Aluminum Foil For Cleaning

Aluminum foil is a staple in most household pantries, as it comes in handy for everything from wrapping leftovers to lining the drip pans below your stove burners. But did you know you there are many more aluminum foil uses other than cooking and wrapping up extra slices of pizza? You can also use this common household material to clean! 

Learn how to use aluminum foil for cleaning with the following tips.

Using Aluminum Foil to Remove Rust

• Aluminum foil
• Dishwashing liquid
• Microfiber cloths
• A bucket of water

1. Make a batch of soapy water by adding a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the bucket of water and swishing it around.
2. Dampen the microfiber cloth and clean off the chrome area that has been rusted. This will make it easier to see the rusty patches.
3. Empty your bucket, rinse it out and fill it with plain water.
4. Tear off a strip of aluminum foil and dip it in the bucket of water.
5. Gently rub the wet foil on the rusted spots. If the foil dries out, dip it back in the water or grab a fresh piece.
6. Every now and then, wipe away any bits of rust with a dry microfiber cloth.
7. Repeat this process until you’ve removed all of the rust.
8. Buff the chrome with a clean microfiber cloth and apply a coat of wax or polish to prevent future rust buildup.

Cleaning Silverware With Aluminum Foil

• Aluminum foil
• A glass baking dish
• Enough boiling water to completely submerge your silverware in the baking dish
• ½ cup of distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• A microfiber cloth
• Tongs

1. Use the aluminum foil to completely line the glass baking dish. You’ll want to make certain the shinier side of the foil is facing upwards.
2. Combine the baking soda and sea salt, then sprinkle the mixture into the dish.
3. Now, add the vinegar to the dish. You’ll see fizzing as it reacts with the baking soda.
4. Taking care not to scald yourself, add the boiling water to the baking dish.
5. Place your silverware in a single layer along the bottom of the dish. You need to make sure that each piece is making contact with the aluminum foil.
6. Let the silverware soak for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on how heavy the tarnish is.
7. Use your tongs to remove the silverware from the solution, taking care not to burn yourself.
8. Dry and buff your silver with a microfiber cloth.
9. Repeat these steps with fresh solution and foil for any additional batches of silverware that you need to clean.

Can You Sharpen Scissors With Aluminum Foil?

It sounds impossible, right? Well, believe it or not, you can sharpen scissors with foil!

You’ll need:

• A sheet of aluminum foil about 12 inches long
• Your dull scissors

1. Take your foil and fold it lengthwise several times. The goal is to end up with a folded strip of foil that is several layers thick and about one-inch wide.
2. Working lengthwise, cut the foil with your scissors. Make sure you make full cuts, so that the entirety of the blades is sharpened. The idea behind this method is that cutting the foil will hone your scissors.
3. Test the sharpness of your scissors by snipping a piece of paper. If you want your scissors to be sharper, repeat the process.
4. Once your scissor blades are sharpened to your liking, wipe them down with a damp paper towel to remove any remnants of the foil.

How to Use Aluminum Foil to Clean a Grill

Foil works wonders when it comes to a grimy BBQ grill, especially if you have a grate coated with the residue of cookouts past.

You’ll need:

• 2 cups of distilled white vinegar
• A spray bottle
• Aluminum foil
• A water hose

1. Start by heating the grill up so that you can burn off as much caked-on residue as possible.
2. Let the grill cool completely.
3. Pour the vinegar into your spray bottle. Once the grill has cooled, spray the grill grate with vinegar until its dripping.
4. Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and crumple it into a ball. Scrub the grate with the ball of foil until no residue remains.
5. Take the grill grate to a driveway or someplace similar.
6. Rinse the grate with a water hose to remove any traces of vinegar.
7. Amazed by all these uses for aluminum foil? Wait until you see these household cleaning recipes made with lemon!