When bumps and bruises happen in our day-to-day life it is a normal reaction to reach for ice packs to do some ice therapy. The cold compress of an ice pack lowers pain and reduces swelling after a minor injury and can prevent the need for a trip to the doctor.
Don’t be fooled, ice packs aren’t just useful for first-aid! They can help keep lunches cool, drinks enjoyable, and ice cream from melting on the trek home from the store.
Currently, there are many available ice packs that you can easily buy from the store – from a bag of frozen peas and gel ice packs. But did you know that you can easily create an ice pack from the comforts of your own home?
Being able to make your own ice packs means that you don’t have to fret if you lose or break one. Most homemade ice packs are also non-toxic and made with very basic ingredients. With multiple options, you can create a variety of ice packs affordably for use in any situation.
Let’s take a look at which DIY ice pack you can make right now.
1. Traditional Sponge Ice Pack
A standard sponge DIY ice pack has been a staple in many school nurse offices and mother’s freezers for years due to its simple and reusable design. This is considered a homemade ice pack and consists of a sponge dampened with water placed in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
Sponge ice packs are solid and don’t flex well until they have thawed lightly. They work well in lunch containers because they don’t contain chemicals and maintain their shape for long periods of time.
When dampening your sponge, don’t get it too dripping wet or you may get frozen water runoff in the bottom of your ice pack.
2. Dish Soap Ice Pack
For an ice pack with a bit more flexibility, a dish soap ice pack is a good choice. To make this ice pack you just put your favorite dish soap into a Ziploc baggie and then place in a freezer.
Being careful about how long you freeze this pack will help you reach the desired level of flexibility. When frozen for just a few hours this ice pack is flexible for soft use, where freezing for a longer time will make the ice pack become firm.
3. Corn Syrup Ice Pack
If you are looking for a very flexible cold compress then a corn syrup ice pack is the way to go. The corn syrup has a lower freezing point than water which keeps it from becoming hard even after extended time in the freezer.
These ice packs are great for injuries to oddly shaped places such as knees and elbows because they can be pressed around the shape of the joint.
To make this ice pack you pour corn straight corn syrup into your desired size of Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer.
This ice pack is safe to use in lunch boxes and around other edible items but can make for sticky cleanup if it leaks.
4. Rubbing Alcohol In Water
If you have water and rubbing alcohol at home you can make easy flexible ice packs for home use.
Adding 1 cup rubbing alcohol to water lowers the freezing point of the solution and keeps the ice pack from becoming a hard rock of ice. To make this pack mix together 1.5 cups of water with ½ cup rubbing alcohol in a baggie and freeze for several hours.
You can make smaller versions of this ice pack by using snack size baggies and half the ingredients.
It is recommended to use these ice packs as first-aid support in places where they aren’t likely to leak on food because rubbing alcohol is toxic if ingested.
5. Salt Water Ice Packs
Most people keep salt in their pantries at all times which is why this recipe is a great option for home ice packs.
To create these ice packs for home use, take two tablespoons of salt water and add it to two cups of tap water. Mix the water to dissolve the salt and seal in a Ziploc bag. Let the ice pack freeze for several hours.
This basic ice pack will work well for a variety of situations but will give a salty taste to anything it leaks on so be aware if using it for keeping food items cool.
Final Thoughts
With these recipes you no longer have to pay store prices for expensive plastic wrapped ice packs. DIY ice packs are easy to create and store for anyone on a budget. They can be kept on hand at home and at work for use in a pinch. We hope you will get plenty of use out of your very own ice packs.