How to Make Ice Packs
Being in pain can detract from your life. When a part of your body hurts, you do not feel capable of taking part in work or family activities. Such often happens after a strain or a sprain when you might feel unable to use the injured part. One of the first treatments you should apply to the site to alleviate the pain and reduce the swelling is ice, but to protect your skin from frostbite, you should put that ice in an ice pack. Here is how to create your own ice pack from the things you probably have around your house.
Things You'll Need
- Heavy duty freezer bag (1 quart size)
- Heavy duty freezer bag (1/2 gallon size)
- Dish soap (1 cup)
- Small 6-by-6-inch washcloth
Instructions
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Creating an ice pack.
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1
Fill the smaller freezer bag with the dish soap. It should be about half filled. Squeeze out excess air and seal.
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2
Put the smaller bag into the larger freezer bag. This will prevent leaks in your freezer. Squeeze out the excess air in the larger bag and seal.
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3
Place the double-bagged ice pack into the freezer until ready to use.
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4
When needed, remove the ice pack, wrap it in the washcloth and apply to the swollen area.
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1
Tips & Warnings
This should be made in advance and stored in the freezer until needed. If you have an immediate need for an ice pack, fill the freezer bag with ice instead of dish soap, seal, wrap the bag in the washcloth and use at once. Any brand of dish soap can be used. The soap will not freeze solid so that your ice pack can mold to the shape of the injured area.
You must wrap the ice pack in a washcloth or towel to prevent frostbite to your skin. If the ice pack is still too cold, wrap it in a second towel. Even in the summer, you can get frostbite from direct, prolonged contact with ice. Do not leave the ice pack on the swollen area for more than 20 minutes at a time to lessen the chance of frostbite.
