You'll Love the Household Uses for Those Tiny, Silica Gel Packs

Chances are the first thing you do when you see one of those small, silica gel packets tucked in with your packages or items is you simply toss it.

In case you didn't know, according to Discover Magazine, those little gel pellets act like sponges and soak up moisture and condensation when there's too much, and release water when it's too dry. They actually hold up to 40 percent of their weight in moisture.

So why are we throwing them away without a second thought when we can take advantage of them? After these little packets have finished protecting our brand new boots in their shoe box, various food products, or our Amazon packages, we can still use them according to A Dime Saved website and the Newsbreak website.

Car Windshield

Simply placing a few silica sachets inside your car under your windshield or back window in colder months will prevent your windows from fogging up or having to deal with extensive defrosting.

Camera Bag/Electronics

Yes, some of us still love to pull out real cameras, and placing a silica pack in the bag when we're not using it helps protect it. This goes for any electronics we're storing away for whatever reason.

Gym Bag/Locker

A few of these silica gel packets help prevent bacteria and mold.

Make-Up Bag/Drawers

Absorbing moisture means preventing clumping and extending its shelf life. Silica packets can even keep make-up from deteriorating prematurely.

Sneakers

Whether you're a fitness fanatic or just wear them a lot, sneakers hold moisture so placing a silica packet inside them when you're not wearing them helps eliminate odor and soak up moisture.

Storage Crates

We all have them in our basements or the back of our closet that we rarely open so drop a few in those containers.

Fireproof Lockboxes/Safe Deposit Boxes

Protecting precious documents and other valuables from too much or too little moisture.

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Resurrecting Used Silica Packets

Yes, you can use them again after they've soaked up that condensation. You simply dehydrate them by baking them on a cookie sheet for an hour or two at 250 degrees according to the Canadian Conservation Institute.