Those little "DO NOT EAT" silica gel packets in new shoes and electronics packaging might be more useful than you think. One Reddit user explained how to give them a second life.
The scoop
In the r/YouShouldKnow subreddit, the original poster shared a clever hack that solves a common problem: keeping moisture away from important household items. Instead of tossing those silica gel packets in the trash, you can reuse them — and even "refresh" them — to protect tools, documents, electronics, and more.
The user wrote: "Why YSK: You can empty the packets into a jar and save the beads for next time you need to prevent humidity in a small-medium sized space. They'll never go 'bad' or become unusable, but eventually they will be saturated and won't pick up any more humidity. All you need to do to refresh them is put them in the oven at about 250-300 [degrees Fahrenheit] for an hour or so and they'll be good as new."
The post is already beginning to go viral by Reddit standards, with over 8,000 upvotes and 300 comments discussing the idea and others like it.
How it's helping
By keeping your belongings safe from mold, rust, and moisture damage, this trick can save you money on replacements and repairs. It's also a great way to get more value out of something you already have instead of buying specialty products.
Repurposing silica gel instead of throwing it out also helps reduce household waste. Reusing and refreshing these packets is one step toward shrinking landfill overflow and keeping plastic-based materials out of our oceans and ecosystems.
For even more ways to cut clutter and keep useful items in rotation, check out these tips from professional organizers and explore companies such as Trashie, ThredUp, and GotSneakers that help you turn your old stuff into something valuable.
What everyone's saying
The Reddit thread was filled with enthusiastic responses to the hack.
"Save them from everything you get, and in case you ever drop your phone in water, they're a good alternative to putting your phone in rice, which can sometimes cause worse problems," one commenter shared.
Another added, "If you put them in your makeup bag it keeps your compact powders and eyeshadows from getting that layer of moisture crust when they get older."
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Just a flashlight 🔦 Many commenters suggested using them to prevent tools from rusting, and one even had a genius fitness hack: "I actually made a couple beanbags after getting a few big bags of them and stuck one inside each boxing glove. Absolutely helps."
The OP explained: "I keep a small airtight jar and any time I buy a pair of shoes or electronics or anything that includes silica gel beads I save them. It's not that often that they come in handy, but once every month or so I thank myself for having them."
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