How to Make a Microwaveable Heating Pad

A microwaveable heating pad is a great tool for soothing aches, pains, cramps, and even minor muscle injuries. A commercial microwaveable heating pad can cost twenty dollars or more. Luckily, you don’t need to spend anywhere near that much to get the warm, relaxing, instant relief that a microwaveable heating pad can provide. With this easy method, you can make your own re-usable microwaveable heating pad from a few inexpensive items that are found in almost every home.

Gathering Your Materials
To make this microwaveable heating pad, start with a few handfuls of long grain rice. Instant rice won’t be able to hold the warmth as well, so go for the old fashioned, slow-cooking kind. In a pinch, you can also use whole flax seeds. Make sure you have at least two to three cups. The grain will serve as the heat-retaining filling of your microwaveable heating pad. Now that you’ve got the materials for the center, it’s time to bag it in a material that will let a gentle warmth through while keeping you safe from irritation or burns. Surprise! It turns out that tube socks make a great casing for a microwaveable heating pad, so grab a clean pair of large tube socks. That’s all you need, so you’re ready to go.

Making The Pad
To make the center of your microwaveable heating pad, fill one of the socks to a bit less than seventy five percent of capacity, then tie the sock closed. Make the knot itself tight, but leave room in the “bag” for the rice to move around. Now that you’ve got the center of your microwaveable heating pad done, it’s time to put an extra layer of protection between your skin and the hot rice. Just slip the empty sock over the filled one so that the inner sock’s knot is tucked into the toe of the outer sock. Now, tie the ends of the outer sock closed. This way, even if the knot of the inner sock comes loose, there’s no possibility of the bag’s filling leaking out. Congratulations, you’re done making your microwaveable heating pad! Now it’s time to learn to use it.

Heating The Pad
To get the best results from this kind of microwaveable heating pad, you’ll need to help the heat get distributed evenly throughout the bag. The best way to do this is to heat the sock bag in your microwave for one minute at a time. After each minute, shake your microwaveable heating pad thoroughly to redistribute the grains of rice or flax. As the grains move around, the hottest ones will help warm up the cooler grains, so that you end up with an evenly warmed microwaveable heating pad.

When To Use Your Pad
Your new microwaveable heating pad can certainly help you find relief whenever there’s muscle tension at the root of your discomfort, but that’s not all. Draping your microwaveable heating pad over a sore shoulder, across the back of a stiff neck, or over a cramped abdomen is a quick way to ease pain, but there are plenty of other uses as well. The next time you come in from the cold on an icy afternoon, try letting your microwaveable heating pad bring some life back into your chilled fingers and toes. Or, before you tuck yourself or a loved one in on a winter night, warm up your microwaveable heating pad and slip it between the sheets to make the bed extra cozy.