Homemade Ice Packs

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Archives: Tip: Homemade Cold Pack Archived on 08/24/2009 Another great homemade cold pack is to add regular rubbing alcohol to water - about 1 part alcohol to 3 parts water - in a freezer type zip top bag. I keep a couple of these in my freezer at all times. The bags don't freeze solid because of the alcohol and that makes them ideal to wrap over a wrist, knee or similar area. I use them over and over before they get a leak. I also usually add a drop or two of food color to the mixture to make them easy to find in the freezer. JLD Feedback: RE: Homemade Cold Pack These work great. I use 2 ziplock bags to prevent leakage. They last a very long time. (10/09/2007) By Charity. Report Spam or Abuse Tip: Make Your Own Lunch Box Ice Packs Archived on 08/24/2009 I find those store bought ice packs ineffective. There are 2 kinds. The big bulky ones that take up too much space or the thin kind that don't reach everything. Freeze ice cubes and seal in a vacuum sealed bag, then let it melt until you have moldable ice pack to refreeze that will fit your needs. It's reusable and leak proof to boot. By Mildred Report Spam or Abuse Request: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Archived on 08/24/2009 I recently heard that you can make your own ice pack by putting water and alcohol in a zip lock bag and freezing. does anyone know what the formula is? Kathy from New London, CT Feedback: RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol I would be wary of the homemade ice packs--the alcohol could play havoc with fabrics and furniture if it springs a leak. I would suggest buying 3 or 4 bags of frozen peas (yup, regular green peas) and keep those in the freezer--label them "not for eating" if you have others in your family who might be doing some cooking. Use the bags of peas (you can wrap in a cloth, if you like) for an ice pack. When one thaws, put it back in the freezer, and grab another. I've found that 3 or four bags will allow the first to refreeze by the time the others are used. (07/28/2006) By Jilson RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Hi Kathy! I'm a physical therapist and for years have told my patients about the alcohol/water ice pack method. Not any more! An easier method is the following: depending on the size ice pack you need, get 1 or 2 bottles of Palmolive dishwashing detergent. Pour into a ziplock bag. Place that in another ziplock bag in case of leaks. Throw into the freezer, and, once cold, it's ready to go! The question I always get is, does it have to be Palmolive? I can't answer that - I've never tried any other brand - but I know the Palmolive works - I have one in my own freezer right now in the event of injury! It doesn't get too hard, and that's good 'cause then it will mold to any body part needed. By the way, a wet washcloth between any kind of ice pack and your skin is preferable to placing ice directly on the skin. Hope this helps! (07/28/2006) By bbb RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol A cold pack is a plastic envelope filled with gel that remains flexible at very cold temperatures. Buy 2 cold packs and keep them in the freezer. Use them for bumps, bruises, back sprains, turned ankles, sore joints, or any other health problem that calls for ice. A cold pack is more convenient than ice and may become the self-care tool you use the most. You can make your own cold pack: Put 1 pint of rubbing alcohol and 3 pints of water in a 1-gallon, heavy-duty, plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag, and then seal it in a second bag. Mark it "Cold pack: Do not eat," and place it in the freezer. A bag of frozen vegetables will also work as a cold pack (07/29/2006) By Dean Homemade Ice Pack Recipe Here's another "recipe" from a bodybuilding website with a slightly different formula. A quick and easy recipe to make a reusable slushy ice pack is to combine 4 parts rubbing alcohol to 1 part water and ice cubes in a plastic seal up baggie (freezer bag) Place this in the freezer for a few hours and when it is ready you will have an inexpensive ice pack. The reason this works is that the specific temperature of the rubbing alcohol is low enough that it will not freeze in a normal freezer, allowing the contents of the bag to form a slush rather than a solid. However, you will want to make sure you mark this bag as poisonous so that the contents don't end up in someone's drink the next time you have company. You can also use a bag of frozen vegetables which will work just as well. (07/29/2006) By mef1957 RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol For a 1 Gallon Zip Lock, use 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water. (07/31/2006) By Paula RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Feedback to comment by bbb (Guest Post) 07/28/2006: THANK YOU! I've been icing my knee (softball injury), but I left my ice bag at work last night. I knew there were ways to make your own ice bags, but I'd only heard about the rubbing alcohol/water mixtures. Instead of the Palmolive "bbb" mentioned, I had a 90 oz. bottle of Dove Advanced Power. I poured about 20 ounces each into two 1-gallon bags, which I then double-bagged in case the first bag leaked. With two ice bags, I could ice both the front (anterior) and back (posterior) sides of my knee, which was far superior to just icing one side. Cost - about $5, but really almost zero. Why? I can pour the liquid soap back into the bottle when I no longer need the ice bags, and re-use the four 1-gallon ziplock bags. (08/20/2006) By Scott RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Thanks for the recipe. I was needing it again and couldn't remember the amount of alcohol. Peas, rice and the blue bags work great but the alcohol ice bags are a lifesaver when you need a continual supply. They also stay cold longer and form to the knee. They worked great when my husband had knee surgery. I just had knee surgery and the blue bags aren't cutting it. Thanks (09/13/2006) By Melinda RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Use 2-3 cups of water to 1 cup of alcohol. pour into a freezer bag and insert that bag into another one. I used this on my grandmother's knee after her surgery. the physical therapist gave us this remedy. (11/02/2006) By RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol In response to the rice cold pack: I've noticed that the rice packs do not get as cold as regular ice cubes do, so I would try the alcohol, dishwashing liquid type of packs if you are looking for really cold. (02/15/2007) By Sami RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol These work great. I have had one in my freezer for a couple of years until just recently it sprang a leak, so am making a new one. Yes, they conform to the site easily. (10/14/2007) By JLM RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol After testing several different combination, I found the best ice pack is 4 parts dish soap to 1 part alcohol. (10/18/2007) By colleen RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol In Australia, "Methylated Spirits" is Ethanol with a vomiting agent in it, so you could use this as it would be a cheaper alternative than rubbing alcohol. (11/04/2007) By Superstar RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Fill a ziplock bag half water which will be 70% water and 30% alcohol. put one bag into another bag so in case it leaks and put it in the freezer. (01/17/2008) By RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol I'm surprised no one suggested this. Instead of using a ziploc, bag use a hotwater bottle. They are a lot less likely to break. I've had mine for 5+ years. I use it every morning before work to ice my back. (03/07/2008) By Thor RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Good article (05/08/2008) By RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Still another idea: Make the alcohol recipe and then place in a rubber glove to freeze. It conforms wonderfully to the jaw line after wisdom teeth are removed or any other area that is curved. (07/16/2008) RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol I've read about two different methods of making your own ice pack. One sugested soaking a diaper in water and freezing for a hard ice pack, and for a gel pack fill a freezer bag with two parts water and one part rubbing alcohol. I combined both methods and poured the alcohol and water mixture into a diaper, inserted the diaper into a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. It worked and should last for a long time. (10/30/2008) RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol I believe the ratio is 1/4 cup alcohol to 3/4 cup water. My physical therapy assistant was telling me that a nurse patient had come up with this idea for those who don't have an ice pack. (11/30/2008) By Dee - Imperial PA RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Just heard of this great idea from my PT. Wonder if putting it in seal a meal bag would work better then ziplock? Just a thought! (02/12/2009) By Teri RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol 1 cup rubbing alcohol 2 cups water Ziploc Freezer Bag (1 quart size) Pour liquids into freezer bag, remove air and seal bag. Place bag seal side down into another ziploc freezer bag, remove air and seal that bag. Place in freezer and use (and reuse) when needed (nice and slushy!). (02/16/2009) By Carol RE: Homemade Ice Packs Using Alcohol Put three parts water and one part isopropyl alcohol in a one gallon freezer bag. Seal it tight and then double bag it. Its also a good idea to put blue food dye in it and label caution not food if you have kids around (be sure and use 90% isopropyl for best results). (03/31/2009) By brnavarra Report Spam or Abuse Request: Home Made Ice Packs Using Alcohol Archived on 04/29/2005 I recently had shoulder surgery and am using lots of ice. I would like to make my own ice packs. I know that you can put rubbing alcohol and water in a zip lock bag and freeze it. The alcohol prevents it from freezing solid...it becomes slushy and can be easily molded to your "owie". The only problem is that I don't know how much of each to use; nor do I know what strength of alcohol since it comes in 50%, 70% and 91%. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Margaret from Texas Answers: RE: Home Made Ice Packs Using Alcohol Hi Margaret! I hope your shoulder gets well quickly. Here's a site I found for making your own ice pack with alcohol. www.recipezaar.com/91931 I really doubt that the % of alcohol will make a huge difference...other than, as the site says, the more alcohol the "softer" the pack will be. God bless you!!! (04/29/2005) By Luvyabye RE: Home Made Ice Packs Using Alcohol get some cotton fabric, cut it the size you need for your ice pack. sew three sides, put in enough plain white rice to half fill the bag. Sew the fourth side together, freeze when you need an ice pack, or microwave for two minutes when you need heat. ARDIS (06/24/2005) By Ardis Barnes RE: Home Made Ice Packs Using Alcohol Use equal parts of rubbing alcohol and water. Any type of rubbing alcohol will work, too! (09/08/2005) By dimps Report Spam or Abuse