Icecold Bottles!

by pingvinos

17K1326

Intro: Icecold Bottles!


This is not a build, it hardly even qualifies as a recipe, but it's a great tip I use intensevily during the summer. Actually my father in law just mentioned it one day, so it might not be a revolutionary new idea, but a great idea none the less.
Note: In the summer heat, they do get quite wet on the outside, so please consider using a coaster if put on furniture.

ATTENTION!
Some claim that freezing water in plasticbottles, releases dioxin, and is therefore toxic.
Just as many claim it to be a hoax, or an urban myth.
Including this guy, witch to me looks pretty credible.
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/halden_dioxins.html
Please search the internet for info, and make up your own mind about this matter.

STEP 1: Recycle.

Recycle your singleuse waterbottles, they're perfect for this. The more bottles you have, the longer it will be, before you have to 'reload' them.
Clean and rinse, proceed to Step 2.

STEP 2: Just Add Water...

Now fill each one 1/3 - 1/2 with tap water.
The more water you add, the longer the cooling obviously will last.
Of course you will have less room for liquid water, but if you're near a tap, you just refill when empty, and wait a moment for it to cool.

STEP 3: Freeze...

Put the bottles in your freezer, lieing down. This will get you the fastest cooling.
I guess if you freeze them standing, you will get slower cooling, but maybe over a longer period of time. I didn't test it.

STEP 4: When Cooling's Needed.

Grab a frozen bottle from the freezer, maybe add a little flavor, and then fill up with tab water.
Wait a few minutes.....cold drink ready.

STEP 5: Get Some Work Done.

Chopping through one foot of recycled concrete gravel, compressed by a 500 kg vibrator, does make one need a cool drink on a hot sunny day. (making flowerbeds, btw)

26 Comments

Spikoo 14 years ago

If you fill 2/3rds of the bottle you get more ice (longer refreshment) at the expense of more frequent refill. To get the cap free of ice just put the bottle in the refrigerator slightly tilted so that the cap is free.

muffinhead 15 years ago

i heard freezing water in the cheap plastic bottles could cause cancer if you drank it. idk if that's true though. :P

pingvinos 15 years ago

Hi muffinhead. Please check out the 'ATTENTION' section at the top, and also look at the link in Will Knot's comment. Thanks for caring, though. :)

minime12358 14 years ago

Actually, I would like to say that if you reuse bottles at all that it can be very bad for you.

pingvinos 14 years ago

I can't think of why it'd be bad for anyone? Anyways, I'll take my chances. Using plastic bottles only once, will be bad for the environment, and thus be bad for people anyways.

Gage987 15 years ago

don't they make double layered beer mugs with water in them for this purpose

SpinWard 16 years ago

This is a great idea, I love doing this. I also think laying them down works better. It makes the water colder because more water on more ice. When we go camping we freeze Capri-Suns for ice packs. They are durable and when they melt, the kids drink them.

AT 16 years ago

This would be a great thing for a hot August day. Maybe a little carbonated Fruit?

I was thinking about your comment about the bottle getting we. How about making an insulation cover for your bottle? You could make one for cheap out of a mouse pad and some contact cement.

Just cut a mouse pad so that it just fits around the bottle. Either with or without the cloth top of the mouse pad. Then use the contact cement to glue the seam.

I made a neoprene case for an external DV-camera battery pack that I made using this method. Seemed to work well. If I have some time, Maybe I'll do an instructable on it? If anyone else has an extra mouse pad and some contact cement, go for it and let us see the results.

right_on 16 years ago

that's a good idea, but lots of hard work though :) if you want to keep it dry and cold much longer, put the bottle in a thick sock or even two socks, with the "mouth" of the bottle where the opening of the sock is, and make sure it's dry when you do that. then tie the end of the sock. also works great for bottles with cold water in them. looks silly but it will amaze your friends! :D

doublesoc 16 years ago

is tab water like a diet version of tap water? :)

pingvinos 16 years ago

Yeah, 'cause I'm like, trying to watch my figure. ;)

juanangel 16 years ago

You did not noticed that by lieing down the bottles you get a larger area for the water to cool. This way you don't have to wait until it cools all the way up.Also fill the bottle and by lieing it down drain excess water or liquid(I used concentrated juices instead of water(trial and error)and then freeze.

Ben.land101 17 years ago

i did this but i make a turning rig for the bottles it takes a while but eventualy you will have a bottle with the edges coverd in ice. its awsome!

WolvesOfWar 17 years ago

just put (we dutch call it "siroop") in it and then put it in the FREEZER part of the FREEZER next day, its frozen, when u try to drink u cant, its frozen, but after 1 minute it will start to melt done

babbie 17 years ago

haha yes i am also Dutch siroop is just very concentrated lemonade, gives the same effect but it takes time to melt so you have to wait

zofo300 17 years ago

you no that frezing warter in a waterbottle isnt the best for people

Shiznit 17 years ago

You're increasing surface area, allowing heat to escape faster.
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