Aluminium foil is handy for so much more than wrapping up leftovers. Prepare to be surprised by some of these ‘other’ uses for foil.
The pliable, metallic form of aluminium foil makes it super useful all over the house.
Here are 10 of our favourite, who-knew reasons why you should stock up on aluminium foil now.
1. Polish silverware
Have some dull-looking silverware hiding in the cupboard? Aluminium foil to the rescue.
A chemical reaction causes the tarnish to reverse from your silverware, leaving behind a nice shine.
How to clean silver with aluminium foil:
- Line a plastic bin or bucket with aluminium foil (shiny side up).
- Place the silver pieces inside, making sure all are in contact with the foil.
- Pour over enough hot water to cover the silver.
- Add equal amounts of salt and baking soda – about 1 tablespoon of each.
- Stir and let soak for 15 minutes.
- Wearing rubber gloves, remove the pieces, rinse and buff with a clean, soft cloth
If you have very tarnished items, you may want to repeat the process.
For pieces that are more fragile with decorative parts, glued sections or hollow handles, you will need to stick to the good old-fashioned polishing method.
2. Clean stubborn marks off cookware
If you have some unsightly (and hard-to-clean) food marks on your glass casserole dishes or cast-iron skillets, use aluminium foil to scrub them clean.
Just like steel wool, a ball of aluminium foil is abrasive enough to loosen these marks.
Be sure not to use this method to clean non-stick cookware, however.
3. Cut oven cleaning time in half
Don’t like cleaning the oven? We hear you!
Cut oven cleaning time in half by placing a sheet of aluminium foil under any dishes that may drip when cooking in the oven.
Just be sure to leave a big enough border of foil around the edge of the dish or cover the entire oven tray you place the dish on.
When your oven is cool, all you have to do is remove the sheet and, voila, it’ll be an easy-as cleanup.
4. Paint preparation
If you’re taking on a little paint project at home, aluminium foil can come in super handy for things like door handles, which can be a little annoying to mask up with tape.
Simply cover the handle with a layer of aluminium foil and you’re good to go.
5. Line drawers and cupboards
If you’re sick of tackling hard-to-clean surfaces in cupboards and drawers, you’ll love this one.
Line the surfaces with foil as it’s much easier to clean using a damp sponge. Just be sure to replace lining every couple of months as it gets grotty.
As aluminium foil reflects light, there’s an added bonus of using it in cupboards with dark corners.
6. Clean the grill
For a quicker way to clean the barbecue, make a ball of aluminium foil and use it to remove burnt food remnants and scrub your grill clean.
7. Stop crust burning
Making an apple pie this weekend and sick of the burnt edges?
Simply cover the edges with a ring of aluminium foil and it will stop them from burning.
8. Speed up ironing
Are the words ‘get the ironing done quicker’ music to your ears?
As aluminium foil reflects heat, if you place a sheet under your ironing board cover it will lock in more heat and smooth those wrinkles out faster as you iron.
Bonus? You can also use it to clean the ironing plate.
9. Scare away pests
If you have some unwanted guests in your garden, you just need a little bit of aluminium foil to get rid of them.
Hang strips of aluminium foil around the area the pests are attracted to (i.e., fruit trees) and it will keep them at bay.
10. Sharpen scissors
Use scissors to cut through aluminium foil and it will sharpen them as you go.
This has to be the simplest way to bring blunt scissors back to life.
This article was originally published as 10 who-knew uses for aluminium foil by www.realestate.com.au and is written by Alexandra O’Brien