Cleaning & Organizing
20 Plastic Wrap Uses You Probably Didn’t Know About
You can use it for more than just covering up leftovers.
Protect your phone
Screen protectors can run anywhere from $15 to $40, but one box of cling wrap is roughly $4 or so, making a DIY plastic wrap protector a no-brainer. First, make sure to clean your phone screen. Then cut the plastic wrap, so it’s about three inches bigger than your screen. Stretch and smooth it over your screen and wrap any excess in the back of your phone before cutting it off. Then put your regular phone case in place.
Keep flowers fresh
Extend the life of your fresh bouquet with plastic wrap. Cut a rectangle of plastic wrap and place a damp paper towel on top. Then put the ends of your flowers in the middle of the moist paper towel and fold them both up to keep the flowers fresh. You can use a bow or tissue paper to cover up this plastic wrap hack. Check out these other extraordinary uses for household staples.
Trap fruit flies
Pesky fruit flies are no match for cling wrap. Here’s what to do: grab a small cup and a few pieces of fruit. Then use plastic wrap to cover the top and poke a hole in the middle with a pen or pencil. The flies find their way inside the cup but have trouble escaping the plastic wrap effectively trapping them.
Keep bananas fresh
Bananas, much like avocados, are notorious for quickly moving from fresh to over-ripe. To slow down the process and keep your bananas fresh, try wrapping the stems of the fruit with plastic wrap. Here are more tools you can find in your kitchen that have brilliant uses you’ve never thought of.
Fix shattered makeup
You don’t have to toss out every broken makeup compact. Instead, try using plastic wrap to firm-up the powder. First, cover the powder compact with plastic wrap. Then crush the powder with your fingers or a spoon, so it’s loose. Add a drop or two of rubbing alcohol to make a paste. Use the same spoon to smooth this out and wait 24 hours for it to dry before using.
Unclog your toilet
If the plunger fails, it might be time to try this technique for unclogging your toilet. Use plastic wrap to cover the toilet bowl and flush. Once the plastic swells, you should push down on creating enough pressure to unblock the pipeline.
Lower your heating bill
So you can’t put plastic wrap on a beating bill and make it go away, but you can use it on your windows to inadvertently save some cash. To help cut heating costs, try using plastic shrink film on your windows. Just apply double-sided tape to the perimeter of the window, cut and apply a slightly oversized piece of plastic to the tape, and seal the deal by using heat from a hairdryer to the film. Here’s everything else you need to know about winterizing your windows.
Stop bottle leakage
Travel-lovers often learn the hard way that some bottle caps are bad at their job. Avoiding shampoo, conditioner, and body wash spills is easy with a piece of plastic wrap. Remove the lids or caps and place a piece of plastic wrap on top ensuring everything that’s in the bottle stays in the bottle.
Poach a perfect egg
This plastic wrap hack could be the key to finally perfecting egg poaching. Start by covering a bowl in plastic wrap. (Be sure to use good quality plastic wrap that has a melting point between 250 to 290 Fahrenheit, so the plastic doesn’t melt during the poaching process.) Spritz the wrap with cooking spray, so the egg doesn’t stick. Crack your egg into the lined bowl. Tie and knot the corners of the plastic to keep the egg in place. Then simmer your water and cook the eggs for six minutes to poach them perfectly.
Line your shelves
Cover your shelves with plastic wrap to make them easier to clean. The plastic is easy to peel off, catches leaks, and means there’s one less thing to scrub down in your kitchen.
Prevent freezer burn
Never let good ice cream go to waste because of freezer burn again. Cover the top of your ice cream container—or anything else you freeze—and put the lid back on top. This double-duty system keeps frozen food fresh. Try one of these 26 storage tricks to make your food last longer.
De-cork wine
Some wines are “corky,” meaning they have a musty chemical smell that makes the wine unpleasant to drink thanks to TCA—a natural compound found in wine. You can ball up some PVC-based plastic wrap and place it in a pitcher or jar of wine to lessen this stink.
Keep paint from drying out
If you’re saving the last of some paint use plastic wrap to keep it fresh. Seal the cans with the wrap and then cover with the lid. This not only preserves the paint, but also keeps the harsh smell at bay, too.
Take off stickers easily
So you want to keep that glass jar, but not the ugly sticker label on the front. Start by soaking the decal with warm water and dish soap. Then completely wrap the wet container with plastic wrap and wait five minutes. The label should remove easily after taking off the wrap. The glue on stickers isn’t nearly as tough to get off as strong glue. Here’s how to remove strong glue and 46 other amazing uses for WD-40.
Make any glass to-go
Finding the top of a to-go mug is the bane of existence for many plastic-hoarders. Skip the hassle and use plastic wrap to make any cup a to-go cup. Simply cover the top of your cup and poke in a reusable straw.
Keep jewelry from tangling
If you’ve ever spent too much time trying to untangle your jewelry you need to try this plastic wrap hack. Cut out a piece of plastic wrap and lay your jewelry on top. Then cut a second piece of plastic to smooth over your necklaces and bracelets and voila!
Protect clothes
Kitchen aprons are great and all, but they’re just another thing to clean post-cooking. Try using a piece of plastic wrap instead to cover your chest and clothes while cooking. You can peel it off and contain the mess after you’re done and save time, too. If you’re stuck cleaning other things, remember these 17 cleaning tricks for tough-to-clean household objects.
Keep lettuce fresh
Keeping lettuce fresh with plastic wrap is similar to keeping flowers fresh with plastic wrap. Take your bowl of lettuce and cover it with a damp paper towel before covering the whole bowl in plastic wrap. It should keep for seven days or so.
Make moving easier
Make moving smarter, not harder. Use plastic wrap to cover draws that still have clothes in them. This makes moving them easier and takes out the step of emptying the drawers. You can also wrap the furniture in plastic wrap, protecting your clothes and making sure the draws don’t move at all. This tip also works for sealing utensils, so they stay in place during the move.
Keep your paintbrush or roller from drying out
Don’t let your paint rollers or brushes dry out with the help of plastic wrap. Take your brush or roller and merely cover them entirely with plastic. Now that you know all about the plastic wrap uses, check out these 45 aluminum foil uses you didn’t know about.