What is silica gel and its use in everyday life

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Silica gel is a product that is widely used in the domestic field. Let us further consider its main features, as well as some areas in which this substance can be applied. Any hostess who wants to keep the house dry should know this.

What is silica gel

Considering the features of silica gel, it should be noted that this substance is a gel, the main component of which is silicic acid. Currently, only the product that is presented in dried form is used in everyday life.

If you evaluate the external qualities of the product in question, you can see that it is presented in the form of small white granules or no color at all. As for the shape, they can be oval or spherical.

Silica gel granules are characterized by a porous but solid structure. Due to this quality, the product is able to actively adsorb various types of liquid, including water. In addition, silica gel is able to absorb certain types of vapors.organic substances and gases.

Operation principle

Having figured out what silica gel is, it is necessary to determine the basic principle of operation of this tool.

When exposed to a humid environment, silica gel absorbs the allowable amount of moisture. This occurs as a result of the active actions of the centers located on the entire vast surface of the granule - the absorbing capacity of the sorbent directly depends on their total number.

Currently, several types of silicates have been developed and actively used. Of these, indicator ones are especially in demand, which, as a certain amount of moisture is absorbed, change their color. As practice shows, this component is most often used in working with household appliances, when servicing double-glazed windows, as well as in chromatography.

Next, consider how silica gel filler is used in everyday life.

Dry shoes

In any box of new shoes you can find a couple of small bags with frosted or transparent silica gel granules - they are added to absorb moisture. However, few people realize that the remedy found can be of incredible help in the process of drying wet shoes. Of course, it will not be possible to achieve a state of complete dryness with the help of these granules, but you can significantly speed up the drying process. In order to achieve a positive result, it is necessary to place a bag with an adsorbent in wet shoes and leave it for several hours (if it gets slightly weta couple of hours is enough).

A significant advantage of using this method of drying shoes is that silica gel interacts well with such capricious materials as suede and nubuck.

Drying the smartphone

Silica gel: what is it and where is it used? Due to its ability to absorb moisture, this substance is often used to dry mobile phones and smartphones.

How to use the remedy for such a purpose? First of all, you should try to wipe the phone as well as possible with a soft, dry cloth, and then put it in a sealed bag, tightly overlaying the device with small bags of silica gel. In this form, the phone must be left overnight, after which all the moisture will be absorbed, and the device will remain working.

It should be noted that in this situation, the use of more silica gel is a guarantee of a complete recovery of the device.

Damp smell removal

It often happens that an unpleasant smell of dampness is observed in a room or in a separate container. You can get rid of it by using silica gel.

To do this, put a few bags of silica gel in the corners of the room or in any container from which you need to eliminate unpleasant odors.

People who go to the gym or swimming pool regularly carry a wet towel in their bag. They certainly encounter the presence of a damp smell. In order to permanently eliminate such a problem, it is enoughput a paper bag with the substance in question in one of the pockets of the bag.

Dehumidification in the bathroom

A bathroom is, as a rule, a room in which high humidity is constantly present. As you know, these conditions are an excellent area for the formation and reproduction of a fungus that is dangerous to human he alth. Moreover, the presence of excessive humidity causes the mirrors in the room to fog up.

In order to significantly reduce the level of humidity in the room, you can put a container with the substance in question under the bath or in any other place inaccessible to children and animals.

Silica gel for razor care

What is silica gel and where is it used? Few people know that this substance perfectly helps to extend the life of an ordinary razor. In order to do this, you need to take a small plastic container and fill it with silica gel. Now you need to put the razor in this container after each use, immersing it with the blades down. This will keep them dry all the time and prevent them from rusting.

Silica gel for cutlery care

Few people know that silica gel helps prevent blackening of silver cutlery, which occurs due to improper storage.

In order for forks with spoons to remain beautiful all the time and not blacken, you just need toput a bag with the substance in question in their place of storage. Practice shows that in this case, the cutlery will retain its natural shine and beauty for a long time.

In exactly the same way, you can store any other metal devices and objects - this adsorbent is able to absorb moisture, which causes metal corrosion.

For drying plants

Sometimes it happens that a dried flower is required to achieve certain goals. How to make the herbarium not only turn out quickly, but also be beautiful? Silica gel can be used for this.

A fresh flower or leaves for a herbarium should be put in a box and covered well with silica gel. In this case, the main attention should be paid to the fact that the plant must be completely covered with this substance.

In just a couple of days you can get a perfectly dried and beautiful herbarium.

Cat litter box

KSKG silica gel: what is it? This is ordinary silica gel, represented by large granules. Today, this substance is very often used to fill cat trays.

Of course, this gel is somewhat more expensive than the usual bentonite or wood filler, however, in many comments left by those who keep pets in apartment conditions, it is said that the consumption of this type of filler is much less, which is due to its ability to effectively absorb not only moisture, but alsoforeign odors. Practice shows that a complete replacement of the contents of the pot in this case may be necessary only after 3-4 weeks.

For photo storage

What is silica gel? To adsorb moisture, this agent is often used to ensure the long-term preservation of photographs printed on paper. To do this, just put the bag with the substance in the box with photographs and close it tightly. Under these storage conditions, the brightness of the images will be maintained for a long time.