Every now and then life hands you a situation that says “I need an icepack!!”
Maybe you’ve had an injury or a sprain, perhaps a hurt child needs to soothe a boo boo, someone might be recovering from surgery. . .
Or . .
maybe you just need to keep your lunch cold. (That’s an important situation too!)
When you find yourself needing an ice pack, why not Make Your Own? I’ve got five easy ways that you can make a homemade ice pack and they’re all easy to do with using common household items that can be put in ziploc bags and then popped in the freezer. If you want a little extra security against leakage, you can also double bag your ice packs by putting the ziploc bag inside a second ziploc bag, with the zippered side facing down toward the bottom. And one of the methods is even easier – just use a wet sponge!
Here’s how to do it:
5 Ways to Make Homemade Ice Packs
1. Corn Syrup
Corn syrup (such as a brand like Karo Light Corn Syrup
2. Dish Soap
Dish soap can also be used to make a simple homemade ice pack and depending on how long you leave it in the freezer, it can be more gel like and flexible or firmer and icier. I prefer to take it back out of the freezer after just 2 hours because then it will still be flexible and squishy (much like the corn syrup). If you leave the dish soap ice pack in the freezer for longer than a couple hours, it will be much more icy and firm. So the time frame for this method is more important, depending on what type of ice pack you want. Either way, it’s a simple method that can be made in any size ziploc bag by just pouring in dish soap. No measuring is needed. I’ve tried this method with both Dawn dish soap and Ajax dish soap which both worked well, and I would think that other brands of dish soap should work for making an ice pack too.
3. Rubbing Alcohol
The addition of alcohol to water will keep it from freezing completely which makes it an easy way to create a homemade ice pack. To make this method in a quart size ziploc bag, combine 1½ cups of water with a ½ cup of rubbing alcohol. Seal and put in the freezer for several hours or overnight. Sometimes you can also find a Green Colored Wintergreen Rubbing Alcohol which gives the ice pack a little bit of color. I made this version in the smaller snack size ziploc bags and simply cut the recipe in half, combining ¾ cup water with ¼ cup of the rubbing alcohol.
4. Salt
For a really cheap and easy DIY ice pack, simply add some ordinary table salt to water. Salt is another ingredient that when added to water will keep it from freezing completely. Use a sandwich size or quart size ziploc bag and add 2 tablespoons of salt to 2 cups of water. Seal and put in the freezer for several hours or overnight.
5. Sponge
Finally, you can create an ice pack by using a clean sponge, getting it wet with water and putting it in the freezer. This is a good method for an ice pack for lunches as it’s just water with no other possibly harmful substances. The sponge will be hard and firm with no flexibility when first taken out of the freezer. As it warms up it becomes moist and soft again, but not drippy. You can put it in a baggie if you want, but it isn’t absolutely necessary.
Bonus Ideas!
– You can freeze the small packets of ketchup or other condiments from fast food restaurants for teeny tiny ice packs for the little ones.
– For a quick and easy cover for ice packs, check out my previous post about homemade heating pads and ice packs.
Cathy Kirkwood says
May 14, 2019 at 9:57 amHello! Thank you for sharing. I have been making the alcohol bags for a while and love them. For some reason lately the mixture isn’t congealing? I have tried it a few times now and it remains liquefied. They used to be gel like and perfect.
Thank you
Beverly says
May 14, 2019 at 8:41 pmThat seems strange if it was working for you previously. Try reducing the amount of alcohol a little bit and see if that helps them be less liquid-like.
Joan McMurry says
February 16, 2019 at 6:44 pmI’ve found that the felt bags that come with Crown Royal make perfect ice pack covers for the ziplock bags.
Carol Claremont says
September 30, 2018 at 5:38 pmI have been using the water and alcohol ice packs for years. I have had 19 surgeries and 10-11 of them have been bone and joint fusions/replacements.With knee replacements and major foot surgery, you will use ice a long time – I had major foot surgery almost 8 months ago and still need ice if I have a day where I sit too long. We always make 2 and they keep for months of daily use. We wrap in a hand towel or dish towel before using as they are really cold.
John Williamson says
September 28, 2018 at 9:43 pmThanks for an interesting page. I’m hoping to try one of these methods, to make a better freezer pack out of some cheap plastic pocket flasks. The idea is that I want something that will give me maximum cooling when I put the “flasks” into a small cooler to keep the contents colder as long as possible.
