How to Use a Desiccant in Your Home

Desiccants remove moisture from the air to protect items from becoming moldy or mildewed, providing protection from moisture damage to fragile items in packaging. They are often included as part of this protection measure.

Your ideal desiccant depends on its moisture removal efficiency, regeneration capacity and compatibility with the materials being protected. Home remedies may help create homemade desiccant packets.

Silica Gel Packs

Silica gel packets that come with everything from beef jerky to shoes may tempt you to throw away, but instead use them in your home as desiccant beads. Silica gel acts as an excellent desiccant that absorbs moisture before it damages certain food products or fabrics, helping prevent rainwater or mold damage as well as speeding the drying process of seed packets and electronics as well as collecting any pooled water on materials such as leather and vinyl.

Silica gel packets are especially effective at safeguarding delicate electronics from moisture damage. Should your phone fall in a sink or toilet, placing it in a sachet of silica gel will protect its battery and memory card against moisture damage and restore functionality to an otherwise waterlogged phone. In addition, these packs can help preserve metal tools stored in garages or basements by minimizing rust formation and musty odor formation – an invaluable addition!

Rice and salt packs become saturated with moisture over time and cannot be reused; silica gel, however, can be dried out in an oven to be reused if its container remains undamaged. As natural and cost-effective alternatives to silica gel you could also consider Micro-Pak Dri Clay packets, activated charcoal or dried herbs as natural alternatives to silica gel.

Baking Soda Packs

Baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) is an indispensable household item that has numerous applications. As an excellent leavening agent that makes cookies and batter rise without yeast, as well as being an efficient household cleaner and odor absorber – not to mention having an extremely long shelf life! Even older packages remain safe to use.

Baking soda’s ability to absorb moisture makes it ideal for eliminating scorched food at the bottom of pots and pans. Mix a little baking soda with water and apply to scorched areas. Leave for 24 hours, scrub clean afterwards and repeat as necessary – this method works particularly well when dealing with small spots.

Plasterboard or wallboard can also serve as an effective desiccant, and in fact the instructions for a Kearney fallout meter require it be stored with desiccant to detect radiation.

Homemade silica gel packs and sachets made from rice, salt, baking soda or charcoal provide an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to manage moisture in the air. By using materials you already possess at home to create homemade desiccants you will protect your belongings from moisture damage while keeping them smelling fresher than ever. They’re an easy and cost-effective way to practice self-reliance and be better prepared for future events.

Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer Packs

Non-dairy coffee creamer is an ideal way to enhance their coffee’s richness and flavor without increasing caloric intake with milk or half-and-half. Available as individual shelf-stable packets, non-dairy creamers stay fresh longer without refrigeration than their dairy-based counterparts and are both lactose- and cholesterol-free – providing another convenient choice!

Individual non-dairy coffee creamer packs are convenient for keeping in your desk drawer or packing for trips. As more companies enter this market, we hope to see options that are both more portable and easier to store.

“InfoHive: Non-dairy creamers are liquid or granular products designed to add creaminess and sweetness to coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other beverages without using dairy-derived products (milk or cream), such as sodium caseinate (derived from milk). Although these creamers do not contain milk or cream directly, some individuals who have milk allergies are worried about its presence as this could trigger allergic reactions.”

Make your own desiccants using materials already present in your home, such as a Ball Pickle Crisp 5.5-oz Jar or DampRid Hi-Capacity Moisture Absorber 4-Pound Tub from DampRid which boaters use to absorb moisture on board their vessel. With these and other household materials at hand, you can create individual packets to keep coffee tasting fresh for much longer!

Rice and Salt Packs

People typically add some rice to their salt shakers in order to prevent seasoning from clumping due to moisture absorption. Rice is an excellent desiccant that absorbs up to 40% of its weight in water molecules – not only that but it’s inexpensive, readily available and reusable too!

Homemade desiccants can be used to protect products that are sensitive to moisture, like electronics and documents, from being damaged. Furthermore, these homemade dehydratants can remove damp environments that could otherwise foster mold growth such as closets or basements.

Packs like these can be easily found around the home, making them an affordable and sustainable solution for preserving items from moisture damage. Reusable options exist like silica gel and activated charcoal; especially beneficial if storing seeds from your own garden or purchasing seed packets that haven’t had time to fully dry yet.

Some of the more effective desiccants, like quick lime and sodium hydroxide, can be caustic and cause chemical burns if they come in contact with skin. Calcium chloride also generates heat while it absorbs moisture – however these chemicals can easily be replaced by safer desiccants like rice or salt that will liquefy when they have taken in all they can absorb and signal when it’s time for another changeout.

Read also:Applications of Desiccant