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Aluminum foil is a staple in the Southern kitchen. For good reason, too. It’s an incredibly versatile tool that can be re-used and recycled. It can be used to make easy dinners, like Cheesy Green Chile Pork Chop Foil Packets that clean up in a snap. It can double as the lid to a pot, cover a bowl, be used in the oven, the backyard grill, slow cooker, and air fryer. It can even be chucked in the dishwasher. Aluminum foil can even help create a home version of a low country boil or clambake.
While it’s downright indispensable in the kitchen, foil has plenty of uses in other parts of the house, too. Here are some clever ways to use aluminum foil outside the kitchen that you may not have thought about before.
Use It in the Garden to Scare Off Birds
Apparently some birds are scared of shiny things, so hanging pieces of foil in your garden or mixing scraps in with the mulch can keep your vegetables safe from our feathered friends. The folks at Virginia Tech suggest wrapping aluminum foil around plant stems to shield them from cutworms.
Clean the Grill
As we’ve mentioned, one of the easiest ways to clean a dirty grill is with leftover foil. Just ball it up, start scrubbing one section at a time, and soon your grill be ready for your next cookout.
Move Heavy Furniture
If you want to reorganize your space, but the prospect of moving your side table seems daunting, slip some foil under the legs and start sliding.
Sharpen Scissors
If your scissors aren’t snipping the way they should be, try cutting through some foil. Fold foil (new or clean, used foil) into several layers and start cutting. Five or six cuts through the foil should get your scissors snipping again.
Make Ironing Easier
Put a layer of aluminum foil beneath the ironing board cover to speed up the process. The foil reflects the heat back onto whatever you’re ironing, as opposed to heating up the board itself, making wrinkles disappear faster.
Strengthen Your Wifi Signal
If your wifi isn’t strong enough to stream TikTok or cat videos, a piece of foil may help. According to Science Alert, you can use foil to create a reflector that, when positioned behind your router, may amplify your WiFi signal in places where you need it most.
Eliminate Static from Your Laundry
If you run out of dryer sheets or don’t like the residue it leaves on your clothing, try using foil balls instead. Make them by simply balling up some clean foil. According to CNET, each dryer load needs two or three aluminum balls, each about two inches wide. Just chuck ’em in with the clothes, dry as usual, and let them remove the static from your laundry.
Keep Cats Off the Counters
If your furry friend likes to loiter a little too close to your dinner fixings, according to Family Handyman, some foil can *ahem* foil their plans. Apparently cats can’t stand the way that foil feels on their little paws and the noise is disagreeable to their delicate ears, so putting a few strips of foil on the counter edge can keep cats away.
Keep the Fireplace Clean
Before your next indoor s’mores session, make a tray out of heavy-duty foil and line the bottom of your fireplace. Light your fire, melt your marshmallows, and when the fun is over, and everything cools down, simply pull out the foil. The ashes and everything else can go straight in the bin.
Polish Chrome
If you’ve spotted some rust popping up on your bathroom fixtures or on parts of your car, a ball of foil and some water can buff those spots right out and restore their shine.
Improve Your Selfie Game
If you want to make your selfies look a little more polished without spending on professional gear, foil can help. Wrap a piece of cardboard in aluminum foil and you’ll have a DIY light reflector perfect for bouncing subtle light back on to the subject a.k.a. you.
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