The Vintage Aluminum Foil Trick Redditors Swear By To Save Money

We all love a frugal household hack. Some of us like to repurpose food jars into storage containers. Others ditch the harsh chemicals and make their own cleaners out of vinegar, baking soda, and water. Switching to microfiber cloths instead of paper towels is another popular one — anything to save a buck and the environment. But there's one hack so simple and so overlooked that you'll wonder how you never thought of it before. It's reusing your aluminum foil. That's it.

After you've wrapped and stored your food in a shiny piece of aluminum foil, you can, in fact, use it again — as long as you do it the right way. This isn't a new trick either. In a Reddit thread, one user said, "My grandma rinsed and reused foil until it crumbled. I rolled my eyes then, now I catch myself doing it. Funny how those 'silly' habits end up smart."

In a separate thread, another curious Redditor asked others if they wash and reuse aluminum foil, to which the grand majority replied that they absolutely do. One commenter noted getting two to three uses out of it. Another said they reuse it 95% of the time, depending on what's on it. And yet another explained their washing process. "I just let it soak in some soapy water, then press it flat and lightly scrub whatever little bits are still stuck on. easy peasy," they shared.

As is the case with any kitchen hack, there are some caveats to reusing your aluminum foil. You want to make sure you are doing so properly in order to prevent the spread of foodborne diseases. Because of this risk, marketing director for Reynolds Foil & Bakeware, Sumita Ghosh, typically recommends disposing of foil after a single use (via EatingWell). But there are some scenarios where it can be done safely. You should never reuse your foil if it was in contact with raw meat or acidic foods like tomatoes. It's best to only reuse it if it was used to cover cooked, non-greasy foods like bread. And even then, you should really only reuse it one time. To do so, smooth it out during the cleaning and drying process and make sure to remove all food residue. You should also discard your foil if it's been torn or damaged in any way.

Gently used aluminum foil doesn't have to be saved for just food storage, either. You can use it to polish silverware, scrub dishes, sharpen scissors, or even improve your radiator efficiency. Even the box it came in can be repurposed into a storage solution for silicone baking mats. Of course, you can also opt to recycle your foil. If you go this route, make sure to clean it as much as possible and crumple it into a ball so it can be easily separated from other substances.