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13 household problems you can fix with aluminium foil

And wrapping leftovers isn't one of them! - by Laura Barry
  • 08 Apr 2021

It may be a humble kitchen staple, but aluminium foil has a surprisingly large range of services to offer. 

WATCH: Learn how to clean your tech devices properly.

Tin foil is so handy, in fact, that you shouldn’t limit its uses to the kitchen. You probably had no idea how useful this ordinary kitchen product could be – it can clean, protect, shape, grow, polish – the opportunities are endless!

Here are five different household problems that can be either solved, or made easier, with the use of aluminium foil.

1. Make ironing quicker 

Placing foil underneath your ironing board cover (shiny side up) will increase the heat and therefore remove stubborn wrinkles faster. This simple hack also means you don’t have to iron both sides of your clothes.

Ironing board with folded clothing on top
Getty

2. Make your own touch pen

If you wrap the tip of a normal pen in foil, and ensure the tip is pointed, you can use it as a touch-point pen for some digital devices. 

3. Polish rusty chrome fixtures

Got a rusty towel rack or bathroom tap? Simply scrunch some foil into a loose ball and rub it over the rust. Your chrome fixtures will be as good as new in no time.

Modern bathroom with chrome tap
Getty

4. Sharpen blunt scissors

If the household scissors need re-sharpening, simply cut into a sheet of aluminium foil up to 10 times to have cleaner, sharper shears. 

5. Remove static electricity

For a dryer hack that prevents clothes and sheets coming out full of static electricity, pop a ball of scrunched-up aluminium foil into the dryer when you do the next load. No more static.

6. Remove stains from your iron

Clean your iron by gently rubbing the base with aluminium foil - just don't do it too often because it can scratch the iron. 

7. Move furniture with no damage

Place foil on the bottom of the legs and then slide your furniture to its new home. It’s cheap, easy and it protects your floor and furniture from scratches. There’s no need to buy furniture sliding pads just to adjust your furniture.

Man and woman lifting timber table up staircase
Getty

8. Create unique cake pans

Form a thick heavy-duty aluminium foil into your desired shape inside the pan – heart cake, Christmas tree shape or whatever you like!

9. Prevent cuttings from growing tangled

Propagate new plants neatly by covering them with a sheet of foil. Just poke a few holes and insert cuttings and watch them grow uncluttered!

10. Scare birds away

Dangle foil from a fruit tree or post in your garden to scare away pesky birds. Some birds are afraid of shiny things so will stay away from fruit, clotheslines and balconies.

11. Preserve steel-wool pads

Have you ever used a steel-wool pad just to find that the next day it’s already rusty? To prevent this, just wrap the pad in foil and put it in the freezer.

12. Scrub your pots

Crumple up foil and use it to scrub your pots. You can even use the same foil from cooking your casserole to clean up the dish.

Shiny pots and pans in a drawer
Getty

13. Fix loose batteries

Fold a small piece of foil in the battery compartment to hold the batteries in place. The pad should be placed between the battery and the spring.

  • Better Life
  • Hacks
  • Cleaning
Laura Barry
Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.

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