40 Ingenious Ways You Can Reuse Silica Gel Packets

When you buy a box-fresh pair of sneakers, what do you do with the little silica gel packet inside? We bet you just toss it into the trash and never think about it. But hold up! Silica gel is actually super-versatile. And when you see the many incredible uses for the stuff, you’ll never throw away a packet again.

40. Save your shoes after a rain or snowstorm

Let’s say you’re walking around outside, and it suddenly starts pouring. Or maybe you go out to play in the snow in your regular shoes. Either way, you come home and your footwear is damp. Before putting your boots and sneakers away, slide silica packets inside them to remove any moisture. That way, there’ll be no musty smell, either!

39. Extend the life of your potato chips

Okay, so sometimes you only want a few potato chips – not the whole bag. Next time you sneak to the pantry, though, what do you find? Stale chips! Save your munchies in the future by taping a silica pack inside the bag before you hide it away. Oh, and while silica packets aren’t dangerous, you obviously shouldn’t eat them – so watch out when you dig in.

38. Preserve your most precious collectibles

You may scour the globe for its rarest coins. Or perhaps you’ve been gathering baseball cards since childhood, and you have some pretty valuable players in your cache. No matter what you collect, though, you can keep your haul in pristine condition with the help of – guess what? – silica gel! Simply slide some packets into your storage binders or containers, and the gel should do the rest.

37. De-fog your windshield

Your car might have a built-in setting that defogs your windshield on humid or cold days. But if you want to hit the road faster, line your dashboard with silica packets. They’ll help reduce condensation when the air gets a bit too moist.