SAFETY WARNING!
Do Not Overheat Your Soothie. Heating more than the recommended time can cause burning of the skin and may cause the Soothie to burn. When frozen, allow your Soothie to warm up to room temperature before microwaving.
FAQ's
Soothies
What are Soothies?
Soothies are cotton or flannel packs stuffed with golden flax seed to heat in the microwave for a moist heat pack or freeze for an ice pack.
How big are Soothies?
Soothies come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Our most popular size is the neck wrap that is shaped to fit around the neck, wrist, ankle, elbow, or virtually any joint in the body. It is roughly 20 inches long and 5 inches high, weighs 2 lbs, and is divided into 4 pouches to hold the seed in place right where you want it.
The flat pad is a rectangular shaped Soothie, 16 inches long and 10 inches wide. It weighs 2 pounds, 7 oz and has 8 pouches. The large flat pad is a larger rectangle, 20 inches long and 13 inches high. It weighs 3 pounds and has 12 pouches. The Montana size is a larger flat pad measuring 20 inches long and 16 inches wide. It has 16 pouches and weighs 4 pounds. The largest flat pad is the Alaska. It measures 24 inches long and 20 inches wide, It weighs 6 pounds and has 24 pouches. These sizes work great for larger areas such as the shoulder, leg, or back. Which one you choose would depend on the size of the area you want to cover.
The little guy, the boo boo bag, is 8 inches long and 5 inches wide. It weighs 8 ounces and has 2 pouches. This Soothie provides spot pain relief commonly used for headaches, carpal tunnel, arthritis, sinus pressure, and for kids’ owies.
What is inside a Soothie?
All Soothies are stuffed with flax seed. We chose flax seed because it is a very soft, lightweight seed that has a very long life, does not mold, and provides an amazing moist heat when heated in the microwave without smelling bad or burning (unless overheated). We also wanted a fill that would freeze really cold without clumping or freezing hard. Flax seed does all of these things.
Which fabric do I choose?
Once you pick the Soothie size, the next step is to decide whether you need, either flannel or cotton. Even though Soothies are very therapeutic, you don’t have to have injuries or pain to enjoy a Soothie. Keep one in the freezer to wear around your neck when you do gardening or mowing on a hot summer day. You can also wrap a hot one around your neck on chilly winter days, or take one to bed with you at night to warm your feet or curl up with. They also work great for cramps, growing pains, and kids’ owies. They are so soft and feel like a warm hug.
Flannel?
Flannel packs work best if you want a long lasting, moist heat. Moist heat is what doctors recommend, and the moist heat provided by the flax seed penetrates deep and fast and provides a warm, soothing feeling that helps relieve a variety of chronic pain issues, such as sore, achy muscles from fibromyalgia, arthritis, muscle tension, or back pain. The flannel fabric acts as a heat insulator and holds the heat longer than other fabrics.
Cotton?
For acute pain, such as from pulled muscles, injuries, headaches, or to relieve pain and swelling after shoulder, knee, back, or hip surgery, a cotton pack works best. As opposed to flannel, which holds the heat in for a long time, a frozen cotton Soothie releases the cold quickly and intensely. When frozen, each individual flax seed freezes, but they don’t freeze together so the pack stays soft, allowing it to be wrapped around the wrist, ankle, or any joint of the body. And when your body heats up one side of the Soothie, just flip it over and use it again as the other side is still cold. No longer do you have to deal with the mess of gel packs, melting, cumbersome ice packs, or hard, frozen bags of peas.
How long do I heat my Soothie in the microwave?
All Soothies may be heated less than the recommendation based on personal preference, however, be cautious not to exceed the recommendation or burning may occur. Because your Soothie will last you many years, we recommend putting a mug of water (about 4 oz of hot water) in the microwave when you heat your Soothie. This will prevent the flax seeds from drying out and prevent your Soothie from burning over the years.
Our Recommendations:
Boo Boo Bag - 30-45 seconds
Eye Pillow - 1 minute
Neck Wrap - 2- 2.5 minutes
Flat Pad - 2-2.5 minutes
Large Flat Pads - 3 minutes
Montana - 3.5-4 minutes
Alaska - 6 minutes
What if I don't have a microwave?
Although Soothies work best when heated in the microwave, you can also heat them in the oven. Just wrap them in foil and warm them on the oven rack at a low temperature for 30 or 40 minutes, depending on how hot you want your Soothie. Be advised though, a Soothie does not produce moist heat when heated in the oven.
How do I clean my Soothie?
Cotton and Flannel Fabrics
Because Soothies are stuffed with flax seed, they cannot be machine washed. Doing so causes the seeds to swell with water and they never dry out. It is best to spot clean them, lifting the fabric away from the seed and cleaning the fabric only. Once you’ve cleaned the spot, microwave the Soothie to dry it. To freshen your Soothie, you can shake baking soda on it and brush it off.
HELP! EMERGENCY! My Soothie was overcooked and smells awful, what can I do?
If you have cooked your Soothie too long to the point that it smells, the seeds have been roasted and the moist heat has been cooked out. Unfortunately, this cannot be reversed. However, now is the perfect opportunity to pick out a new Soothie!
HELP! EMERGENCY! My Soothie fell into water and is now soaked, what can I do?
Towel dry the Soothie as best you can and put it in the microwave, wettest side up, for 2 minutes (45 seconds for a Boo Boo Bag). If the Soothie is still not dry, wait for it to cool and reheat. Repeat as necessary. Then allow the Soothie to rest and air out for a day. When it is completely dry, the fabric may have an alligator-like feel. Gently lift the fabric away from the seed and massage it gently between your fingers until the Soothie is soft again.
Do you make custom orders?
Yes, but we are limited by fabric and dimensions to a degree. We do not create new products (ie.gloves, slippers, blankets, etc.), but we can increase or decrease product size, filling amount, and fabric patterns as long as they are available for us to find. If you want a custom product, please fill out the "contact us" form located at the bottom of the home page. Include details about what you would like in the message. We will respond as to whether or not we can fulfill the idea along with pricing.
Can you ship internationally?
We do not currently offer International shipping on the website, HOWEVER, if you are located outside of the US, we may be able to ship to you through other methods. Pease fill out the "contact us" form located at the bottom of the home page to let us know what products you would like and where you are located. We can work together to formulate a shipping plan with prices.
Hydrocoolers
How do I activate my Hydrocooler?
Submerge it in water for about 30 minutes. Room temperature
water or warmer will speed the hydration process, cold water will slow it. The water temperature will not affect the cooling properties. There is no need to freeze your HydroCooler. It cools automatically and naturally by evaporation and recrystallizes when it dries.
How do I dry my Hydrocooler?
When not in use, just hang them up to dry. It will take a week or more for the crystals to return to their original size. You may put them in the refrigerator, but freezing a Hydrocooler is not recommended as it causes the crystals to turn hard and clump up. If you don't plan to use your hydrocoler for a few days, you may dry it in the dryer, maybe with a load of towels, to help speed up the drying process and ensure it does not mold. You can resoak it again at any time when you want to use it again.
How do I clean my Hydrocooler?
Wash by hand with a mild detergent and rinse quickly so the crystals do not absorb much of the detergent.