45 Incredibly Useful Aluminum Foil Hacks Most Of Us Aren't Aware Of

It turns out good old aluminum foil isn’t just useful for food packaging and barbecue cooking. Yep, did you know The trusty kitchen staple can actually be used to ward off garden pests, sharpen scissors, and even make silver sparkle. Read on to discover the most awesome aluminum foil hacks — and find out what happens when you wrap it around your fingertips!

45. Clean cast iron

One of the toughest things to get clean in the kitchen is an easily rusted cast-iron skillet. But forget about trying to get off the dirt and grime with soap and water; simply reach for aluminum foil instead. Rolled-up balls of the stuff will make all that scrubbing so much easier.

44. Cook food while camping

Aluminum can make cooking while enjoying life in the great outdoors so much easier. If you want to heat tinned goods on your camping trip, simply wrap them up in kitchen foil. Then place the goods in the center of the fire and after a few minutes, you can be devouring some hot baked beans or spaghetti hoops straight from the can.

43. Boost WiFi signal

Are you having difficulty connecting to the WiFi at home? Well, a simple piece of aluminum can help your chances of getting and staying online. All you need to do is fold some foil into a 4” by 6” rectangle. Then, make a curved shape by bending the shiniest part inwards and position your router just in front of it.

42. Soften brown sugar

There’s nothing worse when cooking a sweet treat than having to declump any sugar that’s solidified in your kitchen cupboards. A useful trick, though, is to wrap the clumps in aluminum foil and bake them in the oven. After just five minutes at a temperature of 300 degrees, the sugar should be entirely separated.

41. Repel garden pests

If you’re sick of pesky critters damaging your plants in the wintertime, then reach for the aluminum. Ensure that rodents and deer give all saplings a wide berth by placing foil at their stems. Apparently, this should help to keep your shrubbery intact until the springtime. Just one thing: make sure you take it off when the plant begins to grow.

40. Line your paint tray

Avoid buying brand new paint trays every time you fancy doing a bit of decorating with this inspired use of aluminum. By using foil as a liner, you no longer need to throw away the tray after finishing a wall or room. Just discard the aluminum, and you’ll be ready to pour in a new color.

39. Take food out of the pressure cooker

One of the hardest things about using a pressure cooker is getting the food out when it’s done. To avoid burning your hands, create a makeshift sling by placing some foil inside before adding your food. This will make it much easier and safer to lift the food out when it’s cooked.

38. Fix ripped jeans

Yes, aluminum can even come in handy if you’ve ripped your favorite pair of Levi’s. Before setting up the ironing board to steam on your replacement patch, make sure that you place some foil inside. This should help prevent the other side from getting stuck to the patch while it’s being ironed.

37. Makeshift cake pan

You don’t need to spend a small fortune on different cake pans if you fancy a spot of baking. Simply shape some aluminum foil into the size of your sponge and create a whole new pan for next to nothing. And if you have the right-sized bakeware in your cupboards already — don’t fret. Just position your makeshift pain inside the existing one to make the case even sturdier. You’ll save yourself the washing up, too! 

36. Make a stylus

Here’s an aluminum hack that tech giants probably aren’t too keen for you to try. There’s no need to spend cash on a stylus for those moments when you need to poke your screen with something more precise than a finger. Instead, simply use a pencil wrapped in foil.

35. DIY candle

If you find yourself without any candles in the middle of a power cut, fear not. You can actually create one yourself by combining twine, oil, an empty can, and some aluminum. Simply pour the oil into the can before covering it with a piece of foil that has a small slit. After threading the twine in the slit, light up, and you no longer need to sit in darkness.

34. Boost radiator efficiency

Do you want to avoid having to turn up the radiators to full blast during the height of winter? Save dollars by placing some foil at the sides of and behind the heating device. This will then divert all of the warmth to the room’s center and away from your walls.

33. Pop that corn

Have you got popcorn kernels but no microwave? Well, you don’t have to go without the ultimate movie-night snack. Line a skillet with a little kitchen foil before adding a splash of oil along with your kernels. Seal them in with another piece of aluminum on top and heat them up. You’ll know they’re ready when there are at least three seconds in between each pop.

