How to Make a Homemade Ice Pack
Fill the Ziploc bags., Freeze the package., Make an ice pack cover.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Fill the Ziploc bags.
Pour a 2:1 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol into a Ziploc freezer bag until it is 3/4 full.
If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to customize the color of your homemade ice pack.
Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag tightly; put it into a second Ziploc freezer bag to ensure that the liquid doesn’t leak out.If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand, consider alternative ingredients to make an ice pack, such as dish soap (on its own, no water necessary) or corn syrup.
Be careful to keep your materials and ingredients away from infants and small children.
Rubbing alcohol is dangerous if consumed in large enough quantities and it can also cause irritation to the eyes.
Plastic bags also pose a suffocation risk to babies and small children. -
Step 2: Freeze the package.
Place the liquid-filled Ziploc bags into the freezer.
Leave for two to three hours to freeze.
Given the different freezing points of water and alcohol, the solution will develop into a gel.Gel icepacks can mold to the contours of your body, which may provide better relief than a traditional ice pack., Before applying your homemade ice pack, you should cover it to avoid direct contact with your skin.
Find some thick, comfortable material (e.g. from an old flannel shirt) and cut out a piece that is an inch (2.5 cm) wider than your ice pack, and twice the length of the ice pack, plus an inch.
Fold the material by bringing the ends to meet (and overlap) in the middle.
Sew together the top and bottom, lengthwise.
Leave the middle part open to easily insert and remove the ice pack. -
Step 3: Make an ice pack cover.
Detailed Guide
Pour a 2:1 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol into a Ziploc freezer bag until it is 3/4 full.
If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to customize the color of your homemade ice pack.
Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag tightly; put it into a second Ziploc freezer bag to ensure that the liquid doesn’t leak out.If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand, consider alternative ingredients to make an ice pack, such as dish soap (on its own, no water necessary) or corn syrup.
Be careful to keep your materials and ingredients away from infants and small children.
Rubbing alcohol is dangerous if consumed in large enough quantities and it can also cause irritation to the eyes.
Plastic bags also pose a suffocation risk to babies and small children.
Place the liquid-filled Ziploc bags into the freezer.
Leave for two to three hours to freeze.
Given the different freezing points of water and alcohol, the solution will develop into a gel.Gel icepacks can mold to the contours of your body, which may provide better relief than a traditional ice pack., Before applying your homemade ice pack, you should cover it to avoid direct contact with your skin.
Find some thick, comfortable material (e.g. from an old flannel shirt) and cut out a piece that is an inch (2.5 cm) wider than your ice pack, and twice the length of the ice pack, plus an inch.
Fold the material by bringing the ends to meet (and overlap) in the middle.
Sew together the top and bottom, lengthwise.
Leave the middle part open to easily insert and remove the ice pack.
About the Author
Kenneth Cooper
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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