17 Ingenious Ways To Use Silica Gel That You Never Knew 

Often found in the bottom of shoe boxes and in dry food packets, silica gel packets are commonly looked at as small nuisances that provide no additional purpose other than to get themselves thrown into the nearest waste bin upon opening up the new shoes you bought today. However, contrary to popular belief, silica gel packets actually do have several other uses, as these tiny bags of gel have water resisting properties.

The following bullet points list 17 ingenious Ways To Use Silica Gel That You Never Knew , that you’ve probably never heard of before, but can now take advantage of instead of tossing them the moment you find them stuck to the inside of your beef jerky bag.

 

1. Razor Blades –
   Razor blades do not often last very long, and are replaced frequently as the blades get dull, but also due to the amount of moisture that they are exposed to. In order to extend their overall lifetime, locking away your razor blades after usage and dabbing them dry with a few silica gel packets can reduce the risk of moisture-inflicted razor blade loss, and thereby lengthen how long you have them.
2. Prevent Water from Ruining a Cell Phone –
   Similar to the way that rice works to absorb the water your phone may have been subjected to, silica gel packets work in the same way. Cover your phone in them after a nasty encounter with water, seal it away, and wait at least twenty-four hours before powering your phone back on.
3. Cameras –
   Cameras are used to document memories in picture form. As such, should you go from a cold climate to a warmer one, your camera might be exposed to condensation that could leave marks across the lens, or affect the camera’s internal mechanisms. By taking out the memory card, battery, and even the lens if possible, place the remaining parts of your camera with silica gel packets, and the condensation will be dried away.
4. Waterproof Cameras –
   Although underwater cameras are pretty nifty, and are acclaimed for being able to actually work under any type of water, condensation can ruin the lens with marks. By keeping silica gel packets close by, you are able to suck out all of the additional moisture before it can cause damage.
5. Wet Clothes –
   Typically after a vacation or day at a friend’s pool, we get to pack away a bag full of soaked clothes, and it’s never fun dealing with them when you get home. By throwing some silica gel packets mixed in with your wet items, they can absorb some of the moisture and make the job a lot less difficult.
6. Priceless Pictures –
   Don’t take the chance of cherished images getting wet – store a few gel packets wherever you keep your photos so that they aren’t at the risk of water damage.
7. Fabric –
   Do you sew or knit, or just have a lot of clothes lying around? Keep them from becoming moist, and possibly damaged, by putting a few silica gel packets mixed into your drawers, or wherever you contain your fabrics.
8. Flowers –
   It is a common hobby to dry and press flowers, but the process of doing so can be a bit time-consuming. Storing them with silica gel packets will make it go by much more quickly.
9. Vitamins and Medicine Tablets –
   Silica gel packets are often stored with this initially, as it helps retain freshness and to prevent mold and deterioration. Make sure to keep them together, as the removal of these helpful packets could keep them from living as long as they should.
10. Important Documents and Papers –
    Just like everything else on the list, in order to refrain from unfortunate water damage, keep your silica gel packets and your important documents and papers in the same drawer.
11. Makeup –
    With the ability to fight off moisture, silica gel packets can be sealed in with your makeup bag to maintain dryness and no messy makeup disasters.
12. Jewelry –
    Keeping jewelry dry will keep it from tarnishing or deteriorating. Slip a few packets into the bottom of your jewelry box and keep them from retaining any additional moisture.
13. Glass –
    It’s not uncommon for glass, especially windows and windshields, to have condensation, especially in the colder months of the year. To keep this from damaging them, keep a few packets stored in your windowsills or on the dashboard of your vehicle.
14. Pet Food –
    Whenever you’ve had your pet food for a long time, or you have large amounts of it, it can gain moisture faster. By storing it in a plastic bin, you can preserve the parts that have begun to get soggy by sliding a few silica gel packets in with them. Just make sure not to accidentally feed them to your animals (though they are nontoxic for them)!
15. Luggage –
    Anything could happen on a vacation, and the last thing you want is for your luggage to get damp and gross. This could lead to mildewing, but can be prevented by sticking a few gel packets in with your clothes to retain their freshness throughout the trip.
16. Gardening –
    You might be an expert at gardening, and as such store seeds for the upcoming harvest. In order to keep them fresh, store them in a sealed container with silica gel packets. Thankfully, not many of the packets are necessary to keep out moisture, so even one or two can go a long way.
17. Pumpkins and Squash –
    Commonly known for molding and rotting fast, this can be prevented by breaking open a silica gel packet and using the beads inside. Push them into the outer layer of the pumpkin or squash and help them to thrive through the winter months.

Now, instead of tossing your silica gel packets every time you receive them, you can take the knowledge from the above list, and use them for more than keeping the bottom of your trashcan fresh.

 

If you can think of any more Ingenious Ways To Use Silica Gel then let me know below in the comments…