Submerging Dry Ice in Warm Water
Fill a large bucket with half full of warm water. Either use the hottest water that comes out of your sink or heat the water in a large pot. Make sure the temperature of the water is above 50 °F (10 °C) or else the dry ice won’t produce a lot of smoke. Don’t fill your bucket or container all the way since the dry ice will cause it to bubble and spill over once you add it. You can reduce the amount of water you use to fit whatever container you need. Avoid adding dry ice to boiling water since this will cause water to spout up violently.
Wear thick gloves before handling dry ice. Dry ice is extremely cold and can cause frostbite if it comes into contact with your bare skin. Put on thick leather gloves before you use dry ice so you’re protected from the cold temperatures. If you don’t have gloves available for handling the dry ice, use a thick folded towel instead so you still have layers of protection. Put on your gloves even if you plan on using tongs or a scoop to transfer your ice since they can also get cold the more you use them with the dry ice.
Break off pieces of dry ice using a hammer. After you put on your gloves, remove the package of dry ice from its insulated container and set it on a hard surface. Tap the dry ice with a small hammer to chip off small pieces from the larger block. Larger pieces won’t create as much smoke, but the smoke will last longer since it takes more time to turn to vapor. Smaller pieces create the most fog, but won’t last as long. Aim to have at least 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of dry ice chunks when you’re finished. You can buy dry ice from some grocery stores or ice suppliers, or you can make your own. Get dry ice pellets if you don’t want to break it apart yourself. Store your dry ice in an insulated container in a well-ventilated area before you plan on using it.
Drop the dry ice chunks into the water. When you’re ready to produce the smoke, transfer the dry ice into your container with the hot water. Make sure the dry ice is completely submerged under the water for the best smoke effects. As the water heats up the dry ice, the dry ice will change into carbon dioxide gas and spill over the edge of the container you’re using. Put a sign near the container with your dry ice to warn any guests not to touch it.Warning: Open windows or use a fan to ventilate the room with your dry ice smoke since it could be harmful to breathe if the vapor builds up.
Add more dry ice after about 15 minutes. The dry ice only produces smoke for about 15-30 minutes before it completely turns to vapor and cools down the water. Once the container stops producing smoke, put in another 3–5 pounds (1.4–2.3 kg) of dry ice so it can start forming smoke again. Continue refilling the container with dry ice for as long as you want to create smoke. If you put in more dry ice and it still isn’t creating vapor, the water may have gotten too cold. Try emptying the cold water from the container and refilling it with something warmer than 50 °F (10 °C).
Having Fun with Dry Ice Smoke
Put dry ice in a punch bowl to cool your drink down and make it smoke. Fill a large punch bowl ¾ full with the drink you want to serve for you and your guests. As your guests arrive, add a 1–2 lb (0.45–0.91 kg) chunk of dry ice on the bottom of your punch bowl to cool it down quickly and to make it produce smoke. Once the punch stops smoking, you can add more dry ice to it if you want it to keep making smoke. Warn any guests that there is dry ice in the punchbowl so they don’t accidentally put some in their cup and drink it.Tip: If you don’t want your guests to risk touching dry ice, then put dry ice and warm water in a container larger than the punch bowl, and set the punch bowl on top of the ice.
Keep dry ice in Halloween decorations to give them an eerie appearance. Halloween is a perfect time to use dry ice to make smoke since it makes everything seem creepier. For example, you may put dry ice and warm water in a plastic cauldron or inside a carved pumpkin to make it look like they’re making smoke. If you want to make decorations that look like bubbling potions, put 2-3 drops of food coloring in beakers or goblets filled with water and drop a small piece of dry ice inside. Make sure to keep decorations with dry ice away from children so they don’t touch the dry ice or hurt themselves. Halloween decorations that have dry ice work best indoors since the wind will cause the smoke to disappear more quickly.
Create large bubbles filled with dry ice smoke for a fun experiment. Put 1–2 teaspoons (4.9–9.9 ml) of liquid dish soap in a bowl filled with 1 US quart (0.95 L) of water and mix it together to create suds. Put your dry ice in another bowl and submerge it in water so it starts creating smoke. Dip a towel in the soapy water and wring it out so it isn’t dripping wet. Pull the towel taut between your hands, and rub it across the top rim of the bowl with dry ice to cover it with a single layer of bubble “skin,” similar to a bubble wand. The smoke from the dry ice will inflate the bubble and it will eventually pop, causing the smoke to spill over the sides of the bowl. If may take multiple times to start your bubble. If you have trouble getting it started, try dipping the towel in the soapy water before trying again. Be careful that the light gels don’t touch the light bulbs since they could melt from the heat.
Attach a pipe filled with dry ice to a fog machine to make the smoke denser. Use a PVC pipe that’s about 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) long, and drill holes along the length every 6 inches (15 cm). Feed small chunks of dry ice into the pipe and attach the end of the pipe to the output hose of your fog machine. Fill the fog machine with fog solution and turn it on so it starts running. The fog from the machine will mix with the dry ice vapor and create smoke that stays low to the ground and adds ambiance to the room. Replace the dry ice every 20-30 minutes if you want to keep creating more fog. Set up the machine and pipe against a wall so people don’t trip over it by accident.
Put dry ice in a heated pool or hot tub to make outdoor smoke. Drop 50 pounds (23 kg) of dry ice into the water of a heated pool or jacuzzi when your event is about to start. The dry ice and the heat from the water will keep producing smoke for 1-2 hours depending on the temperature and the size of the chunks. Don’t let others swim or relax in the water while there’s still dry ice there so nobody accidentally gets hurt. If you have an unheated pool, the dry ice won’t make as much smoke, but it will bubble. The dry ice can make your pool more alkaline, so you may need to adjust the chemicals after doing this.
Use colored lights in your room to make the smoke appear a different color. Adding food coloring to the water you use with dry ice will not change the color of the smoke, so you need to use colored lights instead. If you don’t want to buy colored lightbulbs for your fixtures, look for light gels, which are thin sheets of translucent colors, and place them in front of your lights. Not only will you give a party or room more ambiance, but the color of your smoke will be the same as your light. Use a spotlight or flashlight with a sheet of colored plastic over it if you only want to light your smoke in a specific place.
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