15 Ways to Keep Ice From Melting Without a Freezer

Stop ice from melting with aluminum foil, salt, & more helpful tricks

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Nathan Taylor

Last Updated: April 28, 2025 Fact Checked

Drinks are in the fridge, burgers are on the BBQ, and your party’s about to start—but the ice doesn’t fit in the freezer! Don’t panic—there are lots of easy ways to store ice without a freezer and keep it frozen for a long time. Read our list of tips to help keep ice from melting when you don’t have access to a freezer!

Tips for Keeping Ice Frozen Without a Freezer

Fill and cover a cooler or container with aluminum foil to repel heat.^{[1]
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Insulate the container with towels or foam to trap the cold air.^{[2]
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Sprinkle the ice with salt to make it colder and slow down melting.^{[3]
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1

Transfer the ice to a plastic bucket or cooler.

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Closed, plastic containers keep the ice insulated. Grab a plastic cooler or a container with a lid and dump your ice inside. The extra barrier between the ice and air traps in the cold, preventing the ice from melting as quickly.^{[4]
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- Use a plastic cooler or container instead of a metal one, when possible. Metal transfers energy faster, so it melts your ice quickly.
- Only open the cooler or container when you need ice or any items inside. Limiting how often you open the cooler helps keep the ice from melting.
- A bucket can work in a pinch, but it’s not as insulating as a cooler.
- Depending on the size and material of your cooler, your ice can stay frozen for up to 8 hours.
- If you can’t transfer the ice to a cooler, bucket, or container, wrap the ice in aluminum foil. The foil acts as insulation to keep the ice cold.

2

Cover and line the container with aluminum foil.

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Aluminum foil helps keep the heat out! Before you pour your ice into a bucket or cooler, line it with a few sheets of aluminum foil.^{[5]
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Expert Interview} Cover the outside with a few sheets, too. The shiny foil keeps the ice cool on the inside while reflecting light and heat on the outside.^{[6]
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- Make sure the shiny side of the foil faces up when you cover the container. The shiny side reflects more light than the duller side.

3

Wrap the container in a towel.

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The towel acts as insulation, which means more cooling power.^{[7]
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Expert Interview} Once your ice is in a bucket or a cooler, wrap it up in several towels or blankets. The fabric helps keep the chilly air from escaping the container, ensuring the ice stays frozen for longer.^{[8]
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- Wet the towel for extra cooling power. As the water evaporates on the towel, it cools the air around it which can help keep the cooler or container cold.^{[9]
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- Do this in conjunction with covering the container with aluminum foil. Just wrap the towel around the container first, then add the aluminum foil.

4

Store your ice in the fridge if you’re in a pinch.

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If you don’t have a cooler, bucket, or freezer, a fridge can work. Wrap your ice in aluminum foil to help trap in the cold. Then, place the ice towards the back and bottom of your fridge, which is where the fridge is typically the coldest.^{[11]
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- While your fridge is too warm to keep your ice frozen, the cold temperatures can help it melt less quickly, giving you time to find a cooler or a bucket.
- Don’t place the ice in the door of your fridge, as the doors tend to be warmer.
- If you bought ice in a package from the store, don’t unwrap it! Leave it in the package so it stays colder longer.

5

Line the container with towels or foam.

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Adding insulation helps keep the ice frozen for longer. Fill the bottom and sides of a cooler or container with a thick material, like towels or foam. This provides insulation to prevent the cold from leaking out of the container.^{[12]
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- If you have any packaging materials, like bubble wrap, put it between the towel and your ice for even more insulation.
- The air trapped between the layers helps the ice stay frozen for longer.

6

Add salt to lower the freezing temperature.

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Ice takes longer to melt when the freezing temperature is lower. Pour your ice into a container, then shake a liberal amount of sea salt all over. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of ice, preventing the ice from melting as fast and making the container cooler.^{[13]
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- You might even start to see new ice form as the old ice melts.

7

Drain the water as the ice melts.

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Water is warmer than ice, so it can melt your frozen cubes. Check on your cooler or container every hour to see how much ice is melted. When you see a puddle of water at the bottom of the container, pour it out.^{[15]
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- Some coolers have a drainage plug on the side that you use to pour out the melted ice. Otherwise, just tip your container to the side and let the water drain out.

8

Make larger ice cubes.

