How to Make Fog Juice: An Easy Two-Ingredient Option

Tired of paying for fog fluids and wondering about their toxicity? Then it’s time to make your own DIY fog juice. While it seems like something complicated that needs a lot of chemical ingredients, you’ll be surprised by how simple the basic substance is.

The homemade haze fluid only contains two ingredients that you can buy at a pharmacy and a grocery store.

I’ve made a detailed tutorial on how to make fog juice since it creates an easy yet impressive special effect. You may need it for a party, a movie clip, or just to create a mysterious atmosphere while dining. Choose your reason or add your own, this two-ingredient fog can become your special “thing”.

Two Types of Fog Juice: Specifics and Ingredients

First of all, ask yourself “Do I want the fog to rise or fall?”.

If you want it to rise, you’ll need:

• Distilled water
• Glycerin

As to the water, make sure you buy distilled bottled water at a drugstore or a grocery store. This type of water is purified and won’t leave residue in your fog machine. Mineral or tap water will clog it up over time. Minerals are good for our bodies, but when it comes to machines, the buildup in pipes or even the main container will lower its longevity by much.

If you want the fog to fall, you’ll need:

• Distilled water
• Dry ice

If using a fogging machine, buy distilled water for the mix. But in this case, you may not need the machine at all, therefore, any water will be fine. As to the dry ice, I can’t recommend any specific type, the regular one should be fine. Be careful while handling it, though, as dry ice can give you frostbite if you don’t wear gloves.

In this tutorial, I will mostly focus on the first type of fog fluid since it’s the most versatile. But you can find more information on the dry ice fog in the Pro Tips section.

Step 1: Gathering the Ingredients and Containers

Let’s round-up the list. You need:

● Distilled water
● Pure glycerin (veggie-based is the best)
● A measuring cup
● A bottle to store the fluid

Make sure you clean the bottle well if there was juice or soda inside before usage.

Step 2: Choosing the Desired Fog Density

The more glycerin you have in the mixture, the thicker the fog will be. But make sure it’s at least 65% water. Here are the approximate ratios I use:

● 65% water and 35% glycerin for very thick fog
● 75%-80% water and 25%-20% glycerin for regular fog
● 85%-90% water and 15%-10% glycerin for light fog

If you pour too much glycerin into the mixture while on the quest for the thickest fog, you may get none at all.

Be sure to only put 15-35% of glycerin.

Also, if you pour the fluid into the fogging machine and feel an unusually burning smell, you must have put too much glycerin. Start with the regular 25% glycerin mixture if you’re doing it for the first time. This was my first successful fog fluid, and unless it’s Halloween, I use this ratio.

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Step 3: Mixing the Ingredients

Mix:

● 2 cups of distilled water
● ½ of a cup (for regular fog) or 1/3 of a cup (for light fog) of pure glycerin

Close the bottle and shake it for about 10-15 seconds. The longer, the better, just make sure that there are no layers left. As a result, you should get a foggy fluid (pun intended) without clear areas.

Step 4: Try the Fog Juice Out

Pour a bit of the fluid into your bought or DIY fogging machine, try the minimum amount at first, and see how it works. If you’re satisfied with the fog density, congratulations! If not, wait for several minutes as it may become denser as the machine warms up. In case you need thicker fog, add a bit more glycerin into the mixture.

Step 5: Store the Fog Fluid Properly

Always pour the unused fog juice out of your machine and store it in a closed container. Don’t expose it to hot or cold temperatures, as well as direct sunlight.

Shake before using the juice again.

If you leave the juice in the fogger, impurities will get there and contaminate the fluid, potentially ruining its properties. Besides, the fog machine may break due to those impurities and dirt accumulation. It has pipes and other tiny elements that shouldn’t get clogged for the proper usage of the device.

Pro Tips

Here you’ll find some useful information I gathered from my own fog-making experience plus some useful sources other enthusiasts recommended to me.

Make fog with dry ice

This is a very easy method to make fog that will descend beautifully and flow on the floor. You need:

• Water
• Dry ice
• A metal, plastic, or Styrofoam container
• Anything to heat water with

Heat the water to about 180F (82C). You can boil it and let cool for a bit. During the whole time, keep the water hot (49-82C). If it gets colder, the fog won’t be as strong, and if water is too hot, the vapor will make it rise up.

Here are the steps:

1. Heat the water (about 4-8 gallons) and pour it in the container
2. Add 5-10 lbs of dry ice, depending on the time you need the fog to emerge (1 lb for 2-3 minutes)
3. Direct the fog with a light fan

That’s it. Make sure, though, you ventilate the room well and don’t allow your pets and small children to be on the floor for a long time. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, and as it evaporates, the amount of CO2 in your room air will increase by much.

Make scented fog

To make scented fog for a party or dinner, add an oil of your choice to the fluid. Make sure it’s not an essential one but is specifically called “fragrance oil”. The ratio is ½ tbsp (about 0.1 oz) per 1L of fog liquid. Here are some ideas for a Halloween party scented fog:

• Rain oil (1/4 of the mixture) + potting soil oil (1/4) + and campfire oil (1/2)
• Cotton candy oil + anise oil
• Pumpkin oil + cedar oil + tall grass oil

Say no to glycol

Beware the warranty

Usually, if you use a DIY fog juice with your machine, the warranty can no longer be applied. So, before pouring your first water-based mixture in, consider checking if your fogging machine needs repair. Also, to make sure, contact the manufacturer and ask them what happens to the warranty if you try and use your own fog fluid.

If you’re using a DIY fogger, there should be no concern.

Pay attention to smoke detection

While fog isn’t smoke, when it rises, a lot of smoke detectors can recognize it as a trigger. To avoid inconveniences, contact the alarm company to consult on using foggers or turn them off for the time of the party. Be sure, though, that there’s no fire danger while the detectors are off. Keep all flammable items safe and keep an eye on the kitchen and electricity sockets.

I recommend switching the alarms off only if you’re absolutely sure there’s no danger. Another way out is to make the fog less dense or use dry ice so it descends and doesn’t get all the way up to the smoke detectors.

Conclusion

I did my best to include all the details into this step-by-step. Make sure you read it all because there are a lot of safety precautions you must follow for the foggy mission to be fully successful. Believe me, I’ve made some mistakes before learning all the intricacies.

Anyways, did you like the tutorial? Do you have something to add or any questions regarding it? Let me know in the comments! Make sure you share this article with your friends! Try making your own fog juice and show me how it goes. And thank you for reading, I wish you fun parties!