# Help - packaging and labels



## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

My average sized bar is 3.75.3.25.1.25 sometimes smaller somtimes bigger. That eliminates the dan band totally  sooo that being said, I will have to put it in bags and tie off the top. Any recommendations on gusseting? Plain, the fabric ones? I know to get my waterproof labels at onlinelable.com, just wondering if I should get ones that attach to the clip on the end of the bag so as to not hide the soap in the bag? Also, on with the soap being in the bag, I should get a few different paper punches to punch holes in teh bags for sniffing purposes. Also, a few of my bars, the one I just measured has a few bits of fat in it that is white? Is that an issue?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Dan's bands were a tad too small for my bars so I ended up getting shrink wrap tubing. I got samples of several sizes before deciding on which to use. I use my paper cutter to cut it off the roll. When I shrink the ends are still open so customers can sniff that way.

Before that I used bags and much preferred the look of the gusseted bags. I still use them for samples and such. I made a punch guide out of cardstock so I could get somewhat uniformly spaced holes (I'm a little anal about things being *even*) just where the soap was and used a hand punch to punch them out. I would sit and punch while watching a movie so normally it didn't seem to require so much time. I also would leave a bar unwrapped for shoppers to sniff more easily.

Not sure on the labels as mine are slipped inside the shrinkwrap.

As for the little bits of fat, are you melting your oils all the way down? Early on I found, esp. with lard, if I don't get it melted all the way this was more likely to happen. I don't think it's an issue though.


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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

I followed teh walmart recipe...no teh lard is not melted just gushey? Should I be melting it, I know Vicki said if it is melted it smells like bacon...yuck..


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2009)

Are you sure that the white is unmelted oils, with your soap sitting and gelling the oils would melt from the heat generated.. Be sure that this is not lye which is sometimes in the bottom of the lye pot... 
I do melt all my lard, when real close to melting all I just stick blend the bigger chunks up and it melts easier with lower heat.. 
Barb


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

I melt the lard in the microwave. I use 70% power & two or three short sessions. It gets completely liquid. One batch I didn't melt it completely, and there were globs of it in the final soap--still white & streaky. If you keep it under 140 degrees or so, it won't smell cooked.

Tom


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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

Thanks everyone, Tom you are describing my soap exactly! At least a few bars of it...I assume it is still safe to use right?


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

I use the lye calc on thesage.com, and use the amount of lye that makes 5-8% superfat. So I'm guestimating that the globs of unmixed lard are the superfatting. They almost have to be, 'cuz if they were saponified, they would mix in better. Once I have the lard melted, I let it cool to a max of 105 deg before I add the lye. It stays perfectly liquid & mixes easily.

Tom


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## mill-valley (Feb 22, 2008)

I had the same thing happen with one batch. Now I do the same as Tom...melt it all in the microwave. It hasn't smelled like bacon at all.


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