Teach Soap

I'm a newbie to soapmaking and a newbie here (Hi everyone!).......
It didn't take long for me to become addicted to soaping, and now I have lots of soap to store! Can some of you advise me as to where I should put the soap to cure? I have a nice bakers rack (5 shelves) in my laundry room and I could put it all there. But when I first cut my bars, they are still a little on the soft side and I'm concerned about putting them directly on the shelves/racks (I think they might get the imprint of the metal lines of the rack, if you can picture that....).
So.....where do you all put your soap to cure? Or perhaps your soap comes out much harder than mine and you don't need to worry about the bottom of the bars getting any kind of imprint?

Metal racks and soap should never meet. They could get DOS. I would line your shelves with paper of some sort, use plastic trays or plastic boxes.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Mine are on the dinning room table and buffet, since we only use it for Christmas. Its now my soap curing room =D

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I have one of those cube bookshelves. And in each cube I have a cardboard box. And in each box I have 2 x Desk Trays to make 3 levels. I line each tray with paper, then put the soap on there. Allows air to circulate as the boxes aren't quite as big as the cube, and the desk trays aren't quite as big as the box, but also keeps direct sunlight off them (it's in my main room) and stops little fingers getting to them (I have two young kids)

Could you put cardboard and then paper on the shelves?

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Also makes for a fine smelling room! =D

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

For sure it does. Not always a good thing though. I made a choc-mint batch that was so strong and so 'real', that I ended up eating my way through 2 packets of Mint Slice biscuits!!

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I'm so glad I asked! I had no idea that the metal and the soap would be a bad combo
So.....I could put cardboard on the shelves and then line with paper.....BUT what kind of paper? Wax paper? Freezer paper? Kraft paper?
And why would I need the paper? Could the soap sit directly on the cardboard?
Obviously, my ignorance is shining through! Please enlighten me

Also......would an open cardboard box (lined with paper) work, as long as there was some room between the soap bars for them to "breathe"?

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Mine are on waxed paper or paper towel. I've read that either works... so I am trying both to see which I like better =D Batch 1 is on waxed and batch 2 is on paper towel.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I have vinyl coated cooling racks that I picked up at one of our local thrift stores. It seems to me that soft soap is becoming contagious ! I have not had concerns with this but have not had to buy new OO for awhile... now I am a little worried... just read SB's thread on it.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I get those cardboard boxes (trays) that strawberrys come to the grocery store in, thay give them to folks for free. I line them with wax paper and they stack 5 high with plenty of room for air to circulate.

Thanks for all your suggestions!
Can someone tell me why you have to line the cardboard with paper? What would be detrimental about putting the soap right on the cardboard?
Thanks!

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

I'm using stainless racks with no problems.

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!