32. Line your kitchen drawers

This is perhaps one of the simplest aluminum foil hacks. Instead of buying liners designed to specifically protect your kitchen drawers and cabinets, why not try this much cheaper method. Just cut some foil into the right shape, and add it to the base of the drawer. Simple!

31. Makeshift cookie cutters

If you’re looking to bake some cookies in an unusual shape or size, you might find it tricky to find a cutter to match. But you don’t have to abandon your culinary vision; just cut and fold two layers of heavy-duty kitchen foil into your design of choice.

30. Keep insects at bay

Your back garden can be a haven for all kinds of creepy crawlies. To stop them from wreaking havoc on your pride and joy, then, make a mulch using kitchen foil. After laying weed block over your already weeded beds, cover them with aluminum. Just remember to point the shinier half down. This will help to produce a barrier between the insects and your plants.

29. Ease feet and hand pain

Suffering from repetitive strain injury after a day on the computer? Or maybe you’re feeling a twinge in your ankle after a long walk? You don’t need to resort to any fancy bandages; simply place some foil over the offending area, and the pain will soon be a thing of the past.

28. Teeth whitening

If you look online, there are tons of potential home-remedy whitening mixes you can try. Ingredients such as baking soda, lemon juice, and even hydrogen peroxide tend to come up. But once you’ve found your solution of choice, how do you make it stay on your teeth? Aluminum foil, of course! Simply paint the mixture on the foil and mold it around your teeth.

27. Relieve arthritis

Some people swear by using foil to relieve muscle and joint pain. So, if you get rheumatoid arthritis in your fingers, you may want to give this hack a go. According to Chinese medicine, foil helps to support the energy flow through the body and can therefore relieve pain. Simply wrap each of the affected digits and repeat for around ten to 12 days.

26. Barbecue drip pan

A summer barbecue can turn into a cleaning nightmare after all that grease has dripped onto the grill. But make relentless scrubbing a thing of the past by layering some kitchen foil underneath all the meaty goodness. You can then enjoy your burgers and sausages without having to worry about getting rid of any mess.

25. Grilled cheese maker

Do you fancy sprucing up the humble cheese sandwich but don’t have a grill to hand? Well, as long as you have an iron and some foil, you’re in luck. Just wrap the bread and cheese in the aluminum, and after placing it on a hot iron for ten minutes, you’ll have the tastiest of snacks.

24. Used oil disposal

Used cooking oil is always one of the trickiest things to get rid of in the kitchen. So to avoid making a mess, simply pour it into a bowl-shaped piece of foil. After the oil has both cooled and hardened, just scrunch the aluminum into a ball and throw it away along with your regular trash. 

23. Heal minor burns

Have you touched something fresh out of the oven without any mitts? Well, with foil, that pain will be a thing of the past. Simply position the shinier side on the affected body part. And after keeping it there for approximately a quarter of an hour, the burning sensation should have subsided.

22. The emergency iron

Has your iron just broken and you’re strapped for time? No worries: simply wrap some aluminum foil around a long-handled pan, heat it on the stove, and get ironing. It may look a little unusual, but it’ll work out the creases as effectively as your normal iron.

21. Convert AAAs into AAs

If you’re in need of an AA battery but only have spare AAAs, simply roll a strip of foil into a ball and place it beside your device’s negative terminal. Next, insert the AAA so that it touches the positive terminal and the foil. Job done.

20. Sharpen scissors

Take a sheet of foil and fold it a few times — or layer a few sheets on top of each other — before reaching for the scissors. Amazingly, after you’ve cut through the foil, the blades will be super sharp.

19. Make silver shine

Take a strip of aluminum foil and, with a good sprinkling of baking soda, place it into a liter of boiling water. Place your dull silver cutlery inside for a few seconds, remove with tongs, and admire the shininess.

18. Rust removal

Take some aluminum foil, dunk it in water and start rubbing on a rusty surface. Before long, the rust will simply wipe away. And because aluminum is soft compared to steel, doing this won’t scratch the metal, either.