Salt sounds like a good idea because I’d hope that even if it stays in the freezer for several days, it would never break the container. I wonder if the other methods would cause a stiff container to possibly burst.
If anyone has any info, which of these five methods would lose their coldness at the slowest rate?
Vicki Schmelz says
July 8, 2018 at 11:00 amI am a school nurse and want to make ice packs that can be disposed of safely after use. The corVicm syrup seems good as it stays soft, but concern for it puncturing?
How do I actually make it. How much corn syrup to water to fill a bag. Any suggestions are welcomed please for ideas for the school age child ice pack
Beverly says
July 8, 2018 at 5:58 pmThe corn syrup version of these ice packs is definitely my favorite for using on injuries. I’ve never measured the corn syrup when making these and just put enough in so that the bag feels somewhat filled and squishy when laying flat, but not so full that it is stretching the bag to capacity. I just use the ordinary everyday sized ziploc bags when making these too.
I think using two ziploc bags is a way to help protect against punctures. Once you have one bag filled and sealed, put it inside another ziploc bag with the sealed edge of the bag going in first. Another option is to make a cover for the bag from cloth. I have a blog post about how to make one using fabric glue (so no sewing needed!) at this link: https://www.themakeyourownzone.com/2010/08/make-your-own-heating-pads-and-ice-packs.html
Lisa B. says
September 15, 2018 at 7:26 pmTry using a food saver or other vacuum sealing machine. The plastic is much surdier than ziplock bags and the seams are safely sealed. They can be defrosted and refrozen over and over again. Or, if you don’t wish to reuse, just slice the top off the bag, empty the contents in the sink amd recycle the bag. The bags may be washed in the sink or the dishwasher and reused/resealed if you wish.
Amber says
June 24, 2018 at 10:43 pmThanks for the ideas I didn’t have a sponge so I used a washcloth instead and it works.
laura says
June 12, 2018 at 4:14 pmTo make a gallon baggie from dish soap, will I only use dish soap or mix with water?
Beverly says
June 19, 2018 at 9:25 pmIt would probably work best if you just use dish soap. You could try diluting it a bit with water but remember that the more water you use, the more likely it will freeze harder as water freezes more solid.
Natasha says
April 5, 2018 at 9:13 pmAmazing ideas !!! I am 100% going to make a bunch tomorrow ? Thank you for the suggestions !
Beverly says
April 10, 2018 at 12:30 pmI know you’ll find these homemade ice packs to be very useful Natasha!
Jillian Gray says
March 13, 2017 at 12:54 pmHow long does the corn syrup ice pack take to melt. How long would it last?
Beverly says
March 13, 2017 at 7:51 pmWhenever I have used the corn syrup ice packs it has been for icing an injury. The corn syrup ice packs are very cold, but still flexible and pliable. So when they warm up, they don’t really melt. They are just not cold anymore and a bit more squishier than before. I would say it takes about an hour before you notice it is not very cold anymore and it needs to go back in the freezer.
SavaehPauli says
March 12, 2018 at 12:40 amokay thank you for the advice
Sosi Kokeilu says
October 15, 2016 at 7:03 amSlight variation. I modded the core of my cooler water bottle with the salt water concept, works a charm at getting it cooler faster, and can often go for a refill before it completely melts
Brian Dickert says
July 11, 2016 at 1:01 pmWhich method gets coldest? Has anyone used a kitchen thermometer to check each one?
Joseph Gonzalez says
December 22, 2018 at 11:39 pmSalt style reduces the freezing point, so it gets colder faster and it retains its cold for almost 2x than alcohol. The others are not worth mentioning bc they don’t hold s candle to alcohol ot salt…
Tina McCallum says
June 28, 2016 at 8:54 pmHow long does it take the alcohol ones to freeze? mine has been in for about 5 hours and still no luck yet? Thank you!
Beverly says
June 29, 2016 at 9:45 amThe alcohol ones will get slushy but will not freeze completely. This should happen after several hours, so I’m kind of surprised that after 5 hours you have not seen at least some freezing. If it continues to not get slushy, try again with a new mixture that uses a little more water, and a little less alcohol (because it’s the alcohol that keeps it from freezing).
Paula says
August 21, 2016 at 1:13 pmDoes it matter if the alcohol is 91% or 71%
Beverly says
August 21, 2016 at 1:23 pmNo, it shouldn’t matter, both should work.
