SILICA GEL

AFTER READING THIS, YOU WON'T THROW AWAY YOUR SILICA GEL PACK AGAIN.

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.
Because silica gel can have added chemical indicators and absorbs moisture very well, silica gel packets usually bear warnings for the user not to eat the contents.

SILICA GEL PACK

Little packets of silica gel are found in all sorts of products because silica gel is a desiccant -- it adsorbs and holds water vapor. In leather products and foods like pepperoni, the lack of moisture can limit the growth of mold and reduce spoilage. In electronics it prevents condensation, which might damage the electronics. If a bottle of vitamins contained any moisture vapor and were cooled rapidly, the condensing moisture would ruin the pills. You will find little silica gel packets in anything that would be affected by excess moisture or condensation.

SILICA GEL PACKS

Silica gel is nearly harmless, which is why you find it in food products. Silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), is the same material found in quartz. The gel form contains millions of tiny pores that can adsorb and hold moisture. Silica gel is essentially porous sand.
Silica gel can adsorb about 40 percent of its weight in moisture and can take the relative humidity in a closed container down to about 40 percent. Once saturated, you can drive the moisture off and reuse silica gel by heating it above 300 degrees F (150 C).

SILICA GEL PACK

I am sure you have many of these Silica Gel packets from a new purse, shoes, headache medicine, beef jerky or any other random item.  I just received a couple in a new purse yesterday, and I think of them more as a pain, and inconvenience. Especially when I turn my back for 2 seconds and my kitten has somehow pulled one off of the counter and is tearing it to bits.  After my initial panic attack from trying to figure out if my cat had eaten poison, I immediately looked up on the internet to see if I needed to rush her to the vet. 

Fortunately, everything I read said that somehow Silica-Gel is not toxic to pets - cats or dogs. Which is weird since it seems everything is toxic to animals, but I guess not this. However, it is toxic to humans to please keep an eye on your kids or babies. Oh, and my kitten Sophie is fine, in case you were wondering. 

So since I seem to have these around, I wanted to see if there was any use for these packets that could be used to help me for other things. I found quite a few uses. So I was excited to share with all of you!

Keep Underwater Cameras Dry - Waterproof cameras are super fun but sometimes the condensation can end up damaging the camera or leave a fog streak across your lens. Stop this from happening by storing a packet or two of silica-gel packets in the camera case or with the camera. It will dry all of the excess water out. 

Dry Out A Wet Cell Phone - This one is much needed knowledge. How many times have we accidentally dropped our phone in some water like a pool, toilet or the kids or yourself spilled a drink on your phone? It always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here is how you can fix it fast. Remove the battery and any memory cards from the phone, then toss it in a bowl filled with silica gel packets (dry rice will work, too, in an emergency). Leave it there at least overnight before powering it on again.

Stop Camera Condensation - As a blogger, I take my camera everywhere. It is a must for most of us ladies nowadays. Here is a great photography trick to stop lens or camera condensations. If you're taking your camera out into the cold, it can face serious condensation when you bring it back into a warm room. Remove the battery, memory card, and lens if applicable, and place the camera in a bowl of silica gel to suck up the moisture.

Extend the Life Of Razor Blades - Oxidation and moisture is the reason that razor blades fall to pre-mature dulling. A good tip is to keep a Tupperware half full of silica gel near by and after shaving, blot dry your razor and store the razor in the closed Tupperware that has 4 -5 silica gel packets.

Dry Makeup or Travel Bag - If you toss a few packets of silica gels into a Ziplock bag, it has enough water and moisture fighting ability to withstand any spills.

Keep Fabric Dry - If you like to sew, or use fabric for craft projects, keep a few of the silica packets with the fabric in a plastic or Ziplock bag to keep the moisture out.

Wet Vacations Clothes - Sometimes when we go on vacation, there is swimming involved. Most of the time we are enjoying the water up until the vacation is over. The worst is putting wet clothes in your suitcase. Put your clothes or wet towel into a bag with a bunch of silica gels and it will help to remove some of the moisture. The more gel packets the better.

Protect Your Photos - Put silica gel packet in the boxes where you store your photos to keep them safe and dry.

Protect Silver - Moisture can lead to tarnish and corrosion on silver and jewelry. Slip a silica gel packet in your silver chest or jewelry box to keep those items tarnish free and looking great!

Keep Luggage Dry - These tiny packets can do a great job of keeping luggage dry. You can simply toss a few silica gel packets into your luggage to keep it moisture and odor-free. This could really help to extend the life of your luggage.

Gardening - If you save your own seeds for planting next year, storing them so they don't mold is important. Add a silica gel packet to your container, making sure it's airtight. Store the different seeds in small envelopes and then put them all in an airtight container together with the silica gel packet. You only need one per shoe box-sized container.

Pills and Vitamins - You will often find Silica Gel packets enclosed with packets of dried foods, pills, and vitamins. This is because moisture can lead to mold, decomposition, and spoilage of these items. Storing these items with a packet of Silica Gel can help preserve their freshness. Vitamins and pills are often stored in bathrooms, a very humid environment. Moisture can get into the container each time it is opened, which can lead to any coatings being prematurely dissolved.

Protect Documents - Protect personal papers and important documents by putting some gel in a baggie wherever these are stored.

Flowers - If you love to dry flowers, these can be used in a cinch to help the process go faster. Store in a paper bag with the a couple packets.

Windows - If you notice that the windows in your house seem to have formed some condensation in between panes, store some packets on the sill to absorb that moisture. (Be careful of your children with this one.)

Bulk Pet Food - Have you noticed that if you buy a big bag of pet food, it can get soggy? Store your kibble in a bin and tape some silica packs to the bottom of the lid.

Foggy Windshield - Stash some packets away in your car, especially on your dashboard. This will help maintain a clear windshield and leave it less foggy during times of high humidity.

Tip: If your silica gel packets don't seems to be working any more, put them on a newspaper sheet in a 100 degree oven for an hour to recharge! When you're not using the pack, keep them in an airtight container to protect them from surrounding moisture.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER  TO KEEP IT OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

Thanks for reading.