonder in which conditions these soaps were made.
Although my soaps sit unpackaged on the shelves for 2-3 months my work and curing areas are squeaky clean, we dust and vacuum every 2-3 days. Not only because I'm selling personal hygiene products, but also because I feel so much better knowing my professional work environment is clean, organized and filth free.

I strongly suggest you bring this issue to her attention, maybe this will make her rethink her work and soap production ethics.

 

[MOGal70]

I have soap stashed in several places. The most likely to get dirty would be on top of a cabinet that sits on a vent 3 feet infront of the front door. I just pulled soap out of it last night and no it was not dirty.

 

[heartsong]

unless you have rats gnawing on the bars, it's pretty simple to just wipe them down with a clean rag before you mail them...I have a soap room that pets (and hubby) are not allowed. I drape a clean white sheet over my soap racks to discourage dust and other crap that floats around.

 

[AngelMomma]

I have pets too. But I don't even weigh out oils if I have had my little buddy on my lap. I just go change my entire outfit. Its more laundry and may seem like overkill.....especially since I don't sell yet. But I can't imagine if my sister or friend called and told me they found something like that. When packaging it helps to do it on a sunny afternoon by a window. LIGHT, light, light!