As it turns out, those little packets of beads have a purpose, and you may want to think twice before tossing them in the trash the next time you receive a new purchase.
TikTok user Rachel (@plumcots) brought the Silica Gel packets to the attention of her 139,000 TikTok followers and urged them to “stop throwing these little packet things away.”
She said she used to throw the packets out. She said she recalled seeing them “everywhere” and “anywhere” and assumed they were packets of poison since they warn: “Do not eat.” “Why would they put poison in the box?” she questioned. “What’s the point of them?”
This question prompted Rachel to search for the reason. She said she discovered they were used to keep moisture out of products. “So here are the reasons why you should start saving them,” she says.
Rachel says that when a person drops their phone in water, it’s common for them to put the phone in a bag of rice. She recommends using these packets instead of the rice to suck the moisture out.
She adds that she typically leaves her freshly cleaned—and wet—makeup brushes on a towel to dry overnight. Rachel is now going to use the packets to speed up the drying process.
Although she hasn’t tested out the next suggestion, Rachel says she heard it works. Rachel says one can put them on their dashboard on a foggy day.
“That’s just some of the many things you use this for,” she says. “I’m gonna start collecting them and put them in a jar.”
@plumcots live love silica beads 🤗 #sciene#school#fyp#foryou#benefits#lifehacks#hacks#advice#fypシ#viral#tiktok#plumcots#money#xybca ♬ original sound – rachel
The Daily Dot reached out to Rachel via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. Her video racked up over 485,000 views. Viewers shared common misconceptions regarding the purposes of the Silica Gel packets.
“I used to think they were to help things not smell bad,” one viewer said.
“I thought they was orbeez,” a second commented.
Some viewers felt the information Rachel shared in her video was “general knowledge” and offered how they use the packets.
“I throw them in my wardrobes, prevents mold from moisture,” one user shared.
“Put them in your [jewelry] box and it’ll prevent your [jewelry] from tarnishing so quickly,” a second stated.
In a nutshell, Silica Gel absorbs moisture and prevents humidity in boxes. These packets can contain “granular silicic acid, which resembles sand, or tiny gel beads,” according to the North Carolina Poison Control. However, ingesting these packets can cause nausea and vomiting. Furthermore, they are a choking hazard for children, thus the “do not eat” warning on them.
