Working with Molds

At Voyageur we carry a very large selection of Plastic and Wood soap molds ranging from individual cavity molds to 2lb., 4lb, and larger rectangular and square molds that are suitable for all your soap making needs. We would like to share with you our experience and information about the use and care of your molds so that you can use them with success and care for them so that they will last for many years of enjoyable soap making.

Plastic Molds

Plastic Molds, such as our very large selection of Milky Way Molds, are great for all types of soap making as well as body care products such as bath bombs, massage melts etc. Plastic Molds are a great way to get a wonderful range of decorative soaps in a large variety of shapes and sizes. Using Plastic Molds in soap making is very easy. After your soap comes to trace, pour your soap into each cavity of the mold and tap gently to release any air bubbles. Cover the filled mold or molds with a piece of cardboard or with brown freezer paper and cover this with a towel or blanket to retain the heat in the soap mixture. Leave undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours. During this period saponification (the process of becoming soap) is completed.

Un-molding your soaps:
After your soaps have been in the molds for 24 to 48 hours it is time to remove them from their molds. When releasing simple turn the mold over, gently tap or squeeze the mold gently and the soaps should release. If you are having trouble removing the soaps from their molds, please don’t flex your molds too hard. Simply place your soaps in the freezer for around a half hour, remove and let sit for 5 minutes and they should come out easily. Sometimes when making a soft or super-fatted soap or when using molds that have already been used frequently it is helpful to grease the mold before pouring in your soap. To do this simple rub a little oil all over the inside cavities of the mold. Any light oil will be sufficient such as Almond, Apricot Kernel etc.

Plastic Molds can tolerate temperatures of up to 135 to 145 degrees F. If you’re concerned about warping, set the molds in a shallow coldwater bath for hot-temperature pours.

Cleaning your molds:
Use warm tap water to remove any left over soap residue. Do not place in the dishwasher, as the high temperatures may warp the plastic.

Wooden Molds

Our Wood Molds are made using a special grade of wood and are manufactured to only take seconds to disassemble. In our own production, we have used these molds literally hundreds of times and find that these are a great way to do large batches of soap that can then be cut into smaller bars. Although you can pour the soap directly into the mold and then disassemble to remove the soap, over the years of production we have found it easier to line the inside of the molds using brown freezer paper. To line the mold, we have found it easiest to run a piece of brown freezer paper going one direction of the mold and then another piece going the other direction, across the first piece. This eliminates having to miter the corners to get a perfect edge and also allows you to simply pull the soap from the mold without having to disassemble it and requires no mold cleanup. After you pour your soap into your lined wood mold cover with a sheet of brown freezer paper and then cover with towels or a blanket to insulate. Allow the soap to stay in the mold 24 to 48 hours and then remove. Cut into your desired bars using a soap cutter, knife or a wire cutter, similar to that used for large cheese blocks.