If you are like many people, you have heard of dry ice, but don't know all of the times when it may come in handy in your life. While it is frequently used to keep perishable items cool during the shipping process, it has many other uses that you should learn about. Not only can dry ice help come in handy during many frustrating situations, but it can also help make emergency situations safer and easier.
Read on to learn more about two additional important uses for dry ice that everyone should know about.
1. Automobile Dent Removal
Few things are more frustrating than noticing that there is a small dent in your automobile and not knowing how it occurred. Of course, you can report the new dent to your automobile insurance company, but, depending on your coverage and deductible, the cost of the repair may not even be covered.
Thankfully, there are several easy ways to remove small dents from your vehicle on your own, and one technique involves using dry ice. To perform the dry ice car dent removal technique, all you need is dry ice; a pair of thick, well-insulated gloves; and a hair dryer.
To remove the auto dent, first heat the dented area of your automobile with the hair dryer on its lowest heat setting. Once the area is warm, cover the dent with aluminum foil and, with gloved hands, rub a piece of dry ice over the foil gently until you feel the dent "pop" out.
It is very important to always take proper safety precautions when handling dry ice, which you can find at dryiceinfo.com. Be sure to always handle the dry ice while wearing thick gloves, preferably leather gloves or well-insulated oven mitts, or you could develop frostbite on the area of your skin that's in contact with the dry ice.
2. Emergency Cold Storage During Power Outages
When the power goes out for an extended period of time, everything in your life may seem to get interrupted. However, if you are like many people, the worst part of a power outage may be the loss of the investment in all of the perishable food in your freezer(s) and refrigerator(s). It is important to learn how to use dry ice for emergency cold storage during power outages so you can prevent the loss of those perishables the next time a power outage strikes your area.
Typically, food in a full freezer will stay frozen for about two days during a power outage and food in a freezer that is half full will stay frozen for just one day. Food in your refrigerator can begin spoiling as soon as 4 hours after the power outage begins.
Unless you know for certain that your power outage will not exceed four hours in length, it is a good idea to order emergency dry ice any time the power goes out to keep your perishables from spoiling.
To keep the goods in your refrigerator cold during a power outage, all you need is a 10 lb block of dry ice. First, place a newspaper on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to insulate the shelf and then place the block of dry ice on top of it. This will keep the goods in your refrigerator cold for up to 24 hours. However, it is important to check your refrigerator thermometer frequently to ensure it does not rise about 40 degrees F and replace the dry ice sooner if you see the thermometer nearing this temperature.
To keep the food in your freezer frozen, you will need to multiply the size of your freezer in cubic square feet by three. The result will be the number of pounds of dry ice you will need to place in your freezer. Cover the dry ice in several layers of newspaper to insulate it before placing it in your freezer. Check your freezer thermometer every 12 hours to determine when to replace the dry ice.
Remember to never handle dry ice with your bare hands and always take proper safety precautions when using it to keep perishable goods frozen and/or refrigerated during a power outage.
While you may know that dry ice is used in the shipping industry to keep perishable items cold during the shipping process, keep these two important additional uses in mind next time you have a dent in your car or you experience a home power outage.
To learn more, check out websites like http://www.unitedcityicecube.com.
