“Do not eat, throw away,” are the instructions you will commonly find on many silica gel packages. So, we do just that — toss them into the trash can without a second thought when unboxing our new purchases.
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But have you ever stopped to wonder what might happen if you didn’t follow the rules for once? Well, a lady, Jillian, did and got results that’ll change your perception of these bead packets forever.
- First Things First: Poison or No?
There’s a common misconception that silica gel packets are poisonous. They aren’t. According to an article by McGill University in Canada, nothing happens when you eat silica gel.
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“Silica gel is non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-reactive with ordinary usage. It’s certainly not poisonous,” it reads. Now that you know that these gels don’t post a real threat, let’s turn the spotlight back on Jillian.
- Don’t Throw Them Away
Jullian is a home designer who loves to share design future/decor deals on her TikTok account (@jillian__011). In one of her posts, she narrated how she uses silica bead packets to avoid moisture buildup in her kitchen cupboards and drawers after washing dishes.
Source: @jillian__011/TikTok
The video was captioned, “Stop throwing away these silica bead packets and do this [instead].”
- A Life Hack
“You know when you’re doing dishes, whether you hand wash or use a dishwasher, obviously they’re not always dry every single time you put them away. Whether it’s silverware, plates, bowls, etcetera,“ she explained.
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“Instead of throwing these little packets away, just throw a couple in your drawer with your silverware.” Amazing, right?
- The Significance of Jillian’s Hack
Moisture buildup is one of the recurrent problems homeowners face. When moisture accumulates in your kitchen cabinet, it can trigger mold growth, which causes unpleasant odors and negatively affects the overall hygiene of the room.
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Moreso, moisture buildup can also make your wooden drawers rot and cause food contamination by attracting disease-spreading pests. So, having an easy hack that solves all these potential problems for free is a big deal.
- Another Way to Save Some Bucks
Besides addressing health concerns, this trick is a convenient way to save money. The average cost of replacing kitchen cabinets is about $8,200, according to Forbes. Angi, a home services website, puts the cost of changing a single kitchen cabinet bottom between $150-$200.
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So, if you want to avoid these costs and save as much money as you can, this hack is the breakthrough you’ve been hoping for.
- It’s Got Eco-Friendly Benefits Too
Jillian’s hack also helps the planet at large. Silica gel packets are filled with non-biodegradable plastic. This means that they don’t decompose or be recycled easily. As such, the instruction to throw them away is bad for the environment since they typically find their way to landfills and oceans.
Source: @jillian__011/TikTok
However, with this hack, you can put your bead packets into good use while limiting the risk of environmental pollution.
- What Everyone Had to Say
Commenters on Jillian’s video had a lot to say about her trick. While some were impressed, others wondered whether it could be used to remove moisture from other materials.
Source: Joy Home Remedies/YouTube
For example, someone asked, “Do you think it could help for foot fungus since the fungus feeds off moisture?” “I wonder if they’ll kill mice,” another thought out loud.
- A Welcome Surprise
Others marveled at discovering that silica gel packets were never poisonous. “I always thought they were poison growing up.. the fact that you’re like holding it girl, I can’t,” a commenter wrote jokingly. Jillian replied, “Wait I always remember thinking it was poison too.”
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“I’m now learning they are “poisonous” however, they’re moisture absorbing and the body is mostly made of water. So….don’t eat,” someone else typed.
- How About Choking Hazards?
Despite its non-toxicity and usefulness, some parents raised valid concerns about child safety. A commenter narrated how her 6-month-old son ate one of the beads and how terrified she was at the time. Another expressed fears that kids may mistake them for salt.
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Jillian’s answer was simple. “You could always throw in the very very back of the drawer, put locks on your drawers, or just not do it!”
- Other Surprising Uses of Silica Gel Packets
Silica gel packs can be used for so much more than tackling moisture buildup in kitchen cabinets, as the comments showed. Someone wrote, “I’ve emptied them into a sealed jar and saved them if ever my phone gets wet. It works better than rice to dry moisture from a phone!”
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“Also they’re amazing to use inside your jewelry boxes,” another noted.
- Would You Be Trying It?
Some of the commenters on Jillian’s post noted that they’ve been using the silica gel packs effectively for a long time. So, if accumulating water in your drawers has been a major issue for you, you now know what to do. Silica gel packs are also used for preventing jewelry rust, keeping odors off shoes, and many more.
Source: CILICANT Active Packaging /YouTube
If you’d be implementing this tip, let us know in the comments. We’d love to see it work for you too.
