Cool'n Ties

Cool’n Ties – neck coolers are made in Iowa.  For nearly seven years the Cool’n Tie neck coolers have been providing relief from summer heat to thousands of mid westerners.  Neck coolers are great for anyone working or exercising outside!   Available at www.cindysboutique.com and www.heartlandtreasuresgifts.com. Why we started making and using neck coolers.  My husband is diabetic.  For several years he has had problems with the summer heat, he would start getting light headed and dizzy from being outdoors to long.  He is not a small man and also perspires a lot.  About 7 years ago his eyes started bleeding from complications from the diabetes.  As his eye doctors started getting the bleeding under control with several laser surgeries his pupils were like pin heads, very small.  As a result he gets very severe headaches from bright light and of course the light headedness from the heat.  It was suggested by his eye doctor to use cold packs on the back of his neck to give some relief to the swelling that was causing the headaches and eye strain.  Indoors we used our cheery pit packs as cold packs freezing them and placing them on the neck.  That worked great when sitting back in a chair, after all who wants to carry around two pounds of cold cherry pits on their neck?

We found in the exercise fitness magazines that these neck cooling neck wraps were used to help athletes cool down after exercising, and ordered one to try.  It was over $20 from the magazine but when we received it I found it was much lighter and my husband could wear it like a tie.  It provided hours of relief and he could actually spend time outdoors.  My husband’s father was an elevator manager all his life, when my husband was in the area he would often attend the suppers put on by the chemical companies, he could never turn down a free meal, and he was genuinely interested in agriculture management.   Often the presenters would bring new things that their research teams were working on and share them with the farmers, on more than one occasion the company representatives would say “we don’t have a use for this yet, we don’t know how or if it will impact farming but isn’t it neat!” 

Well, that he was introduced to two big products we now use in everyday life…. The Light stick which is used for everything from night golf, to glow sticks for safety at Halloween time, even ushers at theaters use them to guide people to their seats, my husband has even changed a tire at night and flagged down help at an accident scene using the glow stick.  The other neat little goody was a polymer crystal.Polymer crystals are a man made synthetic biodegradable corn based product that absorb 400 times their own volume in fluids including water they are also bio-degradable, and environmentally safe!  It is quite a fascinating compound that today is found in baby diapers and potting plant soil among other uses.  It is now used in agriculture on a regular basis.  In arid soils it is added to hold moisture for the roots and we even use it on our yard and in our flower beds to keep the roots moist between watering.  One pound of polymer crystals per acre of land will reduce the risks of drought in any field or lawn.  Well, having known about this fine product and realizing that this use as a personal cooler really worked we started making them for our own personal use and that of our friends.  Before long we were making them to sell and could personally vouch for their effectiveness.  There are different grades and sizes of crystals used today, after much research we found the ones that we feel work best for the neck coolers.  They are more course than some used in potting soils and diapers, they do not absorb as quickly but they do leave more room between crystals so you get a better air flow and thus better cooling.  They are also non-toxic so they are safe for children and around pets.

How they work. We have made a sleeve about 36” in length and a diameter of 2”.  In the center 18” we have sewn a pocket where we put the required amount of crystals.  We use only 100% cotton fabrics and the crystals we use are non toxic and should not cause any problems with people who have allergies.  See care instructions for more information.  Spread the crystals out through the length of the sleeve.  Soak the neck cooler for about ½ hour in tap water or until sleeve is ½ full, caution, do not over fill, you want there to be room for air flow between the crystals.  Remove from water and squeeze out excess moisture.  Splash in some cold water, again squeeze out extra moisture place around neck and tie loosely.  As the neck cooler warms against the skin turn the neck cooler so what was on the outside is against your skin, you won’t believe how much cooler it will feel!  As the fabric dries out splash more water on it, even tap water at 75 degrees will feel cool against a 99 degree body. 

Why do I not want to over soak the neck cooler?  Good question!  As you go through a hot day and repeatedly dip it in water and squeeze out the excess it will continue to grow.   As it does the space between the crystals will get smaller & smaller, the more dense it becomes the less air flow through the crystals and it will warm up faster not giving you that radiated cooling effect.  I have seen articles that say the water evaporates out quickly, in most climates that is not true, yes the heat coming off your skin will cause the water against it to evaporate pulling the air through the crystals cooling them down, but the amount of evaporation is minimal and it will take several days for it to dry back to crystals. 

Tips we’ve learned about using the Cool’n Tie Neck Coolers. 

·         Hang your neck cooler to dry between uses, let it shrink, next time you need it soak it for just a short time as it will grow quickly.  Do not put neck coolers in your washing machine, you will not be happy with the mess this can cause, I have heard from a customer that had to have the washing machine taken apart and the drain unplugged because the crystal had grown and plugged up her machine. 

·         Don’t leave neck coolers lying on counters or in coolers.  Treat it like a wet towel, hang it up between uses.  It is wet fabric not taking care of it will result in mold and mildew.

