Did you know that sealed boxes can often still get wet on the inside due to various factors, such as condensation, improper sealing, or moisture permeation in the air?
If you've ever been in the unfortunate situation of getting your essential documents, such as tax returns or legal certificates, wet or soiled, even in their sealed boxes, this new TikTok hack might be just for you.
@yvonned736 I'm not sure why my documents were moist even though it was closed up but these silica packs fixed that! #firebox #silicapackets #documentkeeper ♬ Happy - Pharrell Williams
The scoop
One TikTok user, YvonneD (@YvonneD), shared a short video showcasing how she handles moisture buildup in her black box, which contains important documents that shouldn't ever get wet.
She explains a hack to deal with this involving silica packets, which, when placed in a sealed environment, can absorb moisture from the air around them.
This is one of the primary reasons you often find them in packages when delivered to your home, as they help maintain moisture control.
How it's helping
Using silica packs to remove moisture from a sealed environment is a fantastic method for avoiding getting your documents soiled, not just because it works, but also because you can keep doing it repeatedly.
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Even after absorbing moisture, silica packets can be safely reactivated by heating them to release the moisture. A temperature of about 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79.4 degrees Celsius) in an oven often does the trick after about 1-2 hours, or try putting them into a microwave in 30-second intervals until all the moisture is released (indicated by the beads turning orange).
Doing this is a sustainable way to keep any sealed spaces you don't want getting wet dry and ready to use, reducing the amount of silica packets left to waste in landfills.
It's often much better to find ways of reusing items you would normally throw away or decluttering your home to give new purpose to items you are no longer using.
Several organizations, such as ThredUp, GotSneakers, and Trashie, will even take these items off your hands and pay you for them!
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What everyone's saying
Everyone in the comments found the circumstances of this hack relatable in some fashion. Some even experienced the same issue and were thankful for the helpful advice.
"That is a great idea," someone commented.
"All my stuff is moist. Money birth certificate thank you for the video lol," another said.
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