Teach Soap

I received a 25 pound block of clear and of white MP soap for Christmas. (dear dear hubby!). But now I have questions.
1. Is there an easy way of getting the soap out of the plastic when cutting it into more manageable sizes?
2. On the clear soap one side had lots of white stuff -- sorta looked like mold. Do I need to scrap or cut it off before melting?
Thanks, Lynn in Seattle

The plastic just needs to be peeled off... it can be a bit annoying....

The soap is poured straight into the boxes, so the white stuff is bubbles/foam. When you pour your soap into a mold you get this too, just on a much smaller scale! You do not need to toss it... when you melt it down it should go away. A spritz of alcohol after poured will help pop any as well.

Thank you Bramble Momma, just what I needed to know. I'll be soaping right after breakfast!
Lynn