January 29, 2010

Ice Pack, Heating Pad, Rice Sock

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, commonly known as vinyl), Polyurethane foam (foam rubber), Polyster. All these poly’s. All non-biodegradable plastics. Not so good for our health or that of the planet, right? And yet so many health products are made from these materials. Take electric heating pads and gel ice packs, for example.

Plastic ice packs & heating pad

My cold packs are made of gel in PVC bags. And my heating pad is made from layers of PVC, polyurethane foam, and synthetic fabric. We worry about the chemicals released when we heat plastic food containers in the microwave: hormone disrupting phthalates, for example. So why would we put PVC in a heating pad? Or in any health product? (See my post about PVC blood and IV bags, for another example.) What’s more, neighborhoods near PVC factories that are subject to emissions of dioxins and vinyl chloride have higher rates of some cancers than other areas of the country. Healthy products, right?

So what’s the alternative?

Well, for ice packs, we can do what my mom did for us back in the day: ice in a towel. Or ice in a bathtub! After running my marathon in January of 2007 (and by running, I mean jogging, walking, and finally stumbling), my sweet kind sisters put me in the tub and dumped trash cans full of ice all over my aching legs. (They got the ice from the machine down the hall. Lucky for us, we were staying in a motel. But you could prepare buckets of ice ahead of time.)

Beth's legs in ice bath

I hated it at the time, but the ice bath worked so well that I was out partying and dancing with them that night!

Partying after Disney Marathon

So what about that heating pad? Or what if you don’t need the intensity of ice or cold gel? For a lot of you, this will be obvious information. For me, a revelation. And thank god for Twitter and what I learn from the #ecowed discussions every Wednesday. Someone happened to mention “rice socks.” Huh? “What is that,” I asked. I have socks. I have rice. Whatever it is, I can make it.

Turns out they were referring to any one of several cloth packs filled with rice or buckwheat or flax seeds, or corn, or even cherry pits that you can freeze or heat in the microwave to substitute for plastic heating pads or gel packs. Many Etsy sellers make and sell fancy ones with colorful patterned fabric and essential oils. (See links above).

Awesome. But like I said, I have socks. I have rice. I can make my own! There are only two instructions.

1) Fill a sock with (uncooked) rice.

2) Tie it shut. I tied mine with twine, but you could just knot the sock itself.

3) Optional: add essential oils or dried plants like lavender.

Then, put it in the freezer…

Rice sock in freezer

or microwave.

Rice sock in microwave

I found the cold rice sock to be perfect for soothing a headache.

Rice sock for headache

So, what are your favorite plastic-free remedies for relieving the swelling of aching muscles or the pain of monthly cramps or (I’m told) pregnancy? Always looking for alternatives to plastic.

January 29, 2010 by Beth Terry
Filed under: Medication & Supplements, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Tags: buckwheat pack, cherry pit pack, corn pack, flax pack, headache relief, homemade heating pad, homemade ice pack, ice pack, muscle pain reliever, PVC gel pack, PVC heating pad, rice sock

Comments

35 Comments on Ice Pack, Heating Pad, Rice Sock

AJP on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 12:38 pm

Great idea Beth! I’m injuring myself all the time. By now I already have a huge amount of cold packs in my freezer but I like the rice idea.

The one thing I don’t know how to do is make a hot pack without a microwave. For now I use my heating pad, but it would be nice to have an alternative. And I’m never buying a microwave!!
AJP´s last blog ..Mushrooms and Collards in Lemon Pepper Sauce

Condo Blues on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 12:54 pm

I made chambered microwave heating pads from rice and a tea towel http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-to-make-no-slip-microwave-heating.html. The chambers keep the rice from falling away from the place you are trying to heat. I used tea towels so I could use them for moist heat. I made a few for Christmas gifts and they went over very well. For those I added dried mint from my garden to the rice chambers before I sewed them up. They smell so minty good when heated. And it was an excellent way to help me use up the ton of mint I dried from my garden – I have way more than I can drink for tea!