17. Seal plastic food bags

If you want to keep an opened bag of food fresh, take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it over the opening. Run an iron over the top and the plastic will melt together. And after it’s cooled, the foil can then be removed.

16. No more static

Take a pair of foil sheets and scrunch them up into balls. Place them into the tumble dryer with your clothes, and when you go to take them out, they should be entirely free of static. They’ll have none of the residue left behind by dryer sheets, either.

15. Grill cleaning

Cover your dirty grill grates in aluminum foil before turning the heat right up. Ensure the lid is closed and turn off the heat approximately half an hour later. After the foil’s been removed with tongs, any leftover cremated grime can easily be wiped away with a cloth.

14. Hair curling

Forget fancy hair-curling devices, and give this hack a try. Take six sheets of 15-inch-long foil, place them on top of each other, and cut them into four pieces. Then scrunch each around a section of rolled hair before applying hair straighteners to the curl for just a few seconds. Then, remove the foil.

13. Keep bananas fresh

Bananas stay fresh for longer if a little aluminum foil is wrapped around their stems, which may just be the simplest hack of them all. A few drops of lemon juice can apparently help too.

12. Foil furniture sliders

Place some aluminum foil under the legs of sofas or tables — dull side facing down — and the furniture will slide along the carpet with much less friction. It’s a cheaper alternative to furniture sliders, for sure.

11. No more soggy pizzas

Fashion a dome of aluminum foil over the top of a soggy pizza you want to reheat and place into a frying pan over a medium heat. In next to no time any limpness will have been replaced by crispy freshness. Result!

10. A temporary funnel

Are you cooking something up and need a funnel? There’s no need to trek to a homeware store. Instead, get crafty by fashioning one from foil. It might be worth using more than one layer to ensure the flow doesn’t cause the funnel to unravel.

9. Deter birds

Birds — even magpies, contrary to popular belief — aren’t fans of shiny objects. Attach some foil to an apple or pear tree, and your feathered enemies should leave the fruit that’s rightfully yours well alone.

8. Protect vegetables

Tear strips from a piece of aluminum foil and add them to your garden mulch. Not only will they protect vegetables from pests, but the foil will reflect growth-stimulating light onto your tasty crops.

7. A sun box

Place some aluminum foil around the inside of a shoebox and, hey presto, you’ve got yourself a sun box. Keep herbs here and, thanks to the reflected light, they’ll grow directly upwards instead of leaning towards the sun.

6. The magic ironing board

Slip off the ironing-board protector before rolling out the foil over the top of the frame. Once it’s covered, the protector can be reattached. When you start ironing, the foil’s heat-reflecting properties mean that creases will be removed on both sides at the same time. Magic!

5. Save soap

No one likes picking up a soggy bar of soap. With a piece of aluminum foil underneath it, however, your soap won’t gradually disintegrate into a squishy mess that is horrible to pick up. It’ll last longer, too.

4. Budget photographers’ reflectors

Collapsible reflectors are a must for photographers. If one’s not to hand, though, a budget alternative can easily be fashioned using a piece of card wrapped in shiny aluminum foil.

3. Paint prep

If you’re about to decorate but can’t find the trusty masking tape, don’t fret. You needn’t waste valuable time going to the store. Simply wrap aluminum foil around the area you don’t want to paint — such as a doorknob — and voila! You also don’t run the risk of the sticky tape pulling and making any chips elsewhere, either!

2. Attract fish

Fish are attracted to light. So if you’re having difficulty luring those slippery critters to your fishing rod, aluminum foil can help. Owner of the IntenseAngler YouTube channel said this works as an “effective flasher, calling in those fish who are more reluctant to bite.” He says this hack has helped him catch lots of fish over the years!

1. Clean your glue gun

If you’ve ever needed to use a hot glue gun, then you probably also remember what a pain it was to clean. The glue tends to harden around the tip, making it nearly impossible to use again without having to peel it off. Rubbing the tool with a ball of aluminum foil should take the cemented glue right off.