Teach Soap

Hey, all!

I'm hoping some of my fellow melt-and-pour soap sellers can help me out. This will be my first summer selling, and I've been trying to research the best way to mail M&P soap bars when the weather is hot. What I'm mostly afraid of is the soap melting if it's left in a mailbox or the back of a postal truck all day, especially in places where the temps regularly soar into the triple digits.

Some folks suggested cold packs. The smallest I could find was 2 oz., which would of course drive up the cost of shipping for the customer. It might be worth it, though, if melting is a big concern. (And how do you pack a cold pack anyway? Just freeze it and put it in the envelope, or do you have to wrap it in paper towels or something so it doesn't sweat on the envelope and contents?)

I wondered if bubble mailers would provide enough insulation from the heat? I use manila bubble mailers anyway, unless I'm using a Priority flat rate box. My bars are wrapped in plastic wrap, of course, being M&P. If I also wrap individual bars in tissue paper, or pack shipping peanuts in the envelope, would that provide enough insulation from the heat?

Is signature confirmation a good idea so a package doesn't end up in a mailbox for hours, or is sig con a hassle for the customer?

Also plan to put some sort of "Protect from heat" sticker on the outside and tell customers to try to get their package indoors as soon as possible. I would give customers a heads-up about the challenges of summer shipping, and folks in hot climates are probably aware of these challenges anyway. Also would tell customers that if the bar gets soft or dew-y, they should be able to put it in the fridge for a bit and it will firm back up.

And I have ordered M&P base in August and it got to me just fine here in Florida after spending who knows how long in the back of a FedEx truck. Pretty sure the box was packed with shipping peanuts.

Any thoughts from those of you that successfully ship M&P soaps during the hot months? Is outright melting a huge concern, or am I worried about a remote possibility? How do you package your shipments in the summertime?

Thanks for any insights!

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- Jenny -
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I live in the desert with triple digit heat in the summer. I ship Priority box, packed well with peanuts. MP soap in a padded envelope can soften and get squished by the weight of other mail on top of it.

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

Thanks for the reply, Soapbuddy. I hadn't considered the soap getting squished by other mail.

I looked at Priority prices and it seems that the small flat rate box is the cheapest way to go. I'd have to charge $4.95 to ship a $5.00 bar of soap, though, and I wonder if that's a potential turnoff for a buyer? In your experience, are people okay with that as long as you explain why you do it during the hot months?

I can usually fit 3 bars in a small flat rate Priority box -- I wish those boxes were a little deeper. How do you ship 4+ M&P bars in the summertime? I would normally use a bubble mailer and put it in a flat rate Priority envelope to mail 4-6 bars, but I guess that's not a great option in the summer? Do you use the medium flat rate box for 4+ bars, which runs $10.70?

I want to keep shipping costs down, but I also want the soap to arrive in perfect condition. Hmmm ... is it possible to do both?

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- Jenny -
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I can ship MP soaps in a padded envelope unless they are delicate or have edges that could break off during shipping. This is for the times when it's not hot here. I shipped one of my MP soaps yesterday in a 6 x 6 x 6" box. It's going all the way to the east coast. I sure hope it arrives fine. It has been in the 90's here for the past few days.

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

Soapbuddy, my, it is already hot where you are! I hope your soap arrives okay, too -- seems the temps are still pretty mild in general and along the east coast, so it'll probably be fine.

I'm most worried about when it's hot everywhere, like July and August, although I know June and September can be brutal, too. Here in Florida, sometimes May and even October can be mighty toasty.

I'll just do my best to protect the soap and hope for the best! Thanks for the replies ...

_________________
- Jenny -
My soapy blog:
Follow me on my