Quick & Easy Homemade Ice Packs: How To
A few different options for having ice packs and ice bags on hand as well as frugal ideas for keeping your lunchbags and camping coolers nice and chilled.
Reuseable gel type ice packs:
Method #1
2 cups water
1/3 cup vodka (80 proof)
Food coloring (any color you like)
Ziploc Freezer Bag
- Pour liquids into ziploc freezer bag, add food coloring (you’ll know at a glance that it’s your ice pack and not something to consume) and freeze. Makes a nice gel type icepack.
Method #2
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!).
Method #3
Liquid Dish Detergent
Ziploc Freezer Bag
- Squirt liquid dish detergent in a ziploc bag until the bag is about 3/4 full, seal and then freeze.
Tips:
When taking ice packs from freezer to use, wrap in towel first before applying to body. If ice packs freeze too hard and aren’t slushy, simply allow the ice to melt in bag then add more alcohol.
Single use method:
- Prepare jello as usual, pour liquid into ziploc freezer bag and put in freezer. Wait till the jello gets really cold and gels, then use.
Lunchbox ice pack ideas:
- Just freeze juice boxes the night before and toss in the lunch bag, or buy reuseable plastic drink boxes, fill with juice and freeze overnight (make sure to leave room when frozen juice expands).
- Fill small ziploc freezer bags with water, freeze and use as needed (solid ice block).
Camping cooler ice pack ideas:
- Clean empty plastic pop bottles, fill 3/4 full with water, twist cap back on and place in freezer. Take out and use as needed.
- Large ziploc freezer bags, fill with water and seal. Freeze til needed (this will be a solid ice block).
- Wash empty milk cartons, fill with water, close carton and freeze (leave room for ice expansion).
Ice packs and bags in a jiffy:
- You can use a bag of frozen vegetables (bags of peas or corn work best)
- Fill a ziploc freezer bag with some ice (crushed or cubed), add cold water, seal bag, insert seal side down in another ziploc bag, seal that bag, then apply.
Also, don’t forget about this great tip: Homemade Microwave Heating Pad, they can also be easily frozen and used in place of ice packs.
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First Published: December 13, 2006
Filed: DIY Projects, Household Tips, Popular Tips
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I am so happy I found this site,
very good ideals. I would like to
add that I have taken wet wash clothes wrap them in tinfoil an freeze…remove foil when ready to use.
I fold washcloths in fourths, wet, and place in zip seal sandwich bags. They tuck nicely into a cooler, don’t leak, and provide a cool cloth for face and hands.
Love this idea! Our small ice packs start to leak way before they should. I put cloth napkins in my kids lunch box but the wet cloth kills two birds with one stone. Thanks!
If you use green rubbing alcohol it serves the same purpose as food coloring.
Don’t forget to double bag when using zip locks, double the leak proof.
look, how many house holds have enough washing detergent at 9pm on a sunday night they can use for more than a couple of days if required with budgets as tight as they are? Try car wash in three tied freezer bags as zip bags can leak with pressure. I find that the car can wait weeks but dish’s can not and you can always re use the car wash defrosted
My favorite reusable ice pack is a bag of old-fashioned (non-micro-wave-able) popcorn. It stays cold for quite awhile and there is no fear of it going bad if left out too long as can happen with frozen peas.
I would think twice b4 using or sending alcohol-containing (whether edible type or not) with children or to school. Dangerous idea – and potentially illegal.
I learned this kid safe ice pack from my children’s preschool. Fill a sandwich baggie 3/4 full of Karo syrup. For a colored ice pack add drops of food color. Place in freezer. Stays cold long enough for most boo boos to heal! Can be reused over and over and is nontoxic if opened.
I love this Karo syrup idea–it is nontoxic, inexpensive, easy-to-find, and I would think it would be slushy enough for a lunchbox all day! I love TipNut! I would have never thought to make my own icepacks, but now I won’t ever have to buy those wierd blue liquid-filled packs again!
Thankfully my 2 year old has been relatively injury free, but I can see that changing as she gets more brave and tries new things. I linked to this on my weekly roundup – post is under my name. Thanks!!
A good friend of mine gave me the recipe for the ice pack using water & rubbing alcohol although in her recipe it called for dried black eyed peas. I don’t remember how many cups to use but start with 1c, freeze and see if it’s enough to help conform the pack around the “hurt.” You can always add more before you put it back in the freezer for the next time. I suggest always have (2) ice packs on hand and a rice bag for heat.
I keep my rice bags in the freezer because they work great for headaches and booboos. they conform and are good and cold but not too cold.
I have been looking for information on this topic for a long time… I work at a daycare and have been through many, many ideas for our many booboos. We have tried sponges in a ziplock.. I wonder if you could soak the sponge with the alcohol mixture and then freeze?
Has anyone tried this?