
These Homemade Gel Ice Packs Are So Handy To Have Around!
While raising four kids (or any kids for that matter), you get used to dealing with sprains, strains, and other minor injuries. Between football, basketball, skateboarding, snowboarding, and dance, I’ve sat with my kids in plenty of clinic waiting rooms and emergency room lobbies over the years!
Somewhere along the line, I learned to use R.I.C.E. when dealing with “soft tissue” injuries. No, not the rice you keep in your pantry—the R.I.C.E. treatment they teach for first aid!
R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, the conditions recommended by doctors to ease discomfort and speed up recovery from minor injuries. And since we moms are often the “nurses” when our kids are injured, speedy is the type of recovery we’re usually hoping for! :-)

Why It’s Important To Ice An Injury
Icing an injury with a cold pack in 20-minute increments is an important part of the R.I.C.E. treatment, helping to reduce swelling and keep pain under control. This post will help make icing an injury easier, because you’ll learn how to make a DIY ice pack using common household items.
Not only will keeping one in your freezer mean you’re always prepared for unforeseen injuries, but you won’t have to resort to a bag of chunky ice cubes or frozen peas either!
Related: How To Clean Your Ice Maker (Easy Step-By-Step Tutorial)
How To Make A Homemade Ice Pack: 3 Easy Options

Option #1: Alcohol Ice Pack
The quickest and easiest way to make a DIY ice pack is to use rubbing alcohol. Combine 1 part rubbing alcohol with 1 part water in a ziplock freezer bag, then squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as possible and zip it closed.
Put the bag in your freezer until it’s icy, then it’ll be ready to use. The rubbing alcohol will prevent the water from freezing solid, making it malleable and easy to conform to any area of the body.

Option #2: Dish Soap Ice Pack (Homemade Gel Ice Pack)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s very little you can’t accomplish with Dawn dish soap, and that includes making a malleable homemade ice pack! Pour dish soap into a ziplock bag until there’s enough to form a thick layer if the bag were lying flat, then zip the bag closed and freeze it.
If you want it to be more flexible and gel-like — like a blue gel ice pack — remove it from the freezer and apply to the injury after about 2 hours. The longer you freeze it, the less malleable it will be (though it won’t solidify completely).

Option #3: Corn Syrup Ice Pack
Corn syrup makes another useful medium for a homemade ice pack. Just fill a ziplock freezer bag about halfway full of corn syrup, zip it closed, and stick it in your freezer until it firms up.
The “frozen” corn syrup stays slushy and flexible, so this is a great choice if you’re making one to keep in your freezer just in case. (One obvious drawback is that the corn syrup would create an incredibly sticky mess if the bag got ripped or punctured, so I would double-bag this one, for safety’s sake!)

Which Homemade Ice Pack Is Best?
I think all three options have their merits, so I say use whichever method you have the supplies to make! If you’re in need of an ice pack ASAP, I’d suggest the 2nd option, since the dish soap ice pack only needs to be frozen for a couple of hours before it’s ready to use.
If you’re making an ice pack to keep in your freezer just in case, you can’t go wrong with the 1st or 3rd options. They’ll stay more malleable than the dish soap, so you can wrap them around ankles, knees, or wrists right away without having to wait for them to thaw out first.

How To Use Your Homemade Ice Pack
After a minor injury, apply an ice pack as soon as possible. Icing early and often for the first 24-48 hours will help minimize swelling and reduce pain, both of which will aid in the recovery process.
Cold packs can also be useful for chronic conditions, like muscle injuries related to overuse. In these cases, icing the affected area after activity and exercise can help control inflammation and speed up recovery.
Keep in mind that icing isn’t useful for every type of injury! For instance, you shouldn’t use ice to treat muscle or joint stiffness, and those with poor circulation should avoid icing as well. In these cases, heat therapy (like a heating pad) would be a better choice.
4 Bonus Tips For Using Ice Packs

1. Wrap It To Protect Your Skin
You always want to wrap an ice pack in a kitchen towel before applying it to an injury. Placing ice or something frozen directly against skin can cause damage to the skin and tissues. (You’re trying to cool the injured area, not freeze it!)

2. Beware Of Leaks
To avoid major messes, it’s a good idea to take additional measures to avoid your ice pack from leaking. If you’re using a ziplock bag, choose freezer bags (which are thicker) and put one inside another for an added layer of protection.
If you have a FoodSaver or other type of vacuum sealer, use it to seal your homemade ice pack. The seal will be quite sturdy, and the vacuum bag will likely be much stronger than standard ziplock bags to begin with.

3. Label It (Or Make It Look Distinctive)
You don’t want to accidentally mistake your ice pack for frozen food, or vice versa! Make sure your ice pack is easy to identify by labelling the bag clearly before you fill it. You could also add a few drops of vivid food coloring to make it visually distinctive from other things in your freezer, but that’s totally optional.

4. Try Different Sizes
Not every injury is going to require a gallon-sized ice pack, so you may want to consider making homemade ice packs in different sizes if you’re going to keep them on hand. Gallon-size bags work well for ankles and wrists, while a quart-size bag would be a more appropriate size for sprained fingers or toes.
What’s your best tip or trick for minor injuries?

