Tips for Maximizing Your Ice Chest Cooler’s Performance

1. Wherever possible store the box in a cool place - if stored in direct sunlight or in a warm environment, a significant amount of ice will be melted to cool the walls of the box.

2. Ice temperature is also a factor; the temperature of ice could either be hovering at 30 degrees or sub-zero before you put it in your ice chest. Therefore, ice that is colder will last much longer under identical conditions.

3. Chilling or even freezing the intended contents such as drinks and food is an often-overlooked solution to longer ice retention. Remember, the colder your contents before loading, the less energy these contents will use to cool. If using to store or transport food, please ensure that the temperature remains below 40°F.

4. Amount of ice is important. We recommend filling the cool box with as much ice as possible to keep the air space to a minimum. Large areas of air will lead to faster ice melt. A small bag of ice in a large cool box will melt faster than if it were in a small one. However, a large box filled with ice will keep ice longer than a small box filled with ice. In summary, the more ice the better - however, if weight is a concern you can use other materials such as paper towels or crumpled newspaper to fill the air space voids.

5. Surface area to volume of the ice also affects how ice melts. Block ice will melt much slower than small cubes. However, as ice melts, it is absorbing the heat from its surroundings; therefore, smaller pieces of ice will chill the cool box faster. Also, it is easier to keep food cold using smaller pieces of ice. Using a mixture, for example, putting food on top of block ice, then covering the food and filling empty spaces with cube ice will help retain ice, chill, and keep food cold.

6. Once the ice box is in use, we recommend that you do not empty the cold water. The water in the cooler will be almost as cold as the ice and will help insulate the remaining ice. If you are storing items that would be damaged by water, consider using a cooling gel pack or place items inside a plastic container.

7. There are many variables that affect ice retention: frequent lid opening, outside environment, placement in direct sunlight, etc. Careful attention to these simple details will significantly extend ice retention.

CLEANING YOUR COOLER

Before using for the first time clean the interior with any standard dishwashing detergent and rinse thoroughly.

For tough odors, wash out with a mixture of 1-part bleach to 50 parts water.
Occasional cleaning of the exterior is recommended using a non-abrasive cloth and mild dishwashing detergent.

Oil-based grime can normally be removed using a lanolin hand cleaner or baby oil and non-abrasive cloth. Be aware when cleaning the box that the lid can hurt hands & heads if not held open.

CHILD SAFETY

To guard against suffocation, remove and store drainage bungs inside cooler when not in use.