Sharon Henson Huffaker says
August 15, 2018 at 5:46 pmYou will need higher % of water with the 91% alcohol. The alcohol is what keeps the bag from freezing solid so the higher the alcohol content the less slushier it will be
adam says
April 22, 2016 at 12:27 pmI did a science fair project on this and I found that 100 mL of dish soap and 75 mL of H2O works the best. The melting average is the best.
Amanda says
June 10, 2016 at 12:02 amCool science project. What ice pack fillers did you compare?
Noosa52 says
March 12, 2016 at 7:47 amI have my flours tripple bagged and frozen. I have found it is an excellentt ice pack. And no condensation.
Aly says
February 22, 2016 at 9:52 pmHey would you happen to know if I can use any of these to keep breast milk good, I gotta go back to work in a few days and I would like to be able to use any of this 🙂
Beverly says
February 23, 2016 at 8:42 pmWell, I have never used them for that exact purpose but I think they would work because they are icey cold when you take them out of the freezer and are just as cold as any other ice pack you might use.
Rachel says
February 4, 2016 at 6:35 pmI LOVE the ketchup packets for ice packs! Such a good idea!
Annie says
December 22, 2015 at 8:38 pmAs a reply to the “or you could just shop at the dollar store comment”….I am currently recovering from surgery and need another ice pack. I can’t go to the store so this is better.
Beverly says
December 22, 2015 at 8:42 pmThat’s what I like about homemade solutions too Annie. Sometimes you need to make due with what’s on hand rather than being able to shop and that’s when DIY solutions come in handy.
Joanne says
July 31, 2016 at 10:58 amWell said, Beverly. “A penny saved is a penny earned”.
Linéa Marketos says
November 6, 2017 at 1:37 pmSome of the dollar store dish detergents contain more water than Dawn. More water makes it more kcy and therefore freezing solid.
Susan says
November 17, 2015 at 2:23 pmOr you can get a Re-freezable, re-usable SoothieQ. So much easier, safer and convenient. No toxic chemicals. Made of food grade materials and 100% Pure Water. check it out at soothieq.com
tamara says
June 27, 2015 at 1:42 pmOn my ice packs I use the different size zippered curtain panel bags over my zip loc bags.I also dampen an old hand towel dipped or sprayed with rubbing alcohol. I freeze several different sizes.you can scrunch it up before using.last a long time.
Jan says
September 7, 2014 at 9:18 pmI use these in my cooler. Keeps things very cold. Just put them back in the freezer and ready to travel again. I do double and triple bag the ice packs. Keeps bottle waters very cold.
michael mobley says
August 17, 2014 at 7:03 pmthis is an excelent idea.I am teaching a survival class with my neihgborhood before we go on a camping trip in the woods
Meagan says
July 14, 2014 at 3:53 pmDo you know if you could soak the sponge in the alcohol/water solution for a less firm result?
Beverly says
July 16, 2014 at 1:19 pmMeagan – I’ve never tried an alcohol/water mixture with a sponge so I’m not sure how that would work. My first thought was that alcohol evaporates quickly so a sponge soaked in this mixture would probably have to be in some kind of a container or the alcohol would just evaporate away. This might defeat the purpose of using a sponge.
Katie says
July 6, 2014 at 6:49 pmDo you know which of these pack will stay cold the longest?
Beverly says
July 7, 2014 at 7:04 amThey all seem to stay frozen for about the same length of time.
Christina says
November 17, 2017 at 8:57 amHello! Can you advise how long that is? I need them to stay VERY cold at least for an hour! Thanks for getting back to me!!!
Beverly says
November 19, 2017 at 1:15 pmI would think you would get at least an hour out of these ice packs. I often use mine in an insulated bag and they last that long, but of course the insulated bag helps things along.
Sarah says
July 1, 2014 at 8:33 pmI use my food saver to make ice packs for the kiddos.
sfrancisk says
April 14, 2014 at 9:40 pmGreat to see all the possibilities in one spot. I am making ice packs up for a team so the Rubbing Alcohol method is appealing because of the cost saving. Thanks.
Jeannie says
September 20, 2017 at 5:28 pmI tried the salt method and rubbing alcohol method last night. I also tried straight hair gel. I heard you could make an ice pack with hair gel. It froze solid and is not flexible at all. I’m wondering if it’s because the one I got didn’t have alcohol in it. I believe hair gel typically has alcohol in it.
Also, I wonder if pancake syrup would work. It’s cheaper than corn syrup.