Homemade Ice Packs (Step by Step)
Equipment
- Ziplock Bag
Ingredients
Alcohol Ice Pack
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups rubbing alcohol
Dish Soap Gel Ice Pack
- 1.5 cups dish soap
Corn Syrup Ice Pack
- 2 cups corn syrup
Instructions
Alcohol Ice Pack
- Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 1 part water in a ziplock freezer bag, then squeeze as much air out as possible.
- Zip it closed and put it in your freezer until icy.
Dish Soap Gel Ice Pack
- Fill a ziplock bag with dish soap until there’s enough to form a thick layer when it lies flat.
- Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal the bag and freeze it for 2 hours.
Corn Syrup Ice Pack
- Fill a ziplock freezer bag about halfway full of corn syrup.
- Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal the bag and freeze it.
Great post! Well written, accurate, and very helpful. As a physician at a children’s camp, we used many ice packs and improvised a few. We quickly learned that kids will eat ANYTHING, including the contents of cold gel packs. Although I love all your ideas, the corn syrup pack would be the safest option. The other two might make great ice packs, but would be quite toxic if sampled or eaten. “Curiosity killed the cat”, but don’t let it kill your child!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My kids and i made these but used our foodsaver to bag them. We double bagged. Then,we mad little covers to go over them in their favorite fabric. My youngest did a Thomas one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Cute idea, Marla :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Add food coloring to designate it as an ice pack.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love this idea! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am mother of 5 and Gran mother of 3 and 3/4 :-))) the last gran child arrives in 3 to 4 weeks. And this tip will be very helpful. Our second son is in medicine in the university and during the holidays he works in poor regions of the world and this tip will help him out to.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best regards from Switzerland
Brigitte
Who would have thought that it would be so easy to make an ice pack – thanks for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have been making these for years. My hubby has EMT training and this was a solution in one of his courses. But we always wet a kitchen towel with hot water to wrap around the pack before putting it on the injury. Works great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this. I’ll be adding a “RICE” note on the inside of the medicine cabinet door to remember this. It will go right under the “BRAT” {bananas, rice, applesauce, toast} note for the diet when coming off of a stomach virus.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder how many more of these acronyms are out there.
Now you’ve got me wanting to go on a quest for acronyms! Ha ha :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I must confess that was my ulterior motive. Make Jill crazy, read her posts & reap the benefits :-0
I recently had knee replacement & you use lot ice & I mean lot on knee this molds around & not shocking cold,use it won’t regret it …
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oops. Darn auto correct didn’t say what I wanted. I meant cornfeed bags.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s interesting that Barbara should the contenders bags. My mom made,them for everyone for Christmas one year. They are the best. In our family we call them bed
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Buddies. They smell like popcorn when they’re warm, but they also stay warm. These are also nice for travel. I’ve had a few times when we are ready to travel and my
hormonal stuff is acting up. It beats trying to. hunt for a place to plug in the heating pad.
I made one of these on the advice of a friend who is a chiropractor, and he specified FREEZER bags, and also said to add a couple of drops of blue food coloring so it wouldn’t be mistaken for water ice. I have my own advice based on first hand experience: Use duct tape on all four sides to reinforce the seams and seal. I was sitting in the car with the cold pack while my husband drove me to an appointment and started to smell rubbing alcohol. One of the side seams had given way, and I arrived at my destination with my white pants wet and splotched with blue. The stains came out in the wash without problems, but I will label the cold packs with Sharpie in the future instead of adding the food color.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Glad we can learn from your mistake! Thanks, Margaret :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Such a great idea. With three kids I feel like I can never have enough ice packs in the house! Im going to make some of these asap!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello, this weekend is good for me, because this occasion i am reading this
Please log in or create a free account to comment.wonderful educational post here at my residence.
thanks alot, I was using half full plastic water bottle for my knee but, this is better. Does cheap vodka counts as alcohol ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, Now its time to post about hot “corn bags” . I use all the time for heat therapy on tired knees and anytime the bed needs tho be warmed up! Makes great Christmas presents!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://happyandsimple.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/microwavable-hotcold-packs-made-from-corn-tutorial/
Use freezer bags, they are sturdier. Keep at least two of each size, quart and gallon, in the freezer. That way, you will have one to change out when the first one becomes warmer. Good for bad headaches, dental surgeries, injuries, burns, and even nausea (on forehead.) I liked the idea of sewing a flannel cover, I think I will do that!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, thank you for yet another practical DIY post! Our kids are grown and living on their own, but we find we need these things for ourselves more than we used to. I will be putting together 1 or 2 to have ready in the freezer. Thanks, Barbara, for your note about using 70% (or less, I guess) alcohol. I was wondering if the stronger rubbing alcohol would work. Now we all know!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually have frozen peas or corn in the freezer and find that they work just as well. I keep one special bag in a cloth cover so we don’t use them for consumption.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Corn syrup also works. Be sure to double bag it to insure not leaks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do this all the time. Don’t use over 70% alcohol. It doesn’t freeze correctly. Sew up a nice little flannel cover. It’s just enough protection for the skin while still letting the area get good and cold. The bags will leak over time. Double bagging helps. Put the filled bag in upside down in the second bag. I recently got a food vacuum sealer. I’m going to try sealing the bags with that machine. (without vacuuming it of course.) Maybe that will solve the leaking problem.!
Also, great for dorm rooms. The fit nicely in the dorm size freezers. My daughter twisted her knee, and this was a real life saver!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am so glad you posted this “recipe” as my husband is about to have rotator cuff surgery and I had lost my recipe for the amounts of alcohol and water ratio. I thank you so much. I have a folder filled with a lot of your ideas for cleaning and ideas.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve actually done this before. It’s worked great. My main problem with this is mine got buried in the freezer under a bunch of other stuff.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve done this before, but I have to laugh at myself!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I first saw the title of this post in email, I tried to picture using pennies for an ice pack, or pennies needing an ice pack. LOL…