For cold, I have an old school ice bag. I haven’t checked but I suspect the rubberized material may be a type of plastic. In a pinch, I have used a bag of peas from the freezer. Yes, they are in a plastic bag but it least it is less likely to leach in the freezer than if I bought canned peas (yuck! hate the taste of canned food.) And after I eat the peas, I use the bag as a pick up bag for my dog because my city requires me to bag it.
Condo Blues´s last blog ..Going Green: What Happens When Your Family Doesn’t Agree?

Melissa on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 1:30 pm

This is exactly how we do cold/heat at our house. Sometimes I grab a fistful of ice and put it in a towel and clamp it shut with a clothespin for bumps/bruises. Free and plastic free!
Melissa´s last blog ..much to report

The Raven on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 2:06 pm

We often put our cherry pit bags in the oven after cooking dinner. I like lining up our three heating bags in a glass lasagna pan. If you stick them in right as you are turning off the oven, they warm passively and seem to stay hot a little longer than when they are microwaved. (When you start smelling cherry pie, they are ready.)
The Raven´s last blog ..In the Pot

Myscha Theriault on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 2:51 pm

Hi Beth,

Great post! I’ve done the rice thing inside a knotted off old pillow case for some time as a replacement for a heating pad when I’m too lazy to put hot water in the rubber water bottle. The sock sounds like a great idea for smaller, more localized needs. Also, I had never thought about putting it in the freezer. Cool idea.
Myscha Theriault´s last blog ..The Magic Lantern – Bridgton, Maine

monkeyjen on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 3:24 pm

“(When you start smelling cherry pie, they are ready.)” awesome, lol

monkeyjen on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 3:29 pm

speaking of pregnancy pain… my sister just gave birth on 1/20 and afterwards they gave her an ‘ice diaper’ to wear, which is, as you can imagine, a diaper filled with ice. This is apparently a wonderful thing. Not sure if this relates, but it’s kinda funny.

Lara S. on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 3:30 pm

This is not completely related, but this post reminded me of a plastic-free health tip I’d like to share: my natural doctor recommends using a moist cloth on the tummy to relieve many illnesses, since she says many pains are caused by an inflammation of the stomach or bowels, these include not only discomforts in those areas, but also colds, bronchitis and other usual problems of the respiratory system. She says the damp cloth helps reduce the inflammation.
My mother has tried it many times and had a good result with colds. Also, it’s nice to have something fresh in summer, but you can do it in a cold weather too: just place the moist cloth and put a sweater on it, it’ll work anyway. The cloth has to be re-dampened every few hours.

Daisy on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 3:46 pm

I received a cherry-pit bag in a sewing swap. I find it to be really soothing when heated in the microwave and placed on my frequently aching neck. I also made a couple of “boo-boo bunnies” which are basically terry wash cloths that have been rolled up and tied with a rubber band. They have a hole in the bottom big enough to hold one ice cube. Good for the kids.

And for menstrual cramps? A warm bath is what has always been my last resort when nothing else was doing the trick. I never sit still long enough for heating pads and the like.

~Daisy
Daisy´s last blog ..Montessori School – Update

Grace on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 4:13 pm

The rice in a sock is just what I need for my headaches. I never would have thought that it would work as an ice pack. I’m definitely going to try this, so thanks for posting about it.

Sierra Black on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 5:01 pm

You just want to be a little careful when you make these to sterilize the rice or grains or whatever before you use them – I think you can do that by baking them at a low temperature for a few hours.

A friend of mine had some buckwheat nursing pads her sister-in-law gave her, and after a few uses they sprouted!!! Gross, and it ruined them for future use.
Sierra Black´s last blog ..Choosing a Greener Life Together

Penelope on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 5:49 pm

My mom just told me about this last week when my shoulder was killing me. She’s not so green but very frugal and suggested I alternate between the sock and ice packs. It works great as a heat pack but I didn’t know it would work well as a cold pack too. About to make another and stick it in the freezer. Thanks )

Rebecca on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 6:14 pm

I take washclothes, get them wet and wring them out, then freeze them. They work great for compresses. Also awesome as baby teethers, esp during those first few teeth. Actually, my autistic sons still love them, they seem to be very comforting.

