20 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 20 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.

Old Books – There are a few people that just love the smell of a dusty old book, but not everyone does. Put one of the offending books in a bag with a few packets of silica gel and the smell will disappear.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.