The Best Stuffing Material for Hot and Cold Packs

Hot packs are used for multiple reasons ranging from soothing sore muscles, relieving neck and back pain, helping with menstrual cramps, migraines and arthritis. Cold packs are useful when dealing with sprains, swelling and minor injuries. Choosing the type of stuffing to fill the packs depends on the use, desired scent, weight, texture and the amount of heat that each pack should provide. Whole flaxseeds, uncooked rice, dried herbs and whole kernel corn are all good options for stuffing material.

Whole Flaxseeds

• Flaxseeds are herbal flower seeds that do a remarkable job of retaining heat, making them a wise choice for stuffing inside a hot pack. The flax-filled pack can be heated for 30 to 60 seconds in a microwave oven and the can be safely reheated multiple times. After the homemade packs full of whole flaxseeds have cooled off, they can be used as a coolant pack by placing the packs in the freezer to use for other applications.

Uncooked Rice

• Long grain, white rice is a common ingredient used to stuff heat packs. The uncooked rice holds heat well and has shown to last over time when reheated multiple times in a microwave oven. It is important to use long grain rice and not the instant rice. The weight of the long grain rice helps to put the necessary pressure on certain body parts to release tension. Long grain rice is also inexpensive.

Dried Herbs, Flowers, And Spices

• Lemon grass, spearmint, cinnamon, lavender, rose petals, ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger, rosemary, and crushed mint are herbs, flowers and spices that can be used as stuffing for hot and cold packs. Dried herbs are frequently used in aromatherapy for relieving stress, aiding in depression, relaxation and boosting energy levels. The dried herb packs can be lightly heated or placed in a freezer for cold comfort. Long grain rice or flaxseeds can be added if a heavier pack is desired.

Whole Kernel Corn

• Whole kernels of corn can be safely heated in the microwave for up to two minutes. The corn will hold heat for a few hours. Kernels of corn can also be frozen and used in cold packs.The corn will not pop in the microwave because the whole kernel corn is grown to be used as feed corn. The whole kernel corn has a high durability against mold, mildew and moisture, allowing the pack to last for years with proper care. The corn packs will last longer when they're not left in the microwave to heat for too long. It's best to reheat corn packs to a warm temperature little by little each time.