Aluminum foil is one of the most commonly used items to save and store leftover food, but there are a surprising number of uses for foil besides food storage. Here are a few of the most interesting uses.
Fix Electronic Connections
You can fold a piece of foil several times and insert it into the space between a battery and the loose spring in order to hold the battery in place and repair the circuit.
Dryer Sheet
By tossing a ball of wadded-up foil into the dryer with a load of clothes you can avoid static cling.
Polish Silver
You can quickly make your silver look new again by lining a pan with aluminum foil, adding two or three tablespoons of baking soda, adding boiling water and then dropping the tarnished silverware in.
Remove Rust
By crumpling a piece of foil into a ball you can use it rub rust spots off of most surfaces including shower-curtain rods and a car bumper.
Clean Grill
Ball a sheet of aluminum foil up and use it to scrub the accumulated black bits off the cooking grates of your grill.
Create A Funnel
You can shape a sheet of foil into a cone, tape it securely together and stick the foil into a bottle to use as a makeshift funnel.
Enhance Radiator
Take a piece of plywood and wrap it around with a sheet of aluminum foil. Place it carefully behind your radiator and it will reflect heat directly into the middle of the room.
Protect Fruit Trees
Birds will often eat fruit growing from your trees or knock them over. You can protect the trees from this by hanging up strips of twisted foil in the branches. The reflection of light and the sound them make blowing in the breeze will scare of the birds off.
Iron Quickly
Place a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. This will reflect the iron's heat back up to the bottom of the clothes, allowing you to iron both sides at the same time.
Glue Loose Vinyl Tile
When you have a loose vinyl tile place a sheet of aluminum foil over it and press it down with a hot iron. This will melt the glue which will then stick again and glue the tile back down.
Keep Oven Clean
Place a sheet of foil in the bottom rack to prevent any drips or crumbs falling to the bottom. Make sure to replace regularly to avoid any damage to the oven.
Campfire Cooking
Combine ground beef or chicken in the middle of a sheet of foil and add any vegetables or seasoning you want to them. Wrap the ends and add a second sheet to ensure the food doesn't burn and cook for 20-30 minutes for a delicious BBQ dinner.
Sharpen Scissors
Cut through a folded sheet of aluminum foil several times with a pair of scissors in order to sharpen the dulled blade.
Prevent Sticky Pans
When baking line the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent the cookies from sticking to the pans and keep them looking brand new.
Save Soap
Place foil on your soap dish to keep the soap from sitting in water and quickly wearing away.
Curling straight hair
Aluminum foil can help keep your curls lasting longer. Wrap the foil around your clump of hair you want curled and place your flat iron on top. The aluminum foil help keep the heat in the hair.
Prevent browning bananas
Wrap aluminum foil around the stems of your bananas to help decrease the bananas from browning quickly.
Pie Crust
Pie baking can be difficult process, especially when trying to bake the middle without burning the crust. To prevent your crust burning, check your pie after 10 - 15 minutes, when the crust is golden, place strips of aluminum foil on top the crust. This will allow the middle to cook perfectly allow also preventing the dreaded crust burn. Place in the strips takes time, so be patient, you'll get the hang of it.
