If you’ve been using aluminum for baking and cooking, then you should know that you can use it for something else. Check out these aluminum foil tricks that will interest you for sure. These tricks are going to make your life so much easier and teach you how to use all of your aluminum foil.
As you already know, aluminum foil is an important item in the kitchen. Many people can’t cook without aluminum foil for wrapping their baking sheets and other nice tricks. However, most people are missing out on how to use their aluminum foil to the fullest. It is kind of like duct tape, which can be versatile and be used for various purposes. Overall, these tricks that you are going to see will make your life just a bit easier. From crafts to cleaning, check out these amazing aluminum foil tricks.
1. Wrap your door knobs
Repainting your walls and doors is some of the best things you can do to keep your house looking fresh. But the problem is that while you’re painting your door, you certainly don’t want any pain to splash or drop onto the doorknob. It can be a pain to clean it after you are done painting. Also, while painting tape can be used to solve this problem, it can be time-consuming to wrap each strip around your doorknob.
Aluminum foil, however, can help save so much time. You can simply wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the doorknob. Then you can use a knife or scissors to cut a perfect circle around the handle or whatever shape your door handle is. Now you have perfectly covered the door handle in aluminum foil. Once you’re done painting, removing the aluminum foil would be easy as well.
Another is to wrap your doorknob in aluminum foil when alone, by doing this you’ll know if someone tried to get into your house. Just take a photo after you set it, then the next morning have a look and see if it’s changed. If it has, you know someone tried to enter.
2. Iron faster
When you are ironing your clothes, usually, you will have to go over the same area multiple times to get the best result. Getting rid of some of the most stubborn wrinkles can be difficult. This happens because much of the heat gets absorbed by the ironing board before it gets transferred to your clothes. This is why you have to iron over the same spot multiple times, wasting your time.
Aluminum foil can help you with this problem. To do this trick, simply place a sheet of aluminum foil on your ironing board and slip your cover over it. The foil will reflect the heat rather than absorb it, making your iron much more efficient.
3. Get rid of insects
Household insects can be dangerous to your health. They can strive in any harsh condition, including in dark, creepy places. If you search thoroughly enough, I am sure you can find plenty of insects scurrying around. Some people would use shelf liners to keep their cabinets clean. However, aluminum foil could do a better job here.
Since aluminum foil reflects light, you can make it more uncomfortable for insects to stay in every corner of your house. Place several sheets of aluminum foil in strategic places to reflect enough light in some areas. This way, you can create an environment where no insect wants to stay. Soon, your kitchen and other rooms in the house will be free from nasty insects.
4. Clean your iron
After using the same iron for years, you will notice that it has started to build up rust and dirt. When this happens, you can’t use the iron as effectively anymore, which results in time and energy being wasted. Not to mention the iron could leave marks on all of your clean fabrics. Yes, aluminum foil can solve this problem for you.
To do this trick, first, crunch the aluminum foil into a ball and use it to scrub the bottom of your iron. Do this while the iron is hot to make it a lot easier. You will notice that you leave a few scratches on the iron, but that’s okay. The most important thing is removing all the build-up dirt and rust that could ruin your clothes.
5. Move your furniture easier
Moving furniture can be a pain in the butt for many people. The thing is that moving furniture to a new spot could be the solution to make your house look fresh again. This can be even more difficult if the furniture has been sitting in one spot for a long time. Shifting a piece of furniture might require a lot of energy, not to mention it might leave scratches on the floor.
Fortunately, aluminum foil can help you with this. Place a small layer of foil underneath the legs of each piece of furniture. After you’re done, you can now begin dragging the furniture to a new spot. The foil will make it easier for your to slide it around and protect your floor at the same time.
6. Improve your Wi-Fi signal
Covering your entire house with a Wi-Fi signal could be trickier than you imagine. Walls could prevent the signal from reaching every room efficiently. This will make the signal weaker and your connection slower. Sometimes, your device won’t even connect to the internet at all.
The trick involves a piece of cardboard and a few sheets of aluminum foil. First, cover the cardboard with aluminum foil, then put the flap around your router. This simple trick should boost your Wi-Fi signal that will make your internet more reliable no matter where you are in the house.
7. Clean your glue gun
A glue gun is a nice tool for many people, especially those who love crafting. Using a glue gun can be really addicting, too. However, while a glue gun can be reliable, it is not safe from problems. The main problem comes from the hot glue that drips down from the top. People who have used a glue gun a lot will know how messy it can get.
A layer of hot glue that builds up over the tip will prevent the glue gun from working efficiently. You can get rid of this problem by using aluminum foil. After the gun has cooled down, ball up a piece of aluminum foil and scrub the tip clean with it. The excess adhesive that has been building up should be gone after a few scrubs.
