We have all found the little white silica gel sachets in a new bag or a box of new shoes. But ever wondered what they are and what they are for?
According to Wikipedia silica gel is a granular, vitreous, porous form of silicon dioxide made synthetically from sodium silicate. Silica gel is tough and hard; it is more solid than common household gels like gelatin or agar. It is a naturally occurring mineral that is purified and processed into either granular or beaded form. As a desiccant, it has an average pore size of 2.4 nanometers and has a strong affinity for water molecules.
Silica gel is most commonly encountered in everyday life as beads in a small (typically 2 x 3 cm) paper packet. In this form, it is used as a desiccant to control local humidity to avoid spoilage or degradation of some goods.
There are other uses of the little packets, so try these out before you throw them out:
• Rescue your water damaged phone
It’s happened to everyone. The electrical device we once treated so carefully has somehow ended up in a cup of tea, in the sink, or even worse, in the toilet. This event was at one time a complete disaster, warranting an expensive replacement of the device, and an embarrassing story to relay to friends and family when they notice your forced upgrade.
Those days, however, are no more once you have saved up a few silica sachets. Simply turn off your water damaged item, remove the battery and pop the lot in a bowl full of the magic packets overnight. The silica gel will absorb the water, and you should be left with a bone-dry item by the morning. Put the now dry item back together, and the item should spring back into life once more, ready for the next splash.
• Store seeds for next year’s garden
Anybody with even a passing interest in gardening will relate to the horror of searching through the greenhouse or garage for a packet of the seeds that came up so well last year, only to find that the mould has set in and destroyed your precious plants. One of the most ingenious uses of silica gel sachets is in their ability to keep seeds dry all year round.
This handy trick will enable you to recycle the same packs of seed time and again. Your garden will remain lovely year on year.
• Keep your razor blades fresh for longer
Have you ever wondered if there was a way to keep your razor blades crisp and fresh, even after they’ve been used a couple of times? Somewhat surprisingly, water can actually damage the razor blades by allowing corrosion to set in. For this reason, most users tend to wipe the blades dry after use, but this is not always enough to arrest corrosion as plenty of water still remains between the blades where a simple wipe cannot reach.
Silica gel sachets to the rescue once again. Lay your razor on its own silica gel pillow after wiping and any excess moisture will be removed by the beads. This handy trick is not only useful around the home, but those who travel may also find use for this information, as razors will last much longer if stored in a case along with a few packets of silica gel.
• Keep car condensation at bay
Don’t you hate it when you get into the car on a rainy day, turn the heat on, and suddenly every window becomes cloudy with condensation? Not only is this annoying, it is also dangerous. Being unable to see through a window laden with condensation reduces your ability to observe the road, making you more prone to accidents than would otherwise be the case.
What is the solution to this dangerous and unpleasant problem? Enter, silica gel sachets. Leaving a few of the packets along the dashboard of the car will help to keep the condensation at bay, freeing you to keep focussed on the road without having to worry about wiping the wind shield at every turn. This tip also works for the back window, but it’s worth noting that placing silica sachets around the back passenger windows is ill-advised due to the hazard they pose to children if swallowed.
• Freshen your gym bag
It’s all to easy for a frequently used gym bag to pick up a rather unpleasant odour. This is most often not due to body odour, but is the result of moist clothes and shoes being left in the bag for a few hours during a commute or before you get the chance to empty the bag. This problem can be mitigated dramatically by making use of a few strategically placed silica gel packets.
Simply tossing the packets into the bag, however, is unlikely to yield satisfactory results, as the tiny sachets are likely to get lost or damaged as the contents are removed and replaced. Instead, a few sachets inside a small box or plastic container in which you have made a few holes will keep your bag fresh without causing the added concern of damaged silica granules becoming lodged in your gym clothes. Replace the sachets every so often, and your gym bag will be smelling of roses in no time.
• Keep your silver sparkling
Have you noticed that silverware, no matter how meticulously polished, manages to lose its lustre after only a few weeks in the cupboard? Storage in a moist area can encourage this process to proceed even more quickly, making you wonder if it is even worth the hassle of keeping sentimental items of silverware on display at all.
A major cause of silver tarnishing is the presence of moisture in the air, thus making removal of this moisture from the air a priority when keeping your silverware shining. Make sure to lock away a few silica sachets within your silverware cupboard to absorb the moisture and keep your metallic items looking fresher for longer. The same goes for storage of your silverware; pack a sachet in along with every item you wish to store, and the dreadful tarnish will be kept away even during storage in less than ideal conditions.