And the opposite works, too. Wring out a washcloth or towel, and then microwave it for a few seconds till hot. Be careful removing it, they can be steaming.

Elizabeth B on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 7:29 pm

Oh man, this is a great, great tip. I have chronic tendonitis in both arms; in fact, I’m sitting here icing my arms right now. It’s been bugging me that I keep having to buy the plastic ice packs (they last about a year before springing with the heavy use I put them to). I’ll give these ideas a try. Thank you, Beth!

Sage Norbury on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 8:27 pm

I’ve been using a “frozen towel” for 20 years for my cold pack. I take a hand towel, wet it, wring it out, and place it in the freezer (so it can lay flat). When it’s frozen, wrap it in a thin cloth, and use on your “boo boo”. When it starts to thaw, simply refreeze. I use a rice bag for hot needs. Of course, I’ve made a fancy, schmancy cover for the rice bag.

Jessie on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 10:47 pm

Thank you! I’ve been considering buying a hot water bottle to use instead of a heating pad, but was unsure about what they are made out of. This sounds like an even better alternative.

Eleanor on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 4:59 am

Condoblues,

I make the rice bags also, and I was trying to figure out how to make a chambered one for the same reason—to keep the rice more evenly distributed.

So how did you do that? Did you make separate pouches for the rice and then sew each part of the tea towel as you went along?

I couldn’t figure out how to keep each bit of rice in one section as I went along!

There must be a trick to this! Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

Veronica on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 8:45 am

Ah! Had sudden pain in the wrist while I was reading this. Sadly my oatmeal was the first thing I reached for. Now my wrist smells like oats but the sock did the trick XD. I’ll have to make some rice bags when I finish with my current sewing project. Thanks for the tip!

et on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 11:21 am

I made a small, wheat filled linen pillow that I heat in wood stove oven. Great for heating a cold bed this time of year.

Tanya on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 12:44 pm

Great ideas! I always learn so much from your blog! And I love the frozen washcloth idea! Everything imaginable has been invented that you sometimes forget about simple solutions!

Cat C-B on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 1:23 pm

Rice socks are excellent… but bodies age.

My 50-year-old body makes it to work these days only with some pretty tech-heavy help. Not only pharmaceuticals in those non-recyclable bottles, but a moist-heat pad that does indeed contain lots of plastic.

I’ve used the rice socks. They’re all right. But with this latest bout with a herniated disc, I find I need more, and I’m grateful for it. I’m dependent on a few pieces of equipment for the ability to walk, drive, and work, and many of these pieces of equipment contain plastic.

The plastic that comes into my life as packaging, or the times I forgot to specify no plastic with something… that I apologize for. The plastic that allows me to move and work… that I am grateful for, and try to care for as well as I can, so that it will (hopefully) long outlast my disability, and be something I can pass along to another aging, suffering body for re-use.

Sometimes plastic is better than the alternative. Not often, but every now and then.

Tia on Sat, 30th Jan 2010 7:25 pm

I love my rice sock! My mom made it for me a few years back when I had hurt my knee. She always had several around the house when we were growing up. Funny though, I never thought of putting it in the freezer. Thanks for the tip!
Tia´s last blog ..D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

Alexandra on Sun, 31st Jan 2010 10:03 am

What great ideas! I love this blog. I always discover something new. Thanks for all you do to bring such alternatives to our attention.
Alexandra´s last blog ..Wellfleet Resident Reports Back from Haiti

Lisa @Retro Housewife Goes Green on Sun, 31st Jan 2010 12:13 pm

I love rice packs. I have a few that have lavender in them as well that I often use at night to help me sleep.
Lisa @Retro Housewife Goes Green´s last blog ..Book Review: Smart Mama’s Green Guide

Mrs. Money @ Save Green and Live Green on Sun, 31st Jan 2010 3:50 pm

Love these ideas! The bathtub full of ice scares me a little, though!
Mrs. Money @ Save Green and Live Green´s last blog ..Is Being Frugal Always Being Different?

Andrea on Mon, 1st Feb 2010 7:41 am

I think hot water bottles may still be made of natural rubber…just beware if you feel a thin spot in the rubber, do not just take it to bed and hope for the best.
Andrea´s last blog ..It’s the Neighborly Thing to Do

Billie on Mon, 1st Feb 2010 7:55 am

I made rice bags for a number of people for Christmas. I have no idea if anyone uses them except for my Mom. My mom said she used the one I gave my step-father quite a bit – both hot and cold. I use my husband’s (which I gave him for Christmas) as a bed warmer for our feet. I find that the rice bag is too heavy for my neck so I use one filled with something else (don’t know what) that makes it lighter and handy for use with my neck/shoulder.

They are awesome! and cheap! The kids loved helping make the presents. I bought really cheap rice (ok… that came in a plastic bag) and they filled up the bags with rice.
Billie´s last blog ..January

Make It From Scratch Carnival « Glory In The Clutter on Tue, 2nd Feb 2010 2:13 am

[...] a cheap Homemade dehydrator at Penniless Parenting. What a wonderful idea!! Beth Terry presents Ice Pack, Heating Pad, Rice Sock posted at Fake Plastic Fish: Living Life with Less Plastic. Next week’s issue of the [...]

What’s Going On on Tue, 2nd Feb 2010 5:40 am

[...] Fake Plastic Fish makes a plastic-free hot/cold pack. [...]

Katrina on Wed, 3rd Feb 2010 11:14 pm

This is my second winter sleeping with a heated rice bag at my feet and I wish I’d discovered it years ago. I used a couple of cloth produce bags a third filled with rice and tied a knot at the top. The bags are big enough that the rice can be spread around to cover both feet or I can pile it all in the bottom for a concentrated heat. I never thought to add lavendar or oils though. Thank you!
Katrina´s last blog ..To Go Ware

Funny about Money on Sat, 6th Feb 2010 6:30 am

My hot sock is full of oatmeal. Works the same way…very handy, because you can drape it over a sore shoulder and walk around the house–you’re not tethered to an electric cord.

Another way to make a handy cold back is to…uh oh…this one has plastic in it!…well, to take a paper towel and get it wet. Lay the wet paper towel out flat on a ziplock bag. Then put it in the freezer and let it freeze flat. These are extremely handy and as they start to defrost can be molded around a body part. They work very well for migraines.
Funny about Money´s last blog ..Here come the new taxes…

A couple of household hints | Funny about Money on Sun, 7th Feb 2010 5:33 am

[...] the practicality of cloth napkins relative to paper, and Beth at Fake Plastic Fish explains how to make ice packs and heating pads without benefit of [...]

Millie Barnes on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 2:41 pm

Every year I save cherry pits, clean them and make large (14 x bean bags. Cherry pits are a really desnse wood, they stay warm a loooon time. It’s all I have used as a heating pad for 15 years now. I microwave it about 2 minutes. Stays warm, for over an hour!
Millie Barnes´s last blog ..Thanks for visiting my blog

Life Without Plastic’s New Insulated Lunch Bag | Fake Plastic Fish on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 11:07 am

[...] bag lying around, you could just repurpose that as an ice pack.) And we don’t want to use a vinyl gel pack, right? How about filling a small jar with water and freezing it? Tempered glass jars, I have [...]

Joanna on Tue, 16th Feb 2010 8:37 am

I just found your website. Love it! Thank you for all your tips and dedication! I grew up with hot water bottles (in the UK), we had no heating in the bedrooms. Now my kids all love them in winter too. Gets ‘em in bed faster on a cold night. Made of natural rubber. I heat water in the kettle on the stove though which you’re not supposed to do – tap water doesn’t cut it for me.

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