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Aluminum foil is an item that most of us keep in our homes. It is very inexpensive and has many more uses than just wrapping up foods. Often times we find ourselves making purchases for certain items that we may only use once or twice and then toss them to the side. Aluminum foilcan be an effective substitute to many of these items as is noted below:
1. Soften brown sugar. Wrap the brown sugar in some foil and place in the oven at 300 F (150 C) for five minutes.
2. Keep bread and rolls oven fresh warm. Wrap them in a napkin and place a layer of foil underneath. The foil will reflect the heat and keep bread warm for quite some time.
3. Keep bananas fresh. Wrap foil on the stem of a banana bunch.
4. Protect pie crust. Line the edges of a pie pan with foil to keep pie crust from being overcooked or burned.
5. Make special shaped cakes. Aluminum foil forms well into most any shape. Just form the desired shape and place it in a regular baking pan. Pour batter into the shape and bake as usual. This is a great way to use your creativity without spending extra money on expensive novelty cake pans.
6. Frost a cake. Roll a piece of foil into a cone leaving a small opening at the bottom. Fold the top down to avoid any leakage.
7. Polish silverware. Line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill it with cold water, and add two teaspoons of salt. Put tarnished silverware into the mixture and let it for two or three minutes. Rinse and dry.
8. Keep stove burners clean. For electric stove tops use foil to line the bowl shaped catchers under each stove element. For gas stove tops cut a sheet of aluminum foil to fit the entire top. Cut the correct size of the top burners and remove with scissors. I use a marker to trace the circle and then cut. This saves a great amount of scrubbing.
9. Help keep your oven clean. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the racks in your oven to catch any spills that may occur while cooking foods. Do not place any on the very bottom as it can catch fire.
10. Clean pots and pans. Ball up a piece of foil to scrub off any hard to remove foods.
11. Extend the life of steel wool pads. When not using steel wool pads keep them on a piece of foil to keep them from rusting.
12. Sharpen dull scissors. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it into a square at least six times and then cut across the foil to give scissors a sharper edge.
13. Make a funnel. Simply take a piece of foil and shape into a cone. The ability to reshape the funnel is especially helpful when trying to pour things into small spaces.
14. Move furniture simply. Place small pieces of aluminum foil underneath the legs of large furniture items. Make sure that the dull side is faced down as it is more slippery than the shiny side.
15. Extend the life of your soap bar. Place a piece of aluminum foil under your soap to keep it from soaking in water and dissolving quickly.
16. Eliminate rust from your shower rod. Crumble up some foil and rub off any rust spots.
17. Line paint trays. Instead of purchasing disposable paint trays which can be quite pricey line a reusable pan with aluminum foil before adding paint. Makes cleanup a breeze and saves you money.
18. Keep doorknobs and hinges safe while painting. Simply wrap them in foil to keep them free from paint drips.
19. Fix a loose battery connection. Fold a one square inch piece of foil several times. Insert it between the battery and loose spring to hold it in place.
20. Clean an clothes iron. If you have a buildup of starch on your iron it may be causing your iron to stick. To fix this run the iron over a piece of aluminum foil.
21. Iron more quickly. Place a sheet of foil between the ironing board and cover to iron both sides at once. Since foil conducts heat this will allow you to finish in half the time.
22. Put loose vinyl tile in its place. Place a sheet of foil over the loose self-stick vinyl tile and press a hot iron over the foil. Continue until the adhesive backing melts causing it to stick well.
23. Line cabinets and drawers. This will help reflect light in the dark corners and also make cleaning a breeze.
24. Protect your eyeglasses while dying your hair. Wrap aluminum foil over the temples of your eyeglasses. Now you can see if you miss any gray spots.
25. Save your children’s clothing. Wrap the bottoms of ice cream cones with foil to catch any melting drips.
26. Make crafts. Aluminum foil is perfect for covering and decorating various shapes such as stars, moons, and hearts.
27. Training pets. Place some sheets of foil on your furniture or in the doorways of any rooms that you don’t want your pets to enter. Cats and dogs have pads under their paws and do not like their paws to touch foil.
28. Protect fruit trees from birds. Cut some aluminum foil into strips, twist them, and then using some fishing line hang them from the branches. The reflection of light along with the crinkly sound will keep birds away from the trees.
29. Clean an outdoor grill. Ball up some foil and use to scrub off dried on foods.
30. Protect matches while outside. Wrap matches in aluminum foil to keep them protected from moisture and dampness.
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