7 Astounding Aluminum Foil Hacks
Aluminum foil is the go-to household good for keeping food fresh. Whether it's packing a sandwich when you're on-the-go, baking a potato, or wrapping up something for the freezer, aluminum foil is there for you. But it also has a lot of hidden uses that have nothing to do with storing food, or even with cooking. We're going to show you 7 household hacks that will switch up the way you use aluminum foil in the kitchen, and show you exactly how useful it can be around the rest of the house. Learn how to cook smarter, paint without making a mess, sharpen dull scissors, and even clean more effectively!
1. Steam Vegetables
Steaming veggies with aluminum foil is really simple. Crumple the aluminum foil up into balls and place them at the bottom of a pan with a shallow layer of water in it. Next, balance a heat-resistant plate on top of the aluminum foil balls and place the veggies you want to steam on top. Turn on the heat, cover the pan, and you'll have perfectly steamed vegetables in just a few minutes!
2. Seal Plastic Bags
Want to store gummy bears or other snacks in a plastic bag to keep them fresh? You don't need a ziploc bag – you can just grab some aluminum foil and fold it over the opening of any generic plastic bag. Iron over it, wait for the aluminum foil to cool down a little, pull off the foil, and you've got yourself a perfectly sealed plastic bag!
3. Line Paint Trays
Paint trays are absolutely essential for painting and decorating, but cleaning them after they've been used can be a real pain. Luckily, you can avoid the messy cleanup by lining the paint tray with aluminum foil before you start painting. The foil will mold to the shape of the tray, so you won't even notice it's there!
4. Dish Scrubber
Do you have pots, pans, and dishes with caked-on food, but no industrial-strength sponges to get off the grease and grime? You can just crumple up some aluminum foil and use it like a regular heavy-duty dish scrubber. The mess will come right off!
5. Sharpen Scissors
Scissors become dull – it's a fact of life. But that's no reason to toss them. If you fold up a piece of aluminum foil and cut it several times with your dull scissors, they'll suddenly be as sharp as the day you bought them!
6. Revive Stale Bread
It's sometimes shocking how quickly a loaf of bread goes stale, but aluminum foil saves the day once again! Spray a piece of aluminum foil with water, then wrap up the stale piece of bread in it. Pop it in the oven for 3 minutes at 300°F, and the bread will soak up the water and taste fresh again!
7. Protect Surfaces While Painting
We have yet another genius painting hack using aluminum foil – it doesn't just keep paint trays clean, it can also keep surfaces protected when you're painting around tricky spots. If you wrap doorknobs, handles, and other surfaces you want to stay paint-free with aluminum foil, you'll keep things neat and prevent any stressful painting mishaps!
Who could've guessed that aluminum foil had so many secret uses? These hacks will definitely come in handy around the house – after all, cooking, cleaning, cutting, and painting are pretty universal tasks that everyone could stand to simplify!
Get the instructions for the 6 Genius Ziploc Bag Tips, 7 Practical Zip Tie Hacks, and 3 Handy Hot Glue Gun Tricks featured in the bonus video.