How long before I receive my order?
We require a minimum 10 day lead time to fill your order for soap loaves. Please keep in mind that, as with most businesses, this is calculated in business days . (Business days equals approx. 2 weeks)
 So, if you would like an idea when your order will ship, please start counting from the next business day after your order is placed and exclude Saturdays and Sundays. Please plan for additional time in transit - our zip code is 37115, shipping is standard UPS Ground. NOTE:  during the months of July & August, orders are only shipped Monday through Wednesday.  We do this to protect your order from the summer heat (on many occasions, your order is completed within just a few days but there may be several orders ahead of your own.  Please remember your order is being made especially for you at the time you place it).  Keep in mind that the cure time for handmade soap is 3 - 4 weeks.  You will be provided the date your soap was made especially for you so that you can cure the soap at least 4 weeks from the date it was made.  Orders of over 100 loaves may require a longer lead time.

How do I CONTACT you?
Here's the skinny.  Yes, we have a phone number.  However, we prefer email.  Basically, we are soapmakers.  There is no receptionist or secretary.  Most of the time when customers try to call we are busy making soap, cutting soap, wrapping soap, boxing soap....you get the picture.  So, even when you call our number, it gives you instructions on how to email us.  And because we are so busy making soap all day, we often answer your emails from our living room couch.  Spending all evening returning phone calls basically kills any chance of a personal life.  Also, if you thoroughly read our website, every question about soaps and how it is made, shipped, weighed, etc. is right here on the site.

The answering machine also instructs our customers where to find the retail location in Nashville to find our products -- HOWEVER, the owners of the Lotus Leaf Market CANNOT answer you wholesale questions.  It is not our store.  Please do not bother the good folks at Lotus Leaf Market - they simply CARRY our products, nothing more!

Email us at info@soapbytheloaf.com.  The phone number is 615-360-8089.  The answering machine will instruct you to email us.  Thank you.

I called your Nashville store and the girl who answered the phone was of NO help at all.  What's up?
This always happens when customers don't slow down and really LISTEN to our answering machine message.  See above under "how do I contact you?"  The Lotus Leaf Healthy Market (the Nashville retail location) does NOT belong to us.  It is not our store.  They have nothing to do with our companies besides selling our retail products on consignment.  Please, don't bother the stores that carry our products because we didn't answer the phone on the first ring.  Once again, see above.

Do you have a minimum ordering amount?
Green Pergola wants to make it easy for small business to succeed in the natural market.  Our ordering minimum is low -- only 3 loaves.  They do NOT have to be of the same type....you can order different soap loaves.  Why do we do this?  Soap by the Loaf was designed for business owners wanting to incorporate handmade soap into their line of products -- not as a place where retail customers have a place to order good soap (strictly for their own use) at a wholesale price.  We also do this to protect our wholesale clients --- after all, you need a customer to sell to, right?

How are my loaves shipped to me?
when it comes to dealing with anything of weight, we have found UPS to be the carrier of choice.  Also, we work hard to save you money.  In the shipping world, there is a certain point where just one more pound can make a $25 hike in shipping price.  We pay attention to what you are ordering, where its is being shipped and if it is LESS expensive to ship your loaves in two boxes (based on the above "tipping the scales" scenario). We DO go to the trouble of packing and shipping two boxes instead of one (when appropriate) to save you money.

What are the ingredients used in your soaps?  Are they handmade?
Green Pergola soaps are made completely from scratch with a combination of olive oil, coconut oil, soybean and shea butter.  They retain their natural skin-loving glycerin, making for a great homemade bar of soap. Some specialty recipes may also include additional oils such as: castor, cocoa butter, palm, etc.  Go to our ingredients page and you will find a listing for all of our soaps.  Each one has a SOAP DATA SHEET in pdf format showing you a particular soap's exact ingredients.

Do you use real essential oils in your soaps?
Only natural, plant derived essential oils are used for fragrance as well as for their aromatherapy benefits. 

How large are your wholesale soap loaves?
soap logs measure at  14.5" long, 3" wide and approx 2.5" high.  With the width we choose to cut our own soaps, we get a return of 12 bars per loaf that weigh in around 3.8 - 4 ounces per bar, depending on the formula and botanical contents.   

How large are your soap BLOCKS?
each soap LOAF was cut from a larger BLOCK of soap.  A soap BLOCK is 3 loaves of soap that has not been cut into loaves.  Soap BLOCKS measure 14.5" x 9" x 2.5" high.  Soap blocks give you greater freedom in choosing how to cut your soap into BARS to create your company's own, unique size of soap.  Soap BLOCKS cost around 10% less than buying three loaves.

How do I know if I will like your soap before ordering such a large amount?
there are links on the top of each page where it says SOAP SAMPLES. We encourage you to order samples first from our retail site.

I didn't like the soap I received.  How do I get a refund?
Did you order samples first?  Our soaps have been made the same way for almost 12 years.  This is why we encourage you to order samples before ordering bulk soap.  We do not offer refunds on soaps that were made especially for you.  On rare occasion, we will offer you the option of shipping the soap back to us (at your own cost) and a 20% restocking fee will be deducted from your refund.

How much does each loaf weigh? I'm trying to calculate shipping.
freshly made, each soap loaf still contains a higher amount of water content which will evaporate as the curing process takes place.  Each loaf weighs approx 4 lbs (some a little under).  When calculating shipping via UPS, we generally go by the rule-of-thumb "4 pounds per loaf".  Soap blocks weigh approximately 12 pounds each.

Can anyone purchase your soap wholesale?
Green Pergola sells to large and small businesses alike.  If you live in Tennessee and wish to be tax exempt, we must obtain a copy of your reseller's certificate. If you are a small, home-based business without a reseller certificate, you may still place your order but be aware that residents of the state of Tennessee will be responsible for sales tax. NOTE: We do not sell wholesale soap loaves to anyone living within a 150 radius of Nashville, TN.  Our own retail soap company, The Green Pergola, is Nashville based -- competing with our own product would be a silly business move, as we're sure you understand.

What if I don't want to wrap my own soap? How can I resell your Green Pergola soaps?
if what you are looking for is bars of handmade soap wrapped with the Green Pergola label for resale in your shop, please visit our wholesale page on the GP site at: www.greenpergola.com

How do I pay for my order of wholesale soap logs?
 Green Pergola accepts:  Visa, Mastercard, Discover, checks and money orders. Large orders may require a deposit. Checks require a five business day hold time before items ship.

What if I want a soap that is not listed?
Sorry.  We don't offer custom soap loaves.

Do you ship internationally?
Unfortunately, at this time, we only ship orders within the United States.

Do you have much experience in making soap?
We've been in business since 1998 and produce 1000's of pounds of handmade soap per year ..... we must be doing something right.

What are the choices of soap you already make?
Our list of soap logs is listed on our soap loaves page and will guide you through the descriptions of every bar we make.

Who needs soap loaves?  The possibilities go on and on.  We have a wide variety of businesses that purchase soap by the loaf for resale in their company.

Nearly everyone, everywhere uses soap and they have for centuries.  It is a consumable product, meaning that it gets "used up" and your customers must return to you for more.  Time and time again we see new customers who had just tried their first bar of Green Pergola soap come back and order many different kinds. Our customers know a good thing when they find one.

Adding quality, handmade soaps to your current product line is great for:

• natural grocery stores
• vitamin / nutrition stores
• spas & salons
• tea houses
• boutiques & gift shops
• aromatherapy companies
• primitive shops
• gift basket companies
• bookstores
• candle shops
• museum gift shops
• garden centers
  and the list goes on ....... everyone loves luxury, gourmet soap.