Next time you buy a new pair of shoes, you might want to rethink throwing away the silica gel packets that come with them.

You still don't want to eat the things, but you can at least get some use out of them. Check out DailyMail.com's awesome list for these wonderful poison packets.

Freshen Your Gym Bag

Well, they keep your shoes dry so why not your sweaty gym clothes? The bacteria that makes your shorts stink needs a few things to live, and one is moisture.  The packets will absorb a good amount of the moisture from sweat in your bag, keeping the bacteria's smell at bay.  Now, that doesn't mean you can wait to wash your gym clothes longer. They're still gross.

Dry Out Your Makeup Bag

Nothing can ruin your expensive makeup like spilling water on it, even if it's just a little. That's why the little gel balls are perfect for soaking up the mess.  Each silica gel ball can absorb 20-40% of its own weight. So that means a typical sized gel packet can absorb around 4 grams of water.  Boom. Makeup saved.

Protect Silver From Tarnish

When silver is exposed to chemicals in the air, it develops the dreaded tarnish layer. Moisture in the air makes speeds up this process, which is where silica gel comes in.  So, when you put your silver away, whether its jewelry or anything else, you'd be best served wrapping it up with a few packets of silica!  This isn't the only way to keep silver dry, but this article isn't about anything but silica gel packets.

No More Musty Smelling Books

Personally, I love that musty book smell. However, it doesn't work for everyone.  If you don't enjoy ye old book smell, you can either not read books, or throw your favorites into a bag with a few silica gel packs.  Getting rid of some of the moisture around the books slows down the paper's decomposition.

Extend life of Razors

Water keeps us all alive, but it sure does ruin all of our stuff.  Simply throw your razor in a zip-lock bag with the gel packets. This will keep the blades dry and rust free for longer.  However, with any of these methods, you can't absorb moisture with already-soaked silica gel. If you don't have extra gel around, you can dry your used silica gel on a radiator, in a microwave, or in a cool oven.

 

 

(Contributions made by Jon Faria, Fun Morning Show staff)

More From WFHN-FM/FUN 107