40 Reasons Not To Throw Out Silica Gel Packets
You know those little packets of get beads that come in seemingly everything you buy? This is silica gel, and it’s actually in your package for a reason. They can help keep shoes, medicines, and many other things fresh. We know that, when you find them, the first thought is likely about where the nearest garbage can is. But it turns out silica gel has great absorbing powers and is extremely useful!
They can do a lot more than keep medicine dry and new shoes moisture-free. Silica gel packets are more than just garbage fodder. From keeping food fresh to protecting your phone from water, these packets might be able to help you out. Read on to discover just some of the many other uses for these nifty little packets.
Save your important documents
We all have important documents stored in some corner of the house out of sight. This may leave the damage unnoticed until it’s too late. You don’t need to do too much. Just store them in whatever way you prefer and throw in some silica.
The biggest concern is that they are exposed to moist air. Keep them safe by throwing in a few silica gel packs into your storage bin or file folder, which will keep those documents protected for as long as you need them!
Keep your silver jewelry good as new
With this simple tip, you’ll be able to keep your silver jewelry shiny and new. All you need is a few silica gel packets that can help prevent the tarnishing process by absorbing moisture from the air around your jewelry.
Keeping your silver jewelry in a cool, dry place can help prevent it from tarnishing and needing to be polished. If you put some silica gel packs alongside your items, they don’t need cleaning as frequently. This is much easier than polishing!
DIY silica gel packs at home
Silica gel packs are an excellent way to draw humidity out of the air so you can store your valuables safely. Making your own silica gel packs is easy, allowing you to make them cute or scented if you wish.
Luckily for DIYers, a homemade silica pack at home does not require too many craft supplies. You can accomplish this with nothing more than loose beads and some tea bags or coffee filters. And then add wherever else is needed, like scented oils.
Keep them in your camera bag
As we all know, camera equipment is expensive and prone to damage. However, you can prevent moisture from building in with some care and save your camera lens and other equipment for longer use. Another win for silica packets!
Protect your camera equipment from the harmful effects of humidity, dust, and debris by storing some silica gel packets in your camera bag. These will keep your lenses clean and free from fogging in the bag and will save you money on replacements.
Store them with photos
Put your family photos in albums with silica gel packs to keep them looking great. Over time, these pictures can get blurry and faded; the best way to preserve their quality is with a pack that absorbs humidity between uses.
This way, you can enjoy your photos for a longer time. The silica will also prevent them from developing any unruly spots and patterns. We all know the tragedy of damaged photos, and thankfully, now we know how to prevent it!
Save your Christmas ornaments
Like most of us, you probably have special ornaments from childhood. To keep your special holiday ornaments safe, shiny, and pristine, use some silica gel packs to store them. They’re great for preserving your holiday decorations from fading and crumbling with moisture.
Tossing a couple of silica gel packs in the storage bo will keep all your ornaments nice, crisp, and dry! This will ensure even the delicate papier-mâché ornaments are protected from moisture even after a whole year of storage.
Put silica gel in your phone case
You’ve been sufficiently informed that silica gel packets are shockingly effective at preventing moisture build-up, and it’s pretty simple to use them. They can keep your phone dry too! Slip a packet between your phone case and the back of your device.
This prevents any amount of water from getting into the cracks where all that valuable technology is stored. And if there ever was an unfortunate accident involving liquid damage? Just pop out those silica packs so they can absorb some more!
Reuse old silica gel packs again
Silica gel packets are super useful, but they do lose their effectiveness over time. Keep them in a hot oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit until the silica beads turn blue again, and then store them inside an airtight Ziploc bag.
You can use these after they are cooled down and dry. With this simple hack, you will not have to buy silica gel packs again and again. This simple hack will restore the drying abilities of the beads, and they will be good as new.
Store embossing powders with them
Embossing powders are prone to clumping and going bad due to the presence of moisture. This, of course, depends on the way you store them. We found this simple silica hack to keep them workable and clump-free for longer.
To make the embossing powders last longer, keep silica gel packets in your supply box. Silica gel will prevent clumping and absorb moisture for a clean design. You’ll not have to worry anymore about getting new ones each time.
