Having an ice pack for your lunch is a great idea when it comes to keeping cold things cold, but did you know you can make them yourself? They're ridiculously easy, inexpensive, and easy to reuse in your kitchen if their services are no longer needed. Trust us, your fresh salad or tuna sandwich will thank you!
What You Need
Materials
1 plastic zip top freezer bag (or vacuum seal type)
1/2 cup liquid dish soap (your choice)
3 drops food coloring (optional)
1 glass jar (optional)
Instructions
1. Open Bag: Although this sounds like a silly first step, it's an important one. Even though it's not rocket science to squirt soap into a bag, any residual soap could end up on your lunch, so we take an extra second to roll back the lip of the bag to eliminate any chance of contact later on.
2. Add Soap: Although you can just squirt the soap right in the bag, we use a small jar to help hold the bag open and also to keep the zip-closure out of the way. This ensures that we won't have any external soap that could come in contact with our tasty lunches or picnic food!
3. Add Food Coloring: Although ice packs won't be confused for a snack by adults, they could be mistaken by children as such. Add a few drops of food coloring to the mix if you'd like to ensure they don't look like your typical frozen treat (or just for fun, because purple ice packs are cool!).
4. Remove Air: This is easiest done on the first try, once you flip it upright to squeeze any excess out of the bag, you'll have new found air bubbles that will need to work their way to the surface. Keep the bag flat and let it almost flow out the top and seal right before it gets to the end. You can of course choose any method you wish, this one just happens to work well for us.
5. Freeze: Your ice pack will take to whatever shape it rests on in your freezer and even though it will spend most of it's time in your lunch box as a thick cold gel, when it's first removed from the freezer it's more solid than not (depending on the size of your ice pack). Sometimes we keep them flat, other times we roll them up and store them in a glass until frozen, that way it will keep your fruit perfectly chilled, but not your peanut butter sandwich.
6. Tips On Using These packs will work forever as long as you take care of them. If you're worried about them leaking you can use a double bag or a vacuum seal bag. They're super inexpensive to make and at only a few pennies a piece, you could make one for each day of the week or different shapes or sizes.
Related: 10 Plastic-Free Lunch Boxes
(Images: Sarah Rae Trover)
(Originally published April 13, 2010)
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Or just put plain water in the bags and freeze it - then there's no worry (or harm) if someone mistakes them as treats. Or am I missing something here? I'd rather clean up water than soap if/when the bag eventually breaks...
I never saw any problem with throwing a 20-oz soda bottle 3/4 full of water in the freezer the night before.
Something about putting a bag of soap in my lunch box...
I'm intrigued (and I like purple!), but also curious about the advantage of using dish soap? Does it stay frozen longer than water?
Yeah, I'm also baffled as to why liquid soap rather than just plain old ice. Does the soap stay frozen/cold longer than water?
Oh, just read the photo captions--sounds like the soap more convenient thawing/refreezing timing. And I guess the malleable gel-like consistency makes it easier to fit where you need it. Kind of cool actually. Although I would definitely have to double-bag it, I'd be way too paranoid about leaks.
Yeah, Broolynnina is right -- it won't freeze in a solid mass like water will, so you can fit it where it needs to go more easily.
Well, won't water leak out of a plastic bag vs. dish soap? I speak particularly about those with long work days or us transit travelers who leave at 8:30AM and don't return until at least 5:30AM.
I mean PM. Duh.
The dish soap does make a thick gel instead of a solid block, though there's nothing wrong with freezing other things to toss in your lunch either.
You can also make little "cozies" for them out of oil cloth to keep all condensation at bay at they thaw. If you're worried about them leaking, just sew them all the way shut and you should be good for a very long while!
A 50-50 solution of water and alcohol freezes to a "slurpee" consistence, which can be molded as you wish, an can be reused several times. Just use 2 ziplock bags or a sealable bag. Also very useful for inflamed knees, shoulders...
Pris_Aliberti : This isn't always true, Rum will freeze solid (as we tested this morning), the drink of choice is Vodka if you want to use this method. We did note that during the freezing process our freezer smelled a little boozey, though no residual smell was left when it was frozen solid.
Vodka is a perfect solution until one bursts in your lunchpack at work and you spend the whole day in a cubicle that smells like vodka.
The dish soap ones always seemed to freeze too hard.
I now use a salt solution, as much salt as will dissolve in the water in my bag plus an extra tablespoon or two, never freezes solid.
I'm confused -- wouldn't making it a pretty color make it look MORE like a frozen dessert treat?
When I go on a hike, I just freeze a bottle of water the night before, then throw it in my lunch bag. This keeps my food refrigerated, and as it melts, I have water to drink.
I like this idea a lot! There are days when I brown bag for work (that I don't have to be at till much later in the day), yet I still have errands to run before hand and I've already left the apartment. Small, flat, and simple.
I think the idea behind using soap is that it will remain in gel form after it melts, still maintaining some coldness, whereas water will just go right back to room temperature. Am I right?
That's correct Ambitious - The yellow ice pack that was made for the photo above, once frozen was left it sitting out on the counter to allow to thaw.... it took several hours in open air and it was cold for atleast 7. Which... is kind of weird do be doing your dishes by hand and have the soap bottle be chilly (we poured it back into our bottle!).
Wouldn't making them a "pretty color" give them the added downfall of being able to stain things?
My 2 year old's lunch box ice pack is in about 4 Ziplocs because it's been leaking for months. Time for me to try this! Thanks for the tutorial! (I also posted a link on my column, ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com)
Great idea (and nice "science at home" experiement, too), but I agree with empress, colored gel would be MORE appealing to kids, not less.
