MY BLOG
by MATT GARVIN

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ENTRY 2: HOW TO MAKE A RICE SOCK HEATING PAD

You can make your own rice sock quite easily.  Over the years, I have made a few.  They serve well as a DIY heating pad, which is much cheaper, and (in my opinion) better at retaining heat.

To make and use a rice sock, you need 3 things:

1. a sock
2. some rice
3. a microwave

A microwave is essential.  You do not want to heat a rice sock in a conventional oven or toaster.

Here is what you do to make one:

1. fill a long tube sock with about 2 cups of rice
2. tie off the sock 

Boom, you are done.  The sock needs to be long enough to be able to knot itself.  I also recommend a colored sock, and one that is primarily cotton.  The first sock I used was a white tube sock, and after a couple weeks, it started getting grey. (Which looked gross, but I don't think caused any harm.)  Now I use a grey tube sock to start with. (And since I can't see the grime, I bet by now my rice socks are extra filthy. But they still work great, and no one is the wiser.)

Here is how to use a rice sock:

1. Put it in the microwave and press "go!"
2. Use it to heat whatever

That's it, but here are some nuances.  The total heating time depends on the power of your microwave, and how much rice you used.  In my experience, about 90 seconds makes it "extremely" hot. (So I go for 75-80 total seconds, which is merely "very" hot.)
 
At the midway point of heating it in the microwave, I take it out, and kind of slowly shake or wiggle the sock a bit, to "mix the heat" around. 

In my case, a rice sock with approximately 2 cups of rice in a cotton sock, heated for just under a minute and a half, is good for 6-7 minutes of pretty strong heat.
 
I hope this helps someone to make and use their own DIY "rice sock heating pad".
 
- END OF BLOG ENTRY 2 -