Absorb odor from dirty clothes
Your hamper might be a smelly place full of dirty clothes, but you can keep your clothes smelling nice by keeping silica gel with them. To avoid getting stinky between laundry days, use this hack and prevent odors before they start!
Place a few silica gel packs at the bottom of your hamper. The small crystal packets will absorb and eliminate odors from stinky, dirty clothes until you have time for laundry day! In addition, your clothes will be easier to clean.
Keep your geocache stuff moisture-free
Interested in geocaching? This exciting outdoor activity has gained popularity in recent years. While it’s fun, geocache containers are often left outside, sometimes for days or weeks at a time. Sometimes the items inside get damaged. You can guess the solution!
To avoid mold and moisture damage to your newfound objects, use silica gel packs instead of storing them with other materials that can retain water, like paper towels! These packs will keep your stuff clean and undamaged, and you’ll be free to do more geocaching!
Prevent musty smell from an undriven car
If you have a car that sits in your garage because it’s not driven often, place some silica packets in the glove box and trunk to prevent musty odors from developing. This will also decrease the risk of mold and musty-smelling odors in your car.
Placing them under seats will help dry out any dampness or condensation as well. You may keep these in the glove compartments and side storage places to prevent odors, even if you drive your car regularly. It never hurts to keep moisture out!
Save your craft supplies
Some crafting supplies are very fragile and need to be kept in ideal conditions to be usable. Think of your yarn, constriction paper, and anything made of metal, like needles or thimbles. Who wants to replace these items regularly, right?
Because they prevent moisture, silica gel packs can prevent rusting from metallic crafting items such as wires and beads. You can place these little packs inside your storage containers for delicate fabric or paper items to keep them from getting damaged by humidity.
Keep them with gardening seeds
Consider using silica gel packs if you have any extra flowers, veggies, or plant seeds that will not be used immediately and are worried about them going bad due to excess moisture in the storage environment. Yes, it even works for organic items!
These small packets of crystals can absorb up to 40% of their weight in water molecules, so they help prevent the flower, veggie, and plant seed from getting moldy. You can plant these seeds later in their season, or next season, or whenever!
Dry and press flowers
Flowers are small and delicate, and dried flowers are a bit sturdier. As a result, they’re perfect for arts and crafts projects. Dry out the flowers with silica gel packets to maintain their color without compromising on size or shape or breaking them.
Place a handful of dry flower petals in a bowl along with several hydrated crystals inside it; then wait up to six hours before taking them back out again! This hack will beautifully dry the flowers without affecting their vibrant touch.
Protect important collectible items
As a collector, it is important to store collectibles like rare baseball cards with some moisture-absorbing packets. These silica gel packets will preserve and extend the life of your valuable items in great condition by removing any excess water from them.
This is the perfect time to take out your rare baseball cards or any other valuable items that you may have stowed away somewhere in the house. Using the silica packets will ensure that they don’t rust and decay over time.
Store with your camping gear
To protect your camping gear from trapping moisture, store it in a large container and include some silica gel packets. When you fold up tents or sleeping bags, there can be pooled water, which the packs will help get rid of.
Because silica packs remove water vapor and humidity from the tents or sleeping bags, you do not have to worry about trapped moisture or any bad odors the next time you unpack your gear. This hack will make your camping easier.
Stash some silica in your medicine cabinet
Sometimes your medicines may not even expire but go bad due to moisture. This may lead to a smelly cupboard and affect the effectiveness of other medicines. The key is to prevent moisture and temperature changes from affecting the medicines.
So don’t throw away the silica packets in your medicines, and throw a few more loose ones into the cabinet. They will help keep all of your medicines and vitamins – even the ones with packets in the bottle – preserved for longer periods of time.
Place in your boots and shoes
Wearing your shoes for a long time may make them smelly from all the sweat absorption. This may not even get removed after putting deodorants and washing them. However, silica will save you from embarrassment next time you wear those shoes.
Before storing your shoes, put a few silica gel packets in each of them. This will absorb the odors that result from everyday wear from the inside of your shoes, so they don’t stay musty or smelly while sitting in your closet!
Preserve books from moisture
To eliminate the musty smell in old books, place some silica gel packets inside or behind them on a bookshelf. Books can develop this odor simply due to age, and while some people like the smell, using silica packets will prevent the books from getting water damage.
