Life hacks Handy uses for silica gel packets - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Life Life hacks Handy uses for silica gel packets By Kanika Banwait - August 12, 2022 Silica gel is one of those things that you come across all the time, without ever really thinking about why it’s there. Little packets of silica gel can often be found inside the packaging of anything from clothes and handbags to furniture. You may have even collected a few from the lateral flow Covid test kits too. They’re included because silica gel is a drying agent, which stops moisture from damaging products. But what do you do with it once you’ve opened the product and seen the little silica packets fall out? We must admit, we’ve been throwing them away without a second thought… until now. Getty Images Consumer group Which? shared a video on Instagram showing all the handy uses for silica gel packets around the house, and it’s a serious game-changer. The first suggestion for the small packets is to place a couple in your toolbox, to prevent tools from rusting. You can also prevent razors from getting rusty by putting a packet alongside them. Do you get condensation on the inside of your windows? Place a couple of packets on the windowsill to help capture excess moisture. This works to keep mould away from natural fibres like seeds and paper, too. For example, to protect documents and photographs, you can tuck a packet or two inside a folder where they’re kept. You can even keep your gym kit or sports bag smells at bay with a couple of silica gel packets stashed in there – a very handy tip to know! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Which? (@whichuk) Followers of Which? were impressed with the nifty tips and shared their own handy uses for silica gel. ‘I tape to the bottom of my food waste bin, good for dealing with bin juice,’ one person wrote. Another commented: ‘I used them to dry flowers! Leave flowers to air dry for a couple of weeks, then store them in a shoebox with these sachets.’ The initial video was so popular that Which? created a second video containing their followers’ suggestions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Which? (@whichuk) Dropped your phone or watch in some water? Place it in a bag with a silica gel packet to dry it out! Other suggestions include using them to stop silver tarnishing, help clear your car windscreen when it’s humid, and prevent mould in tent bags. Remember though, it’s important to keep silica gel packets well away from children and pets, and they must never be eaten. Silica gel is chemically inert, which means it won’t break down in the body and can cause poisoning. Also, because it won’t break down, it can cause choking if swallowed – so be careful! READ MORE: The clever ways to make use of leftover Gü pots RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Everything we know about The Crown season 5 Aldi s exercise equipment is on sale with up to 50% off The best Halloween events for 2022 across the UK Popular in Life The You magazine team reveal their New Year s resolutions December 31, 2021 Susannah Taylor The TLC tools your body will love January 23, 2022 How to stop living in fear February 6, 2022 Susannah Taylor My pick of the fittest leggings February 27, 2022 Women’ s Prize for Fiction 2022 winner announced June 17, 2022 These BBC dramas are returning for a second series June 30, 2022 Susannah Taylor gives the lowdown on nature s little helper – CBD April 17, 2022 The baby names that are banned across the world April 27, 2022 The Queen has released her own emojis May 26, 2022 Sally Brompton horoscopes 27th June-3rd July 2022 June 26, 2022 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved