Hi. I posted this in the main forum and was told that it didn't belong there so I'm posting here. Hopefully someone here will know.

I thought someone on here might know this - the PO near us has an APC and if I can mail this stuff I will take it tonight, otherwise I'll try to make it to the PO on my lunch break tomorrow....

I'm mailing a package to a friend who went off to college that includes some liquid soap from the Body Shop, some cookies and some crackers and a couple of other items that I know are OK.. I recall the APC asking if my package contained liquids or foods, but I don't know if that's b/c you can't mail that from postage printed there or b/c they have to put something special on the label. All the items are well packaged and shouldn't leak and it's in a very sturdy box.   Anyone know if this is OK to mail from the APC or if I have to go to the desk? If I can mail it tonight, it'd be worth the trip to save me time tomorrow.

i found this for ya

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/601.htm

2.4 Liquids

Mailers must mark the outer container of a mailpiece containing liquid to indicate the nature of the contents. Mailers must package and mail liquids under the following conditions:

a. Use screw-on caps, soldering, clips, or similar means to close mailpieces containing liquids. Do not use only friction-top closures (push-down types).

b. Liquids in steel pails and drums with positive closures, such as locking rings or recessed spouts under screw-cap closures, may be mailed without additional packaging.

c. Package glass and other breakable containers of liquid with a capacity of more than 4 fluid ounces according to the following requirements:

1. Cushion the primary container with material sufficient to absorb all leakage in case of breakage.

2. Place the primary container inside another sealed, leakproof container (secondary container), such as a can or plastic bag.

3. Use an outer mailing container that is strong enough to protect the contents.

d. As an alternative to 2.4c above, mailers may use containers certified by the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) that passed ISTA's Test Procedure 3A. Mailers must provide their ISTA 3A Package-Product Certification Notice at the time of mailing as verification that the mailpieces they are submitting passed the required performance test.

well you could take a chance and mail it  using the apc

Tape the lid on and put the bottle in a zip lock bag.

Write on the outside of the box "Liquid--Soap".  then if it does break and leak, they won't have to wonder  and worry about what it is. Just in case.

I personally would not worry about it.  You're not shipping media mail, so they are not going to inspect it. Make sure the soap is in a plastic bag and package as well as you can to prevent leaks even if a 500 lb gorilla was throwing it around the room. 

you don't know what they do with some of the packages in the back room of the post office. I have had two postal employess friends who have told me some of the guys throw packages back and force or throw them in bins ect. Alot of mail gets mistreated when the "boss" is gone. I always put liquids, creams ect in a plastic zip lock inside of a zip lock. and they do occasional open a package radomly to make sure you are not sending mazines or other stuff media mail or ciggarettes aren't being sent thru the mail