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The bigger your cubes are, the longer they take to melt. To store ice for a long time without a freezer, fill a cooler or container with chunks or blocks of ice. Large ice cubes have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio than small ice cubes, which means they are more resistant to heat.^{[16]
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- Make your own ice blocks by filling clean cartons of milk, juice, or ice cream with water. Just leave a bit of space at the top of the carton to allow the water to freeze and expand.
- Crushed ice melts the fastest since it’s so small.

9

Use a lot of ice so it keeps itself frozen.

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The more ice you have, the longer it takes to melt. While it might sound like a no-brainer, make sure you fill your entire cooler or container with ice. When ice is surrounded by ice, the temperature stays cold and the ice stays frozen for longer.^{[17]
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- Plus, it’s always better to have too much ice than not enough!
- Don’t overpack the cooler or container so the lid no longer stays on. Simply take some of the ice out and use it in your drinks, instead.
- Coolers, ice boxes, and containers typically stay colder when they’re full rather than partially filled.

10

Chill the cooler or container.

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Pre-chilling a container with ice helps it stay cold. Place a bag of ice in your cooler or container and store it in a cool place overnight, like your fridge or basement. This cools the container down before you fill it with ice the next day, which can help the ice stay frozen for an additional 10 hours.^{[18]
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- Chill or freeze any items you’re putting on the ice, too. Placing room temperature or warm items on the ice can make it melt faster.

11

Keep the ice in the shade or near a fan.

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The colder the air around the ice is, the longer it stays frozen. Keep your ice out of sunlight as much as possible. If you’re inside, set it next to a fan or an air conditioning vent.^{[19]
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- Store the ice in a small room with a fan or AC vent, if possible. Small rooms stay cold for longer, so they’ll help keep your ice frozen.
- Move the ice away from any warm objects, like heaters, stoves, or sunny windows.

12

Store your ice in the backseat, not the trunk.

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The trunk of your car can turn into an oven during hot summer months. If you’re traveling with a cooler or container of ice, keep it in the car with you. The interior of the car stays cooler than the trunk, which tends to trap heat.^{[20]
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- If your car has AC, blast the cool air to help the ice stay frozen, too.

13

Make ice with boiled water so it melts slowly.

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Boiling water removes air bubbles, making the ice more dense. When ice is more dense, it usually takes longer for it to melt.^{[21]
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Research source} Simply boil water in a kettle or pot twice and let it cool. Then, fill and freeze your ice trays.^{[22]
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- Use this method to make clear ice for fancy cocktails, too!

14

Stack the ice on top of dry ice.

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Dry ice helps keep ice frozen. If you need to store ice for an extended period of time, place dry ice in a cooler with your ice. While wearing insulated gloves, wrap about 10 lbs (4.5 kg) of dry ice in newspaper. Then, set it in a styrofoam tray at the bottom of the cooler and place your ice on top.^{[23]
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- Warning: Leave your cooler cracked open or unscrew the drainage cap so the dry ice can escape as it evaporates. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, so if the gas gets trapped, it can damage your cooler or potentially cause it to explode.^{[24]
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- Warning: Always wear insulated gloves when handling dry ice. Dry ice is around -109° F (-78° C), so touching it can lead to frostbite.
- When you’re done with the dry ice, open the cooler in a well-ventilated area and let the ice melt.^{[25]
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15

Bury your container in the ground if you can.

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The cold soil can help lower the temperature of your container. Before freezers, people stored ice in underground pits called ice houses because the ground is cooler than the air.^{[26]
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Research source} To make a quick ice house, dig a hole deep and wide enough to fit your cooler or container inside.^{[27]
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- This is a great method for camping or outdoor parties.
- Keep the container or ice insulated by lining the hole with straw or sawdust.
- For a quicker alternative, store the ice in your basement or cellar.
- If you wrapped your container in a towel and lined it with foil, you might not need to bury it.
- If the air outside is already pretty cold (say, below freezing), you don’t need to worry about burying your container.

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Tips

If you’re storing other things besides ice in your cooler, organizing it beforehand can also help the ice last longer. For instance, set items you need to grab often towards the top of the cooler.

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Buy ice right before your party or camping trip so you don’t have to worry about keeping it cold for long.

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Use the same tips as above to store ice cream without a freezer, too!

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