Winco is a great store chain in the west coast area. When you visit one of their locations, you can find lots of products for cheap prices. But do they sell dry ice?
Winco sells dry ice all year round. They hold it on-site at all locations, and it is sold for $1.98 per pound. Winco is based in Boise, Idaho and they have other locations in 10 states. For people living on the west coast of the United States, getting dry ice at a Winco location is easy.
There are many uses for dry ice, and there are also safety measures you should practice when using dry ice. For information on that and more about dry ice at Winco, read on.
Dry Ice at Winco
Dry ice is a fun item to buy for science experiments and for parties. During October, Halloween parties are abundant and it is fun to use dry ice in a punch bowl for a cool smoky effect. Getting dry ice, however, can be a difficult task. Not all stores sell dry ice, but luckily, Winco does.
How Much Is Dry Ice at Winco?
At Winco, dry ice is sold for $1.98 per pound. This price doesn't vary for stores in different locations, and all locations sell dry ice year-round.
Where To Find Dry Ice In Winco?
To buy dry ice at Winco, you have to go up to a manager or other employee and ask to buy dry ice. They will have an associate go to the back where they safely store dry ice away from customers. Then, they will bring you the desired amount of dry ice that you want. Winco sells dry ice by the pound, so when you go to the associate or manager, they will ask you how much you would like. Tell them the amount and they will simply bring it out to you. This is for everyone's safety.
Where Would Dry Ice Be
Dry ice is in the back storage area of Winco and it is stored safely. Because dry ice is dangerous to handle, they keep it in the back so that customers do not harm themselves when trying to handle it. This means you can't find dry ice in any aisle or next to where they sell bags of ice. Ask an associate for dry ice and they will safely bring it to you.
How To Find Out If Your Local Winco Store Has Dry Ice For Sale
Dry ice does not go on sale at Winco. The price for dry ice and regular ice is the same all year round. If you are looking for dry ice that's on sale at different locations, you will find that all stores that sell dry ice keep it at the same price all year round. Even if you go to multiple different Winco locations, the price will always be the same.
Why Doesn't Winco Always Have Dry Ice
Winco always sells dry ice. If they do not have dry ice in store, that is because they ran out and they won't have any until the next shipment comes into their store. Then, they can restock on dry ice and other products. At the end of the year during different festive holiday parties, people often buy dry ice. It is sold in high demand in October for Halloween parties. As stated above, it is fun to add to drinks because it creates a smoky effect. People also use it for fog machines to create a cool misty effect on the floor.
Uses for Dry Ice
Dry ice has many uses that are both practical and fun. But, it is not always safe to use dry ice, so whenever you use it, make sure you are taking the necessary safety precautions that will help protect you and others from harm.
Dry ice is used for transporting cold products. If you are transporting ice cream then the best way to keep it cold for hours on end is with dry ice. Regular ice and ice packs will melt, but dry ice will keep frozen things colder for longer. Dry ice can be great for long road trips if you need to keep items frozen for a long period of time.
It is also used for fun at parties! Putting in a small chunk of dry ice into a punch bowl of a fun drink will elevate the party to new heights.
It can also be used to make a foggy mist. On broadway, fog machines use dry ice and they can create a cool spooky scene using dry ice to set the mood. It is also fun when homeowners use fog machines at Halloween for trick or treaters! Parents with friends like to sit outside talking while handing out candy and adding dry ice into the mix to create fog makes for a fun night. Plus, it is really cool for kids to walk through fun mystery fog.
Another practical use is in labs. Scientists use dry ice for freezing samples and preserving their evidence. Medical professionals use it for the same reasons as well and they constantly use dry ice for various behind-the-scenes work.
How to Safely Handle Dry Ice
Dry ice is carbon dioxide in solid form. To help you further understand why it is dangerous, here is a little background about it. Basically, humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Therefore, if you breathe in too much of that dry ice fog you can potentially die from a lack of oxygen.
Dry ice is also extremely cold. To make carbon dioxide into its solid form, it is frozen at -109 degrees Farenheight. So if you touch it without gloves or tools, you can get a burn. Normally when you think of burns it is from heat, but extremely cold temperatures can cause burns as well.
Now that you understand that dry ice is bad to breathe in and bad to touch, it is time to learn how to best handle it.
Firstly, use gloves. This means thick. winter and heavy-duty gloves, not latex gloves. This way if you touch the dry ice for a second or two, you won't get injured. But, this is just a precaution in case you drop the dry ice onto your hand.
Do not simply use gloves and nothing else to handle dry ice. Use a big serving spoon or tongs to move ice to and from containers. This way, you can protect yourself and you can move the ice precisely where you want it to go. Make sure you are always safe and do not have dry ice open around kids. It is important to keep yourself and others safe.
