That box of aluminum foil may not look particularly exciting, but boy can it be used in all sorts of incredible ways! Here are some handy tips on how to use aluminum foil in different ways around your house…hope you find some ideas that will help you.
1. Dish scrubber
If you need a scrubber to scrub away grime and grubbiness from your dishes or your pots and pans, then aluminum foil can come to the rescue! Just crumple it up, and use as you would any scrubby. Be aware though, that it could scratch delicate surfaces. So for that reason, always test an inconspicuous area first. OR, just use it for heavy-duty items like pots and pans. (And be careful to test it for safety on nonstick pans, which tend to be easier to scratch!)
2. Line your baking pans – fewer dishes to wash, hooray!
Obviously, a lot of people love parchment paper for lining their baking pans. But, I also like using foil for the same purpose! If you’re baking up some french fries, some cookies, or some vegetarian chicken nuggets (shout out to unMeatables!) – you can simply line the baking sheet with foil. If it’s a sticky item, such as ribs or chicken nuggets, you’ll probably want to spray or brush on a bit of vegetable oil, or olive oil. Then, you can just throw the mess away once your food is finished baking – no extra dishes to wash!
3. Clean your iron
Is the bottom of your iron looking grubby? Heat your iron up as usual, and then run the hot iron over a piece of aluminum foil. It is a safe and effective way to clean the bottom of your iron – your iron will shine again!
4. Wrap up lunches and leftovers
Aluminum foil is a more environmentally friendly way to wrap up lunches (such as sandwiches) and leftovers, rather than using plastic. And, because foil is so durable (my favourite one currently is this 365 Everyday Value kind, which I find much more durable than other brands, and still affordable) you can re-use it! Simply wipe clean, and then re-use over and over again until it sort of tears apart.
And, instead of relying on plastic bags for leftovers in the freezer, I find that a good square of aluminum foil can do an excellent job. Especially for things like leftover baked goods like muffins, or even slices of pie. When you wrap them up individually, you can just take out one piece at a time – very handy for reheating in the microwave.
Oh, and a handy side tip: You can absolutely write on foil with a Sharpie or any other type of permanent marker. What you think you’ll remember as being a blueberry muffin, might end up being an eggroll unless you mark it. You know how that goes…Eggrolls for breakfast rather than muffins. Hmmm, now that I think about that, I’m not sure that’s such a bad idea at all!
5. Use it as a cat toy
Haha, okay, only useful if you’re cat lovers like we are. But, crumple up a good sized piece of foil, and you suddenly have a cat toy that most kitties will go nuts for! And, it’s about the cheapest cat toy you’ll ever find, to boot. And if you lose it under the fridge or a piece of furniture? Well, it’s pretty simple to replace it!
6. Use foil for easy camping cooking
If you camp, you should always take a roll of aluminum foil with you! You can wrap up the food you want to cook, and pop it right into the glowing embers of your campfire. For instance: potatoes are perfectly cooked that way. (Just remember to always poke the potatoes a few times before wrapping up in the foil, or else you might have a potato-splosion! I’ve been there, done that, sadly. Haha.) Also, durable foil can be folded up to create your own one-time-use cookware. Just fold it up until it seems strong, and then cook whatever food needs cooking in your foil-origami creation!
The best part of this, of course, is that you can simply throw away the foil when you’re done cooking! And, it reduces the heavy pots and pans you need to go camping with. No one likes toting those heavy things around.
7. Cover your cans and bottles with foil – Summertime tips
As in – cover the tops of your cans and bottles with a bit of foil! If you’re having a bubble drink, covering it will help keep the bubbles fizzy longer. AND…if you’re enjoying a cold beverage outside, a bit of foil over the top of the can or neck of the bottle means you’ll prevent bugs from flying into your drink! Win-win, if you ask me. No lovely beverage is improved with the addition of an insect or two. Ick.
8. Line your fridge crispers/produce drawers with foil
This is an easy way to keep your fridge crispers or produce drawers (or even a meat drawer) nice and tidy and clean in your fridge. When they get really gunky, just throw them away! Or, in the case of the produce drawer foil, you could remove it and let it soak in a sink full of soapy water, and then clean it and re-use it. But, if the foil has been in contact with meat, I would definitely throw it away to be safe.