8. Preserve your snacks
Keeping your snacks fresh until you want to eat them is a must. However, unless the snack comes with a resealable bag, opening the packet can be a tough decision. You won’t have long until the snack’s gone bad. But eating too many snacks could ruin your diet plan. Fortunately, aluminum foil can help you with this annoying problem.
Once you’ve opened up a packet of snacks, take a strip of aluminum foil and hold it over the opening. Grab a lighter and heat the foil to create a seal. This DIY seal is reliable enough to keep the content of the packet fresh until you open it again. The entire process will take less than a minute. Now you don’t have to worry about your snack going bad.
9. Create your own sun box
Many people love plants, as they can brighten up the day, especially when they are inside their homes. If you choose to get a house plant that needs the sun, it can be tough to keep it fresh. Not everyone has strategic spots for their indoor plants where they can get enough sun.
If you want to feed your plants light from all directions without worrying too much, you can create a little sun box for cheap. To do this, you need a cardboard box and a sheet of aluminum foil. Remove the top and one side of the box and line the rest of the box with aluminum foil. Place the box somewhere the sun can reach and put your plant in the box. Now the plant will get enough sunlight from all directions all day.
10. Make your own stylus
Depending on how you are going to use your tablets or smartphones, you might need a stylus. In fact, styluses have been deemed an essential accessory for many devices. You can find styluses in many places; however, a stylus can go for a high price. If you don’t want to spend too much money on a stylus, you can use a bit of aluminum foil.
This trick involves using a regular pencil or pen and attaching a bit of foil to the tip. The foil will turn the regular pen or pencil into a working stylus. It will work well with your device for sure. Now you have a DIY stylus for cheap; no need to spend extra money for a stylus ever again.
11. Fish smarter
Fishing is a great hobby – it is relaxing and rewarding. Still, there is something about fishing that can frustrate anyone who tries it. Especially when you have to spend hours trying to get one fish, only to come home empty-handed, don’t be surprised when I tell you that aluminum foil can help you fish better.
Fish are attracted to light. While your bait may look like interesting prey, a bit of reflected light could draw even more fish than ever before. Next time you are planning to fish, attach a bit of aluminum foil to the tip of your hook. The foil will reflect the light in the water, naturally attracting hungry fish. It may sound crazy, but it will be worth your time to try it.
12. Baking a perfect pie crust
Of course, we are going to try a baking trick using aluminum foil. If you like baking all kinds of pies, you certainly don’t want to have a pie with a burnt crust on the edges. Luckily for you, aluminum foil can solve your problem.
Take a sheet of aluminum foil and cover the entire surface area of the pie. Put the pie in the oven and see the result. The aluminum foil will prevent the edge of the crust from getting burned, while the rest of the pie will be golden brown, just like how you want it.
13. Protecting your kid’s mattress
If your kid is still wearing a diaper, you might not have to worry about the mattress. However, if your kid has already reached the age where they are trying to clean after themselves, you should do something to prevent any damage to the mattress.
This trick is useful for people who don’t have a plastic mattress cover. To do this trick, simply cover your kid’s mattress with several sheets of aluminum foil. Make sure you place a large beach towel on top as well for more security. Finish by tying up the whole thing with the fitted sheet so that nothing will move out of place while your kid sleeps.
14. Clean your grill
We all know that you can use aluminum foil to wrap your food before you place it on the grill. This way, you can keep the barbecue clean. However, this can be difficult to do if you are cooking for a large group of people. That, or the barbecue is already dirty to begin with and in need of some cleaning.
Cleaning your grill can be made easier by using aluminum foil. After you are done cooking, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the hot grill right away. Just leave it be until you want to use the barbecue again. After the barbecue is completely cooled off, crumple up the aluminum foil and throw it away. The foil should be able to scrape off any lingering foodstuffs, and now your grill will be ready for the next big cookout.
15. Keep your banana fresh
No one likes stale bananas. Unfortunately, bananas go bad really quickly. Just after a few days of sitting in the kitchen, your bananas will start to brown and lose their appeal. Fortunately, there is a simple trick to keep them fresh using aluminum foil.
Simply wrap your bananas’ stems with a small piece of aluminum foil. The foil will keep air from contacting the banana’s stem, slowing the decaying process. This simple trick can make your bananas last longer.
16. Protect your plants from insect
Vegetable gardens are a great hobby for many people. Unfortunately, nobody wants to deal with pests. Even the most experienced gardeners are still struggling to keep insects away from their gardens. Obviously, you won’t be able to enjoy your garden with insects ruining it.
This aluminum foil could be a lifesaver. Simply mix strips of aluminum foil with your mulch when putting together your garden at the beginning. The aluminum foil will keep insects away while directing more sunlight to your plants.
