Louisiana, Don’t Throw Those Silica Gel Packs Away – Here’s Why

Like a lot of people in Louisiana I spent a portion of this past weekend, you know when the weather was spectacular, cleaning out my garage. I think when we hit those first few beautiful springlike days in Louisiana our natural inclination is to get outdoors and for a lot of us that means clearing up the clutter from the wet and cold of winter.

As we were tossing items into the trash bins I noticed that almost every box that we had in the garage, we save them for Christmas wrapping, had at least one of those tiny square silica gel packs. You probably recognize them from the "DO NOT EAT" warning that is boldly printed across most of them. And then, like a lot of us, you throw them away.

What Do Silica Gel Packs Do Anyway?

The tiny packets help keep the contents of our packages free from moisture. Even though you can't see them, each of the packets has a lot of tiny holes. This allows air to flow through the packet and the silica contained within. The silica acts like a sponge and absorbs water out of the atmosphere. This helps keep your sensitive electronics and other purchases from being damaged by inadvertent moisture during shipping.

Why Should I Not Throw Silica Gel Packs Away?

To answer that question look at your driver's license. If it says "Louisiana" then you live in a place where moisture is abundant. That moisture affects the function of electronics, and the storage of perishable items, and it promotes the development of mold and mildew.

Those tiny little gel packs remove that moisture and can save you money in the long run. And the good news about the silica gel packs is that you don't have to buy them. All you have to do is treat them like Pokemon and "collect them all".

Experts suggest that you store any silica gel pack that comes in the packaging of items you buy for your home in a storage bag. A Ziplock bag would be perfect. Then you can re-use the gel packs to prevent moisture around your home. Here are some great suggestions that you might explore.