Alternative Uses for Silica Gel Packets

These little packets use to always get thrown out.  But then one day I figured that there had to be a way for me to reuse them.  I was through empty boxes of shoes in my closet and fished out all these packets. But… as I went to toss them, part of me got to thinking….. I wonder if anyone uses these for “OTHER” stuff.  That happens to me with many things. I mean they serve a purpose and ….then what?

So I went on a mission of enlightenment and I found a bunch of awesome useful information.  First ….what is Silica Gel?  Silica gel is a desiccant which means it absorbs and holds water vapor.  It can adsorb about 40 percent of its weight in moisture and can take the relative humidity in a closed container down to about 40 percent.

Once saturated, you can reuse silica gel by heating it above 300 degrees in the oven.  You can find a step by step of how to do this here. 

Cell Phone Emergency.   It happens to the best of us, one day you will drop your phone in the sink, in the toilet, in a pot while you are cooking and trying to take a picture (admit, we won’t judge).  In the 1 second that passes before you can fish your phone out, your stomach drops and you start to to do the math in your head to see if you can get a cheap upgrade through your carrier or how much a new one will cost.  Well if you GOOGLE  what to do in these cases, most results will come back tell you to put your phone in rice.   

But another remedy is to use Silica Gel Packets.  Popular Mechanics has a great article that will take you step by step on how to save your phone and it recommends using silica gel packets. 

Protect your Photographs/Important Documents.  We want to makes sure our important photographs and documents are protected.   These amazing little packets help photographs, stamp collections, and documents be protected from spotting, staining and cracking.  Just place a few silica packets in the box/container where you keep them.

Crafts.  Since Silica Gel absorbs moisture you can use the packets to speed up the drying process if you like to dry your own flowers for arrangements or crafts.  All you need to do is place the flowers in a paper bag with a few  packets.  Same thing with fabrics, if you like to sew, or use fabric for crafting – just keep a few of the silica packets with the fabric in a plastic or Ziploc bag.  This helps keep the moisture out and your fabrics in great condition. 

Pet Food.   We all love a bargain, and its usually cheaper to buy pet food in bulk.  To keep your stash from getting soggy, place the pet food in a bin and tape a few packets to the lid.  

Windows and Windshields.   There is nothing worse then trying to drive and having your windshield fog up on you!  Not only annoying but dangerous because it can reduce your area of vision.  To help maintain a clear windshield, keep some packets in your car, especially the dashboard area.At home, if you notice moisture building up in between your window panes, place some silica packets on the window sill to help absorb this moisture. 

Razors.  To prolong the life of those razors we score for free or dirt cheap, blot the excess water from them after use and store them in a container…rubbermaid, tupperware…with a few packets.  This will help combat oxidation on the blade.

Funk – that SMELL!    If you go to the gym you know what I’m talking about.  You open up your gym bag and BAM straight in your face the stench of gym funk.  You can avoid this by throwing a few silica gel packets into your gym bag.  They help prevent the odor/funk producing bacteria from living in your bag.