17. Extend your battery’s lifespan
Investing in a battery that lasts long is a great idea. However, batteries will die eventually, and you’ll have to get new ones. However, you can extend their lifespan just a bit longer using a little aluminum foil. To do this, put a small ball of aluminum foil at either end of your battery and put it in your device.
This trick can extend the battery’s lifespan so you can get more value out of it. You can do this with any battery that you have, especially when you notice their power seems to be exhausted. And, of course, you can use the aluminum foil with multiple batteries.
18. Soften brown sugar
Many people love brown sugar, although they don’t use it every day. And when they want to use it, often, it has hardened, making it difficult to use. This is a common problem with brown sugar, which can harden if not used in a while.
To solve this problem, you can wrap your hardened brown sugar in a small sheet of aluminum foil. Then bake it in the oven for only five minutes. After that’s done, remove the brown sugar from the aluminum foil and see that it is now back to its soft state. Now you can use the brown sugar as usual.
19. Polish your silver
Silverware can lose its gleam after a while. However, replacing them with new ones would not be a wise move financially. Don’t worry, aluminum foil can solve this problem for you. All you have to do is line a pan with aluminum foil, fill it with water, and add some salt. Next, put your old silverware into the pan and let it marinate for a few minutes.
After waiting for a few minutes, wash off the silverware and see how its gleam is back now. All these thanks to the aluminum working together with salt and silver, creating a molecular shift that polishes your silverware. You can do this with your other silverware if you want to.
20. Scrub your pots
We have learned how aluminum foil can scrub dirt and rust from your iron. You can do the same thing to your pans and pots. If you have old kitchenware that needs to be cleaned, you can use aluminum foil to help you with that.
Ball up a small piece of aluminum foil and use it to scrub away the grime and muck inside your pots and pans. This method should be able to remove the built-up crud pretty effortlessly. Next, simply wash your pots and pans with water and soap, and you are done.
21. Improve your radiator
A standard radiator that is attached to a wall is a great way to provide heat in your house. However, a chunk of heat might get absorbed by the wall behind the radiator itself, which means you could’ve gotten more heat. No one likes wasting their power, and it’s time to change this.
First, find a piece of cardboard as big or wide as your radiator. Wrap it in aluminum foil and place it behind the radiator. This way, the aluminum foil will reflect the heat rather than absorb it. No more wasted heat due to the wall absorbing it.
22. Clean your jewelry
It seems like aluminum foil is really good at cleaning stuff. This time, it can also clean your valuable jewelry. Cleaning your jewelry using aluminum foil is similar to how you clean your silverware, but with some small changes.
This time, prepare a bowl, line it with aluminum foil, and fill it with hot water. Now add a bitch of non-liquid laundry detergent that is bleach-free. Put your jewelry in hot water and let it sit there for a couple of minutes. Once a couple of minutes pass, take your jewelry out and rinse it. Dry it with a towel and see how much cleaner your jewelry is now.
23. Sharpen your scissor
No one likes using dull scissors. Unfortunately, all scissors will go dull regardless of how much you use them. Fortunately, you can sharpen your scissors easily using aluminum foil as many times as you like. To do this, take a few strips of aluminum foil and cut them with your scissors, do this repeatedly.
24. Maintaining your fireplace
Aluminum foil can be used to prevent problems from happening to your fireplace. This effectively can save you a lot of money in the future. You might have noticed how dirty your fireplace can get when the ashes from the firewood settle.
To make it easier to clean your fireplace, place two layers of aluminum foil under the wood grate in your fireplace. Next time after you use your fireplace and it cools off completely, you can simply wrap up the foil and throw it away.
25. Reducing joints pain
No one likes joint pain; it can be comfortable or even painful. You can use medications to relieve the pain, among other things, but you can also use aluminum foil to help you. Simply wrap your joints – toes, knees, or any part of your body that suffers from pain, in aluminum foil. This method is considered to be old. Whether you believe it or not, it might be worth your time to try it.
26. Storing your celery
Celery is a type of vegetable that will become inedible and dry quickly. Even if you store it in a refrigerator, you have a limited time before you’ll have to use it. The best way to store your celery for a long time is by wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil before putting it in the refrigerator. This way, you have up to four weeks before you’ll have to use it.
27. Keeping your bread warm
Eating a warm piece of bread is always satisfying. However, you can’t always eat it while it’s still warm. Perhaps, you want to save it for later, but what if it’s gone cold by then? You can count on aluminum foil to keep your bread warm so you can eat it later without sacrificing your taste bud. Wrap your bread in aluminum foil when it’s still warm to keep the warmth from escaping.
Conclusion
These 27 aluminum foil tips will help you a lot in your day-to-day life. So grab yourself a pack of aluminum foil for cheap and do any of these tips to make your life a lot easier.
