You Can Make Your Own Ice Packs From Dish Sponges.
I have a lone blue ice pack in my freezer. I’m smart: last weekend I organized a day at the park with friends when (that day) I remembered that I only had one ice pack to work with. So I went online to see what I could do to make my own with two or three hours to spare. Luckily, I only had one thing: dish sponges.
I know I can freeze a container of water to make a giant ice cube , or several bottles of water to make into a refreshing drink, and those are good options. However, I didn’t have time and was walking about a mile and a half to the park, so I wanted to take light luggage.
Why Sponges Make Fantastic DIY Ice Packs
Sponges are cheap, so you can buy several. They are small and hold most of the water even after they warm up, making them great for lunch boxes and small spaces. They are lightweight and have an alternative purpose. So if you’re like me and sometimes like a little cool weather, you can come home from the park, wring out the sponges and use them to wash your dishes. Now you have a freezer again. Not to mention, if there’s a spill at a picnic, you’re kind of a hero.
How to make ice packs from a sponge
Start with clean sponges. They don’t have to be new, but freezing old, used sponges is somehow alarming. I think it makes sense to use new sponges as ice packs and then move them into the next stage of life as a dish sponge, rather than the other way around.
Run each sponge under the tap until it is completely soaked. Then squeeze it a little. The goal is to make the most of the sponge’s capacity without wasting too much. If you hold the sponge by one end, a drop of water will slowly flow out from the bottom. Amazing.
Place the sponge in a Ziploc or other small plastic bag, release the air, and seal it. Place it in the freezer for about two hours or until frozen. You can do this with any number of sponges.
Store them in the plastic bag you froze them in and add them to cold drinks and snacks. These ice sponges are great for keeping food and drinks cool when paired with a thermal lined lunch box or cooler bag. Of course, always make sure the food you want to keep cold is already in the refrigerator before you pack it. We spent a solid four hours in the park in 80°F+ temperatures and the cooler bag was still cold by the time we packed up.