2-3 cups of rice grains A sealable plastic bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can use this bag 2-3 times daily on the affected area. Why This Works Using rice grains to make ice packs will help the pack stay cold for longer. This can be attributed to the temperature-retaining ability of the rice grains.

2. With Salt

You Will Need

2 cups of water 2 tablespoons of salt A ziplock bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can use this pack on the affected area daily. Why This Works If you don’t want an ice pack that is rock solid, adding some salt to the water pack before refrigerating it helps in making it more moldable.

3. Using Hand Sanitizer

You Will Need

1 part hand sanitizer 3 parts water A ziplock freezer bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can apply this pack to the affected area multiple times daily by refreezing after every use. Why This Works Hand sanitizers contain alcohol, which can impart a gel-like consistency to the ice pack. Caution Hand sanitizers are highly inflammable. Hence, make sure that the sanitizer doesn’t leak out from the pack while in use.

4. With Dish Soap

You Will Need

1-2 cups of dish soap A ziplock freezer bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can use this pack multiple times daily. Why This Works This is another amazing homemade ice pack that is moldable. This pack is a great alternative to rock-solid ice packs.

5. Alcohol Ice Pack

You Will Need

1 cup of rubbing alcohol 2 cups of water A plastic freezer bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can apply this pack 2-3 times on the affected area. Refrigerate after every use. Why This Works Rubbing alcohol doesn’t allow the water to turn brick solid. Hence, you can get your own slushy ice pack that is not too hard on your skin by adding rubbing alcohol to water. Caution Since rubbing alcohol is highly inflammable, take extra care to ensure it doesn’t leak out of the pack. [ Read: 10 Best Pain Relieving Products ]

6. With A Diaper

You Will Need

An unused diaper 2 cups of water 1 cup of rubbing alcohol

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can use this multiple times daily on the affected areas of your body. Why This Works The flexibility of diapers makes them better than other ice packs as you can use them anywhere on your body quite conveniently (be it wrapping the pack around your finger or spreading it on your tummy). Caution Refreeze immediately after use to prevent the alcohol and water mixture from melting. Alcohol is inflammatory, and care must be taken while using it.

7. Using A Wet Sponge

You Will Need

A clean sponge Running water A plastic ziplock freezer bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can use this multiple times on the affected area if you refrigerate it after every use. Why This Works If you are looking for a quick way to making an ice pack, a frozen wet sponge will do the trick. As the water melts, the sponge reabsorbs it, making this pack effective for a long time.

8. With Corn Syrup

You Will Need

1-2 cups of corn syrup A ziplock freezer bag

What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This You can do this multiple times daily or as per your requirement. How long do gel ice packs take to freeze? Ice packs usually take anywhere between 1-2 hours to freeze. How long do gel ice packs last? At room temperature or while being used, a gel ice pack can last for 3-4 hours. How are gel packs better than ice? One of the main reasons a gel pack is better than a solid ice pack is due to its physical nature. Ice packs are rock solid and could be hard on the affected area, whereas, the gel packs are much more flexible and softer. How does salt make ice last longer? Adding salt to your ice pack lowers the freezing temperature of the water. Hence, salt water is colder than fresh water and also takes longer to melt in its frozen state. Are the ingredients used in ice packs toxic? Some ice packs may contain chemicals like ammonium nitrate and ethylene glycol that can be harmful to the body in case they leak out of the pack. How do you make a homemade ice pack without a fridge? You need ice, a freezer bag, or a cooler to chill the ingredients and make an ice pack. How do you make a homemade ice pack for lunch boxes? You can follow any of the above methods to prepare homemade ice packs to store your lunch boxes.