·         Splash neck cooler with cold water, always squeeze out excess water.  That way it will give you a cooling effect much longer.  When we go to the state fair or races we will take a frozen bottle of water along and as the neck cooler warms up we drizzle the melted ice water onto the neck cooler….relief!

·         Don’t let the neck cooler fabric get too dried out while wearing it!  Do keep moisture in the fabric, it DOES dry out.  When the neck cooler does it will absorb the perspiration from your skin.  Then you have problems.  Not only will the neck cooler pick up odors it will also, by pulling all the moisture from your  skin cause a baby rash on your skin.  Then for a few days while your treat the baby rash with powders, etc. you will find it difficult to even wear a collared shirt.  Seriously, this is possible, my husband has experienced it.  No Fun!

·         If I get the neck cooler dirty?  If you keep moisture in the fabric you may get a little makeup on it and that should rinse right off.  At the Iowa State Fair we had a couple of young ladies who showed sheep drop their neck coolers on the floor while cleaning stalls. The neck coolers were very dirty and smelly!  They took them home and hung them till they had dried back to crystals.  They then hand washed the fabric with warm water and Woolite and rinsed them out.  The next year they came back with their mother and bought more.  Not to replace the ones fro the year before as they were wearing those neck coolers, but for the rest of the family.

·         Going to put your neck coolers in a cooler to keep them cool?  Remember to put your ice in a bag first.  Let your neck coolers have the air to breathe, they will last longer (remember the wet towel info).  Also, If the neck coolers fall down into the ice water they WILL continue to grow and may get so stiff that they will not bend and become unusable till you have hung them up to dry out for several days.

·         Use for hot flashes!  I keep a neck cooler in the refrigerator on a wash cloth so I can grab it when I need it.  Splash a little water on the neck cooler fabric and I can wear it while sewing, doing house work, I have even worn it while lying in bed and working at the office.

·         Use a neck cooler on the job.  Working in a warehouse, construction job, landscaping, or even in the office.  With so many designs of neck cooler fabrics available, have several around to keep you refreshed where ever your work takes you.  You WILL perspire less, be more aware, alert, and be more comfortable.  We have sold neck coolers to police departments, fire & rescue, lawn services, construction companies, roofers, road repair crews, farmers bailing hay, even cowboys.

·         Recreational uses.  Neck coolers can give you relief when riding a motorcycle or bicycle, playing ball, many teams will come off the field and wear them between innings.  Moms & dads watching their kids play, Golfers, tennis players, riding horses, hiking, fishing and boating.  Lawn darts, grilling, and even mowing the lawn and gardening!

·         Diabetics, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis.   These are just a few of the diseases that the neck coolers can provide relief for.  Heat causes everything from dizziness to seizures and even strokes.  These simple neck coolers can provide much appreciated relief. 

·         Other documented medical attributes.  Provides relief from migraine headaches, eye strain, helps lower your body temperature, and even reduce the effects of dehydration. 

·         Can I freeze them?  No.  Though freezing the Cool’n Tie neck cooler would feel real good it increases the chance of damaging the fabric and the crystals break down so they will not last as long.  Besides, you will find putting them on that cold will not provide as much relief as just a cool moist neck cooler would.  It is ok to refrigerate them but still dampen the fabric before wearing your neck cooler.

·         OSHA & FDA   These are two regulatory agencies that put out safety guidelines.  It is not used as a food or drug so the FDA regulations some companies refer to are un substantiated at this time.  OSHA deals with work place safety and the only comments I have read regarding their position is that yes, the neck coolers can provide relief from heat leading to better job site safety, but there are a few makers of the neck coolers suggesting square knots be tied to hold them on or providing beads that keep the neck cooler from coming off, these are dangerous and may be a safety hazard.

·         Are these the ones the troops are using in Iraq & Afghanistan?  Yes the troops use the neck cooler ties.  The only color that should be sent is a tan color.  Do not send any others as they cannot wear them.  We have sent hundreds over through different support groups.  We will provide instructions and the polymer crystals at a reduced price rate for organizations making the neck coolers for the military troops.  Send over as many as you can.  The troops are often giving them to the young people they come in contact with  and they see are suffering from the heat.

Why Cool’n Tie Neck Coolers vs. the others?  We can’t speak for the other makers of the neck coolers, we can tell you we make ours here in our home, they are made to last.  We use a 4 thread surge on the long seam, the ends of the pocket holding the polymer crystals is sewn with a reinforced stitch and the ends of the Cool’n Tie neck cooler have a rolled edge that is fray checked.  The 100% cotton fabric is the coolest most absorbent fabrics we could find.  We tried to stay with lighter colors that will not absorb the heat as quickly as dark colors.  Also, darker colors may bleed onto collar of t-shirts.  To minimize this, pre-rinse your neck cooler and keep it from drying out. 

This article is copy write protected and may only be reproduced in its entirety.    Cindy’s Boutique & Heartland Treasures Gifts encourage you to copy this and give it to a friend or anyone who suffers from heat related health problems.  www.heartlandtreasuresgifts.com