Use it, drain it, dry it How to store your Ethique bars, so you can love them longer You’ve given plastics the cold shoulder, and welcomed our cute little bars into your life. We know you’ll be so happy together. To keep your bar in top form – so you get more showers out if it – you only need to do one thing: keep it dry. When your bar is dry it’ll last longer, stay tidy, and be easier to use. Leave it damp and the mush starts to set in – you’ll end up using far more than you need, leave a lot sticking to your soap dish and struggle to handle the slipperiness. Drying your bar out properly between uses takes only a slight tweak to your bathroom set up – easy. Here’s how. Get the storage right We call it the DAD method (I mean, I’m calling it that now, anyway). That’s drainage, airflow, dry air, and there are plenty of ways you can achieve those three things. For a start, it’s a good idea to find a spot in your shower that’s well away from the stream, or take your bars out of the shower altogether. Choose a storage container that will let water drain away and air circulate – here are our top picks. 1. Our in-shower containers Our in-shower containers are super cute, and specially designed to hold two full-sized shampoo & conditioner bars each. I have two – one for shampoo and conditioner, the other for face and cream body cleanser. They’ve got good drainage slats to let the water out and a lid to protect against splashes. 2. Bar bag Storing your bars in a fabric or string bag gives you a double whammy benefit. Use the bar while it’s still in the bag for extra exfoliation and lather, then hang it up to dry – the fabric will keep the bar contained while absorbing and expelling moisture. Bar bags are easy to sew, if you’re that way inclined, and even easier to buy from a local small business. 3. Soap trays (and other cute ideas)In days of yore, your nan was all about the bar soap, which means second hand stores are always stuffed with the cutest dishes. Just make sure you choose ones with big slats or holes. Plenty of other op-shop finds will work too if you’re creative about it – small baking racks, ridged coasters or paua shells (which come with natural drainage holes). A loofa sponge does a good drainage/airflow job, too. 3. Straight on your shower rack If you’re lucky enough to have built-in shower storage, you might not need anything extra. Make sure the shelf is far away from the shower flow and has good drainage – a wire rack like this one is ideal. Showers tend to stay quite steamy (especially if you have lots of people using the same shower), so if you notice your bar getting soft, take it out for a good dry a couple of times a week. Travelling with Ethique Shampoo Bars Beauty bars are perfect travel companions – you don’t have to lug around all that extra water, you can take it on the plane in your carry-on, and there’s zero chance of it exploding in your suitcase. All you need is an airtight container to keep things tidy: anything out of your reusable containers cupboard, really. We’ve seen very cute options like old tobacco or candy tins, too. Just make sure your bars are totally dry before you put them in, otherwise you’ll arrive with a container full of mush. Lots of our customers keep our cute sample bars for trips away, so they’re always dry and ready to travel. For drying in between showers, lay your bars on a dry flannel or towel. Speed-drying tipsEven with the best storage, sometimes your bars will get soft – perhaps it’s a humid time of the year, your bathroom fan is busted, or you have lots more people staying. Whatever the reason, giving your bars a good drying out will keep them at their best. Give them some time out of the shower and make like an old-timey pie-baker – leave your bars by an open window to get the air circulating. For desperate cases (or if it’s too wet outside), your hot water cupboard is your best friend. Left in that warm, dry air, your bars will be back to fighting fit in no time. Just be warned – warm and dry isn’t any good for our moisturiser bars (they’ll just melt!). To harden those up, put them in the fridge. Pretty basic right? Keep it drained, keep it dry, watch for mushiness, and you and your Ethique bar will enjoy a long and happy life together.