SOME USES FOR DRY ICE: 

Do not touch dry ice directly!  Use a towel or insulated gloves.

CAMPING: make a refrigerator out of your cooler…Keep refrigerated items cold by packing your cooler with dry ice. Using a towel or gloves to place the dry ice in the bottom of your cooler.  Use a piece of cardboard or newspaper between the bottom of your cooler and the dry ice.  (Styrofoam coolers can withstand the –109 degree temperature of dry ice without any insulation between it and the dry ice)  Cover the dry ice with wet ice and pack the cooler with your beverages and food.  Dry ice freezes the wet ice and can keep your cooler chilled for days, thus eliminating the need for more wet ice.  This is especially helpful to you campers who cannot make frequent trips to town for supplies. 

Fishing: Keeping bait fresh or fresh caught fish frozen is a snap with dry ice.

Just create a refrigerator out of your cooler with the dry ice on the bottom and the wet ice on top (as mentioned above) Keep your bait fresh and appealing by storing it on top of the wet ice. Once you catch a fish, it can be stored in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag and then placed on the bottom of your cooler. The dry ice (which is usually wrapped in newspaper for insulation) can be placed on top of the fish.  At this time, you can poke a few holes in the bottom of the wrapping around the dry ice to allow the vapors to sink and freeze the fish, usually within a half hour.  This method will improve the taste of your fish by eliminating any build up of bacteria on the fish.  The use of dry ice in this manner also prevents ice crystalline from forming on your fish.  These large crystals cause the ‘mushy’ texture of frozen items due to partial thaw and re-freezing, or very slow freezing. 

Freezer not working: Carefully remove the wrapping of the dry ice with a towel, a dry oven mitt or insulated gloves and place the slab of dry ice on the freezer shelf.  If the freezer is on the bottom, use 15 – 20 lbs. of dry ice. Freezer on top requires 20-30 lbs. dry ice.  Side by side freezer require as much as 30 –40 lbs. dry ice.  If the freezer is full of frozen items, then less dry ice may be needed.  A chest freezer requires 40-50 lbs. Please note:  Use some kind of insulator such as newspaper or cardboard between dry ice and glass shelving.

Do not use dry ice in a working freezer or refrigerator. 

Refrigerator not working: Keep the refrigerator door closed and go get some dry ice! The rule of thumb is use 1 ½ lbs. of dry ice per each cubic foot of space in your refrigerator or about 10lbs. per day.  Store items in the refrigerator close to the bottom of the refrigerator and place the wrapped dry ice on the top shelf.  Use newspaper and/or cardboard as an insulator between the dry ice and top shelf.  Never place dry ice on a glass shelf unless you have a piece of cardboard or some other kind of insulating material between the dry ice and shelf. When you are placing the dry ice inside the refrigerator, poke a hole in each corner on the bottom of the wrapping to allow the vapors to sink.  Dry ice can freeze items, so place foods that may become damaged by freezing farthest away from the dry ice. Keep liquids tightly covered so they do not become carbonated as the refrigerator fills with carbon dioxide. Refrigerator thermometers are available at local grocery stores so you’ll know what the temperature is inside your non-working refrigerator.

Do not use dry ice in an operating refrigerator or freezer. 

Severe Weather: When power is lost due to storms or lightning strikes it is best to be prepared with the essentials and know where you can purchase dry ice for these situations. You can create a refrigerator out of a cooler by pouring wet ice over a slab of dry ice.  The unwrapped dry ice will freeze the wet ice and keep items in the cooler chilled for up to 40 hours. This may be a good idea if flooding has occurred and you cannot get in your home to use the refrigerator or freezer.  Remember to place a piece of cardboard or several pieces of newspaper beneath the dry ice so it does not damage a metal or plastic cooler. When power is restored to the area, remove what is left of the dry ice from the refrigerator and/or freezer. 

Disposing of dry ice: Do not dispose of dry ice in a public sewer, garbage disposal, garbage chute, etc… Allow the dry ice to melt and turn into gas in a well-ventilated area.  Do not leave children unattended in a room with dry ice!