When the heat of the sun becomes too intense, many people turn to neck coolers to make their comfort levels more tolerable. These coolers are made of washable cloth wrapped around specialized, super-cooling crystals. Once the cloth is soaked in cold water and placed into the refrigerator, it can be placed around the neck to speed up the body's natural evaporation process.

Neck coolers can also be used for medical purposes. By lowering the temperature in the back of the neck, one can reduce the pain associated with headaches. They can also become impromptu first aid tools to place around twisted ankles and other physical aches.

Wearing Neck Coolers and Keeping Them Cold

Once the cooler is around the neck, it should be able to keep the area cool for hours at a time. When the cooling effect has worn off, twist the cloth so the fabric previously against the neck is now facing outwards. Once both sides have been used, the cooler can be buried in an ice chest to give it an extra kick.

Most neck coolers should never be placed directly in the freezer for any period of time. They should never be worn while swimming (in either salt or fresh water) and they must be air dried, not machine dried. When storing them, they should be placed in a cool, dry location. Never store coolers without allowing them to dry completely; otherwise, they may develop mold.