You may also keep silica packs behind your book collection in bookcases and boxes to ensure no moisture build-up. This way, you can protect your old vintage books and study material with these packs. Keeping them intact longer is more important than old book smell, right?
Keep them inside DVD cases
This is, of course, for those who still have CDs and DVDs. We’re not judging. When it gets humid, the discs are likely warped, which means they won’t play smoothly without skipping parts due to discoloration or scratches, making it very hard for you!
Silica gel is a must-have for anyone living in humid areas. Just pop a few packets in your disc cases, and this will also prevent that musty smell. This would work for your record collection by placing a few on each shelf of your record cabinet.
Protect hearing aids from moisture
Hearing aids are necessary for many, and it may get expensive to buy new ones when they stop working. To prevent them from going bad and ensuring the machinery works for a long time, keep them away from moisture and heat.
Store them with a few silica gel packs to keep them dry. They will help absorb moisture, which allows your device to operate efficiently for as long as possible and keep your hearing up to par! This should also prevent you from needing to replace them as often.
Prevent and remove window condensation
With a few simple steps, you can prevent your windows from forming condensation and the resulting mold. If they are prone to moisture build-up on the glass, place some silica gel packets in a bowl and position them on the window sill.
The tiny beads will help absorb that excess humidity so that there are no visible water droplets or fogging of glasses when viewing outwards through them. You’ll be able to enjoy the view outside even in winters or muggy summer days.
Keep in your closets
Silica gel packs in your closets help prevent clothes, towels, and linens from smelling like musty mildew. They also keep the belongings inside of them odor- and moisture-free! Your clothes will be fresh even in humid environments or in old cabinets.
No one likes clothes or items that smell bad, so use silica gel packs to avoid this situation. You can put these packets into every closet or drawer you have at home for a healthy environment where no unpleasant odors will be present.
Prevent powdered detergent from clumping
The secret to keeping your powdered detergent clump-free is simple. Just add a few silica gel packs. They’re available at most stores near the laundry aisle, and they prevent the powder from forming lumps and affecting its cleaning efficiency.
This will make it easy for you to use all of that laundry soap before it falls out in huge clumps and you have to buy more! Apart from this, keep the detergent in an airtight container to ensure it stays dry and away from moisture.
Keep inside out-of-season purses
Do you have a purse that’s stuck in storage for chunks of time? We all have more than a few bags that are not in style throughout the year. With this nifty trick, you can keep your out-of-season purses fresh and damage-free.
Place some silica gel packets inside before storing them away to prevent mold and odor build-up. When the time comes for its next use, it will smell clean as new! This will also help in preventing moisture damage to the insides.
Add some silica gel to your gym bag
If you don’t want your gym clothes to smell bad, add some silica gel packets at the bottom of your bag. Just like with your shoes, they will help keep the sweat and humidity from lingering and making your gym gear smell.
You are preventing any unpleasant smells from coming out because they will be absorbed before anything else gets released! This will especially help if you’re the type that forgets to take their dirty clothes out as soon as you get home.
Store your makeup with silica packets
If you stay in a humid area or if your makeup is exposed to humidity often, like when you’re out and about, it’s best to keep some silica gel packets with powdery products. This will help them last longer and prevent clumping!
You can easily extend the life of your makeup by keeping a few silica gel packets in your drawer. These are especially great for powdered products like compacts, eyeshadows, bronzers, and blushes because they help prevent moisture from damaging these items.
Put them near your sewing station
If you are a sewer, make sure to keep your pins and needles dry by placing silica gel packs near them. These packets can help prevent rust from forming on the surface of metal objects that may get wet over time.
With this incredible hack, you can save your sewing supplies such as sewing equipment like scissors or thimbles; it will also ensure the fabric stays in good condition and does not develop any blotchiness and that your sewing hobby stays fun!
Store in unused luggage
You won’t need to worry about your suitcases and luggage items smelling musty when you store them away. When not in use, you can still protect them with silica gel to reduce or even prevent mold growth that occurs with lack of use.
Therefore, instead of letting your luggage sit around and accumulate dust, stuff a silica gel packet in each piece before you stow them away. These gels absorb moisture inside the suitcases to maintain their quality when not in use for an extended period of time.
