Silica Gel....why????

Halzer

Hooked on Classics!
O.G.
Mar 11, 2007
1,271
2
Ok..

Can someone answer this question that has been bugging me since my teens.

"Silica Gel. Do not eat. Throw away. Desiccant"

What are the purpose of those teeny been bag things with the above text printed on the outside that are always left inside new bags?

If you have to throw them away, why are left inside bags? Why do you have to chuck them away when you get the bag? Why dont you need to keep them inside forever? Whats the difference between an 'owned' bag and a 'shelf' one?

Can someone ease my burden by tellling me the answer? :lol:
 
Yup. They just absorb any moisture so it doesn't wreck the bag. They're often in shoe boxes and other things, too. They just go right in the trash, and, like bagnshoofetish said, they're toxic to pets so make sure they aren't laying around.
 
^^^ yes but why not keep them in there when you are using your bag?

I guess if you live in a real humid region that would make sense but if the bags tear open, they are toxic to us too. And I hate to think a small child could get hold of one and put it in their mouth so it wouldn't be worth the risk to me.
 
Moisture??? You mean like when they are stored in the warehouse etc? But then wouldnt moisture affect the whole bag and not just the inside?

When I was younger my mum told me they were to keep moth balls outs?? LOL!!
 
there is humidity in the air and the outside of bags are exposed to circulating air hence they stay dryer on the outside as opposed to the interior which is closed most of the time and traps humidity inside.
 
i ate a package when i was little haha me and another little girl found one inside i forget what we were like 6 and thought it was a sugar package so we ate it!!!

needless to say poison control was called by our panicked parents who were told to make us drink milk and if we threw up to go to the hospital
but we were ok! :smile:
thank goodness


but yes def ever since i see these things i cringe!!
 
If you do a Google search for 'silica gel packets' or just 'silica gel' you'll find out more than you wanted to know - but basically, it's a chemical that absorbs moisture, used when items are in storage for any amount of time. The little capsules can even be in your vitamins. Silica gel just absorbs incredible amounts of moisture - by itself, it's NOT poisonous. It's what it can absorb that may be poisonous, and some of the chemicals used that can be nasty, but you'd know about that. When it's labeled 'dessicant' (which means 'dry', basically) it's harmless. Just toss the little guys when you find them. Or collect them and put them in a bowl in a real humid area of your house, if you don't already have a dehumidifier.
 
sure its only harmless if consumed in small quantities but nonetheless causes stomach upset and who would want to put their kid/animal through that? also if an animal ingests a large amount it can cause intestinal obstruction which can lead to death. I say throw the little suckers away.
 
sure its only harmless if consumed in small quantities but nonetheless causes stomach upset and who would want to put their kid/animal through that? also if an animal ingests a large amount it can cause intestinal obstruction which can lead to death. I say throw the little suckers away.

Sure, you're right. I haven't had a dog in a long time (and I forget they eat anything!) and I've never had children (and forget that they'll put anything in their mouths, according to mom-friends who tell me) and I just have a cat, who won't eat anything he ought to and certainly turns up his nose at this sort of thing. Strangely enough, he loves canned pumpkin, but it's only Libby's canned pumpkin, no other kind. He's a pumpkin snob. But I digress.
 
Haha, about the cat, I know exactly what you mean!
I live in a humid climate, now why haven't I been saving my dessicants darn it?
 
Silly Q, if they are harmful to animals then surely they should not just be thrown away or discarded hap-hazzardly - maybe they should be taken out by the shop and disposed of appropriately.