How Can I Make My Own Ice Packs?
Ice packs have a variety of uses. Cold therapy involves using ice packs on injured or sore body parts to keep down swelling and relieve pain. Ice packs filled with gel are used in lunch boxes or coolers to keep cold foods cold. There is no need to go out and buy ice packs when you have all the ingredients to make them right in your own home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Zipper-lock freezer bags (quart or gallon size)
- 2 cups rubbing alcohol
- 2 cups water
Instructions
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Place the freezer bag inside a deep bowl and roll the sides down over the edges of bowl. This allows you to pour liquids into the bag without the bag collapsing while being filled.
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Pour rubbing alcohol and water into the freezer bag. If using the gallon size bags, you may need to double the ingredients to fill the bag.
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Squeeze the air out of the bag and zip to close the bag. Lay it flat on the counter to evenly distribute the liquids. If the bag has an air pocket in it, there is still too much air in the bag. Repeat squeezing out air until the bag lays flat.
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Place bag down flat in the freezer and allow to freeze for at least three hours. The alcohol will not freeze completely, so the bag will be slushy. When the ice melts, simply place it back in the freezer until it is needed again.
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Tips & Warnings
Several bags can be frozen at the same time, so when one bag melts you can pull out another and refreeze the one you used.
These ice packs are meant for use by adults and older kids. For young children, a bag of frozen vegetables works well, such as peas. Ice packs for kids' lunches can be made with a wet cloth frozen inside of a zipper-lock bag. That way, there will be no worries about leaking or toxicity.
Keep ice bags away from children when not in use. Rubbing alcohol is toxic if swallowed so be sure to label the bags as nonfood items.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