Unless you dumped all the colors in at once so it was brown--but then I wouldn't want it near my lunch!
That looks rather like lemon-lime sherbet to me, so I, too, would think that bright colours would make the concoction MORE tempting to wee ones. Maybe enclose something in the bag with the soap/water? A plastic spider? A brussels sprout?
Thanks. I am so happy with this. I am worried about breaking the bag tough I always seem to tear them... so the oil cloth "cozy" seems to be a good option.
These plyable ice packs can also be made with a mixture of salt and water, or alcohol and water with added food coloring. The salt or alcohol, or dish soap all prevent the water from freezing solid.
I used to make ice packs for injuries using (rubbing) alcohol and water - that would work well here, but like all the others, you wouldn't want it leaking on your lunch! Word of caution - if used for injuries, be sure to wrap the ice pack up before applying to the skin - I gave myself a nasty burn once.
you don't want to freeze plastic bottles. It breaks down the plastic and can release toxins into your water. Plus we shouldn't be using plastic bottles any more.
I think those hefty vacuum bags should do the trick.
It would be super bad if it leaked in your lunch if you use re-usable containers it shouldn't get in and it washes off of the containers easily.
@sarahrae - I don't know what kind of rum you froze, but I keep a bottle of 80 proof rum in my freezer, and it never freezes. No 80 proof liquor will freeze (rum, gin, whiskey, vodka, etc.). However, when the other person commented on a 50/50 mix of alcohol/water, I think he was referring to isopropyl alcohol (a.k.a. rubbing alcohol). That will certainly not freeze solid.
LetterX - The rum on it's own doesn't freeze (we keep ours in the freezer as well), just when combined with the water. We were rather puzzled, though maybe if we tried a 50/50 solution we would have had better luck.
I haven't read this entire thing but isn't there a problem if this stuff leaks out, won't the food coloring stain?
I think this is an awesome idea, and I wish I had seen it when had a field trip to supervise and needed to bring a bag lunch!
Everyone worried about their kids accidentally eating the icepack: How about ...tell them it's not food? Maybe you can make it together so they know it's soap? Perhaps ...label it as an icepack?
Thanls again for the great idea, i'll be making a few of these to keep around in the freezer!
I prefer the plastic ice packs you can buy at the store for $1.00. Less time and effort and no leaking. I tried putting water in a baggy and freezing it, but when it starts thawing it leaks right through the little collapsable lunch bag I have.
I have also taken a bottle of water, drain about a inch of water and then freeze the bottle. Again you have no leakage and it keeps your food cold. A bottle normally keeps cold for at least 8-10 hours easily. During the summer I will freeze two bottles of water and put two additional bottles of water or sport drinks on top in a small collaspable lunch bag and I have cold drinks for all day long no matter how hot it gets. Beats paying $3 or more a drink at the amusement park or a movie theater.
I agree though it is cheaper to take your own lunch to the amusement parks, beach or even to work. I have had trouble with people at work stealing my lunches from the refigerator, so by having a frozen dinner in my little lunch bag with a frozen ice pack, I am guaranteed lunch and it is at my desk.
I think this is a great idea, me and my daughter are making pink ones for her to pack in her lunch box. We are adding glitter and beads to make it more "princess" for her. Thanks for the great idea!!
I found this suggestion fascinating!
Becca
Doubt anyone is still checking this at this point, but I tried this and mine froze solid. Is there a certain kind of dish soap that needs to be used? I just bought cheapo stuff.
Still useful as an ice pack, but I liked the idea that it would be somewhat pliable for wrapping around sippy cups and squeezing into smaller lunch bags. Oh well.
Make deep freeze ice! Your ice packs and ice will last a whole lot longer! If your lucky enough to have a deep freeze simply put your ice packs and ice (for ice chests) in over night and walla! You have deep freeze ice. Deep freezers are around -10 degrees F. The average fridge freezer is +10 or higher. So deep freeze ice is at least 20 degrees colder therefore it will last a lot longer! I even buy store bags of ice then deep freeze it for 2 days or more. Now you can say you have the "coldest" ice in town! Works great on blue ice to. If you don't have a deep freeze you can adjust your freezer to it's lowest setting and it will probably go to at least zero. Stick a thermometer in the freezer that will go at least -10 and see how cold it is. You won't want to leave your fridge freezer at max coldness as your ice cream will be hard as a rock, but you can do it to make almost deep free ice for picnics etc. Also don't stick your tongue on deep freeze ice. It will freeze the water on your tongue instantly just like the deep frozen flag pole. LOL!
I am going to try this soap recipe. I am intrigued. But I think that I will freeze it in the vacuum pack bag..then seal the bag.. then double bag it with a ziplock..bag..I think that I can change out the ziplock if it gets too dirty..and the soap stays put in the vaccum sealed bag..I will see if this can work! Fun project...
I like the glitter and beads idea also!!
I didn't have the freeze the soap first then sealed..I just sealed it..The sparkles are very nice!! and the food coloring..My kids know to Not eat glitter!!..Thanks!! renae
so....we're not supposed to use plastic bottles....but plastic bags are okay?
I used to freeze individual cups of fruit yogurt to keep lunches cold, it would still be partially frozen by lunch time and the envy of friends. Kaju
i think this is a great idea, sarah rae, & the adding glitter, etc to them as well, is super cute! i'm not sure why everyone seems so resistant to what is after all, just a fun idea or suggestion & i really think if so many are concerned about food coloring stains... don't use it?
Wow, cool!