I'm almost 50 and have a body joint that went wonky and needs heat applied.
yes I have stood in the shower and targeted hot water on it. That does the trick for the pain for maybe an hour.
I thought I was a genius to heat up my electric kettle and pour boiling water on a towel, then wrap that hot wet towel with a dry towel. Then let my invention rest on my aching joint. But after spending some time with this invention, obviously I didn't wring out the original hot towel enough, because water was seeping everywhere. Total mess.
My other idea is to use my clothes iron on a small towel to heat it up, then put that warm cloth on my aching spot.
50 years old, never owned or needed a hot water bottle or heating pad. I''m not buying either of those for this one-time situation.
[The tendon flipped over to the wrong side and I just need to relax it enough to flip back to the comfortable place]
I have:
-an electric kettle
-a cltohes iron
-a toaster oven
-microwave
-towels
-ziploc bags
-tin foil
I do not have:
-rice
-a hot water bottle
-a heating pad
Throw me your ideas. Thanks guys. ETA – I have a mucrowave.
DIY? Makeshift hot water bottle or heating pad.
byu/GodsCasino inFrugal
Posted by GodsCasino
15 Comments
Do you have dried beans and a sock?
Put hot wet towel in a ziplock, then wrap in thin material
I would be careful, you could end up burning yourself with anything makeshift.
If you have a microwave, can you borrow some rice from a neighbor and sew it up into a pillowcase? If you can, heat it up for 80 seconds max.
Just fill an empty bottle – plastic will do – with hot water, wrap a towel or pillowcase around it
Do you have access to some gravel or small rocks from your yard? You could warm them up with hot water then wrap them in a towel. Or what about a ceramic mug? Fill it with water from the kettle, EDIT dump out the water, wrap in a towel, and apply to the injured area.
Girl, get a heating pad. Don’t fuck around giving yourself chores when you need relief.
You’re 50 Y.O. It won’t be a one time thing. Buy a heating pad or one of those things you can heat in the microwave. Cheeze, how cheap can you be. Put rice or beans (uncooked) in a clean sock, knot closed, heat in microwave. Dinner and relief.
I would just get an electric heating pad. You can find pretty inexpensive ones. And they use very little electricity, less than heating up a kettle would, so it would probably actually be cheaper in the long term if you factor that in.
You want something that will transfer heat.
Do you have a kettle that you can feel the heat from the sides? Bring it to the boil, press it to the target area.
Or take a metal pot, add hot water, cusion with a towel so you don’t burn yourself, press it to the target area.
Honestly I agree with everyone saying just buy an electric heating pad or a hot water bottle from a pharmacy. My electric heating pad is about 8 years old, and I use it very often for aches and pains (I have arthritis rather going) plus cramps or anything else. Best $35 ever spent for 8 years of very consistent use. At 50 you’ll have more aches and pains.
Just spend the $20 for a heating pad. It’s worth it. You are 50 now. In a few years, you’ll be even older. You’ll find plenty of times in your coming years that you enjoy having the heating pad.
If you don’t want to buy something for a one off case, get an electric blanket. It’s a heating pad, but bigger and multi purpose. Winter is coming :p
Rice in a sock and microwave. Works like a charm. Don’t microwave for too long through. Start with like 45 seconds and go from there
Campers use Nalgene bottles for this all the time. Even a canning jar works. Anything that won’t leak
Put the hot towel in ziplock bag, then wrap with dry towel.