Add some to your tacklebox
There is a way to prevent rusting of your equipment while keeping them safe in the same container for all you fishermen out there. Silica gel packets absorb moisture which will keep away corrosion. Toss these packs into your fishing box in between trips.
This will keep your fishing essentials safe in the garage or basement. Even after months, you’ll avoid having rusty hooks or lures! You can get to fishing without investing in new items again to replace the rusty ones as often.
Prevent over-watered plants from dying
This useful hack honestly surprised us. Dampen your plant’s soil too much, and the roots will start to rot. Here’s an easy way to fix this problem fast! Place a couple of silica gel packets on top of the soil.
You might have some lying around at home from another purchase, such as shoes and bags. This hack will save your over-watered plants from dying out completely! Meanwhile, it will absorb all the extra liquid while still giving enough oxygen.
Save the dishwasher detergent
To prevent the clumping of dishwashing detergent, add a silica gel packet to your supply. A great hack for preventing any sticky messes caused by powdered dishwasher detergents. This trick will ensure all those soapy suds work their best without rendering them useless.
Rather than using a dishwashing detergent that is guaranteed to clump, you may also use one with an included silica gel packet. Doing so will prevent the risk of it getting lumpy and save you money on this household necessity.
Protect your guitars from humidity
Silica gel packs are a great hack for guitar players who want to prevent their instruments from getting seriously damaged by humidity. Playing the guitar will cause it to release moisture, so place some silica gel packs in its case.
These will absorb any moisture and prevent humidity from affecting its wood or strings, keeping them in perfect shape for you! This hack is a must for serious musicians who know how damaging moisture is for their delicate instruments.
Prevent rusting of tin cans
As we have shown you, silica gel packets are an effective way to prevent rust from forming on metal, including tin. Tin cans can be extremely useful, but it does not take much time for moisture to start rusting them.
Keep silica get packets with your cans in your kitchen cabinet so they can stay useful. They are especially helpful if you like to reuse your tin cans or have other soft metal containers you use for any kind of storage.
Preserve expensive antique silverware
Preserving your expensive antique silverware has never been easier, thanks to this simple trick. Whether it’s a family heirloom or an extravagant treat, you’ll be able to ensure that these utensils and serving dishes stay in prime condition for years.
All you have to do is add some silica gel inside the box with the silverware pieces. This will prevent them from tarnishing or developing uneven patches. You’ll be able to enjoy your antique utensils for longer in between polishings.
Keep welding rods free from moisture
If you want to keep your welding rods dry, pack them with a silica gel pack. Since they absorb moisture, store these little packets in between layers of steel. Welding rods are essential pieces of equipment, and you wouldn’t want any to go to waste!
You may also use this hack to store metals for a long time or carry around your metal tools on work trips! This way, you can easily prevent your welding rods from rusting and also scratching each other, and causing damage.
Store with your seasonal wear with silica gel
Treat your wool sweaters and jackets to a summer vacation by storing them with silica gel packets. Prevent clothes from becoming musty when not in season by keeping some of these on hand to store in the closet or drawer with these items.
This method is perfect for seasonal clothing that you store in compact spaces! You will not have to worry about your clothes developing fungus, patchy spots, or any discoloration due to humidity in the storage. Your sweaters and jackets will be good as new come winter.
Ensure nails in the toolbox are rust-free
When you’re looking for ways to keep your nails and screws rust-free, look no further than your toolbox. This nifty hack is great in keeping the moisture away by absorbing it. The best place for these little gems is inside each large compartment of your toolbox.
Not only are they great places to store them if you do carpentry for fun or work, or if you’re the fixer in your house. It’s also perfect because they’ll prevent any metals from getting rusty – which is especially useful if you live somewhere with high humidity.
Keep inside your laptop bag
Add a silica gel packet or two inside your computer case to ensure your laptop is safe from moisture damage. This hack will keep the internal air of your laptop bag humidity-free so that it can function properly and prevent any damage to delicate circuitry.
You may also use this method to dry the insides of your laptop if you have accidentally spilled water or coffee on it. This hack will also ensure your laptop and case stay in good working condition for a long time.