Sfrancisk, if you need to make lots of them, I’d go with making the salt ice packs. While rubbing alcohol is cheap, salt is cheaper and you don’t have to utilize nearly as much salt (2 tablespoons salt : 2 cups water) as you do rubbing alcohol (1:3 ratio – 1 cup rubbing alcohol : 3 cup water), which makes it extremely cheap.
CindyZS says
February 27, 2014 at 12:40 amhow can i share this post to FB? thx
Beverly says
February 27, 2014 at 11:51 amThere should be a little gadget that appears to the left of this blog post where you can “Like” on facebook and which lets you share this post. You should get the option to add your own message with it too if you want. -OR- you can always just copy the URL address of this post (up in the address bar portion of your browser) and just paste it into your Facebbok post. Thanks for wanting to share 🙂
Allison says
January 21, 2014 at 7:31 pmCould u explain if the salt ice pack gets hard ir stays flexible??
Beverly says
January 21, 2014 at 8:15 pmThe water/salt ice pack combo does stay somewhat flexible because the salt keeps the water from freezing solid. It’s kind of like “slushy” ice.
holly says
November 15, 2013 at 12:37 pmOr you could just buy them at the $1.00 store.
Beverly says
November 16, 2013 at 10:06 amWell that’s true, but what fun would that be? 🙂 I do my share of shopping at the dollar stores too, but I also like having alternative strategies for those times when I want to use what I have to make what I need.
Ma.Hanson says
October 18, 2017 at 5:21 pmTrue, that and if you have to use other people to do all your errands for you, this is something you defiantly want done right!
Heather says
September 17, 2014 at 8:00 pmI work for two different chiropractors, and have had to purchase ice packs for a number of orthopedic issues in my life. Sure, for an emergency, a $1.00 break and squish instant ice pack can be fine, but for chronic inflammatory conditions, sometimes you need a larger overall, our something heavier. I can attest that a QUALITY ice pack purchases from a store that is large enough for orthopedic applications (especially for while rotator cuff inflammation our low back pain) is going to run you a MINIMUM of $20-$30. And as anyone who uses them frequent will yell you, it’s good to have spares, so rather than spend $60 for a couple ice packs, why not pay $20 total and make quite a few? This is an excellent way to save money, and if one punctures, you can just change out the Ziploc bag!
FunStuffToCreate says
August 15, 2015 at 10:07 pmBut, we love the idea of the malleable ice packs and our dollar store carries only the hardpack.
Delois shoemaker says
November 11, 2013 at 7:03 amSounds easy enough
Beverly says
November 11, 2013 at 6:08 pmSo true! All these ideas are super easy to do with things you probably already have around the house.
Soleng says
September 7, 2013 at 9:40 amHi! Great article. I want to make these gel ice packs to cool my insulin while on travel. How long before they melt or lose their cool? Thanks!
Beverly says
September 7, 2013 at 8:19 pmYou should be able to get at least a couple hours of cooling out of these ice packs, however it could be more or less depending on the temperature of the conditions you are using them in.
EttaMaeMae says
November 10, 2013 at 9:13 pmAlso a very good idea when you’re road tripping it in an RV.
Jan says
February 23, 2016 at 9:09 pmI use the small bottles of alcohol pour about half in a zip lock bag and add water to the alcohol bottle. Stays very cold. The Zip locks will leak a little after a while the alcohol bottles last a long time. I have had hambu Still frozen even after 5 hours.
Lisa says
July 17, 2013 at 2:07 pmThanks so much. I have arthritis in my shoulder, and I need a chill pack, but ice is too cold . I made the corn syrup pack with my FoodSaver and some expired syrup (eew) I found in the back of the pantry. I keep it in the fridge for after PT. Terrific!
Beverly says
July 17, 2013 at 7:49 pmThat’s great that the corn syrup ice pack is working out for you Lisa! I thought the corn syrup made a nice squishy cold pack too and most of us have corn syrup around the house (even if it is expired!)
Kellie says
April 13, 2013 at 1:48 pmI LOVE this idea! Definitely going to be doing this!
Kathryn says
January 26, 2013 at 2:22 pmI shared this at Hawkes’ Health – an online health forum. http://www.hawkeshealth.net/community/showthread.php?t=11950
Thank you so much for this info. 🙂
S says
January 21, 2013 at 8:46 pmOoh! I love these! What a great idea to use the Zip Lock bags!
I will be featuring your ice packs at my Super Link Party on Wednesday!
If you have a blog button, I’d love to display it under Featured Guests on my sidebar for the week. 🙂