Remember seeing tiny packets of translucent beads in packages of dog treats, or even hidden away in one corner of the wardrobe, mothers always kept them there.
They keep clothes fresh, and children get chased away because they did not want the kids to eat them. What were they? Those tiny beads are nothing but silica gel.
What is silica gel?
It is nothing but a porous and amorphous form of silicon dioxide, which is commercially useful in granules or beads. They are soft to touch and in gel form at times, which can absorb the water from the atmosphere to reduce humidity.
It is often found in packets of food, sometimes electronic gadget packs, etc., to prevent the food or item from getting spoilt due to the water causing fungus growth.
The Monsoon Saviour:
Monsoon is such a beautiful time of the year, where the lush green flora and the happy fauna take part in a sweet little dance of nature.
But it is no dance for the clothes sitting in the closet, as the bacteria and germs have their short dance to invade the space and create an unpleasant odor.
That is where this product saves the clothing from getting damp and smelly.
This get is available not only in beads but also in pellets and crystalline form. As commonly produced, there are two types:
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Indicating gel
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Non-indicating gel
The most produced and commercially used one is the non-indicating type. It also comes in various colors like blue gel, saturated pink, or even colorless gel.
Uses and benefits:
As already briefly discussed, they are used in many forms, in many areas, to explain it in a bit more depth, the following few are the most common areas of use of silica beads:
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Equipment/gadget condensation: There is a lot of condensation on gadgets, especially during monsoon season, such as camera gear, etc.
If ignored, this dampness can eventually damage the equipment that costs thousands of rupees. Silica beads are placed in camera gear bags and other equipment to prevent damage and moisture absorption.
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Stinky shoes and bags: Common odor problems in shoes and bags are quite irritating for people as the stench does not go away quickly.
But instead of creating a situation where the person must wait till the smell intensifies, they can put a packet of silica beads and the moisture will immediately get absorbed.
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Sofas and furniture protection: Furniture, especially those made of fabric, tend to get damp and forming fungus is high. People generally try and keep the soda away from the wall such that if there is any seepage as such, it will not affect the sofa.
Despite all the effort, there are still lots of problems. It is where the handy-dandy silica packets come in, hiding these in furniture crevices will prevent such issues from arising.
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Fresh and clean wardrobe: nobody likes to wear clothes that reek of fungus, again, this arises due to moisture which people can quickly eliminate by keeping a packet of beads and voila, no more dealing with the problem of smelly clothes.
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Healthcare and food industries: In today’s day and age, there is so much development in technology and progression in innovation, there are now gels that are toxic-free and hence can be used not only in health care but also in the food sector.
There has been an increase in demand for silica beads and their sister components that are chemical-free and do not contain harmful substances, and hence they are now being used in food packets and snack boxes, etc. to preserve the quality of the food.
Not only that, but these gels are also useful in medicine preservation, how amazing is that! Today, most packaging for pharma products contains many types of plastics, which are helpful to some extent, but not as effective as packing it with silica gels.
It not only prevents the oxidation process by absorbing moisture, but it also helps keep the medicines safe to use for a long time.
Should it be used?
The use of these gel beads is entirely up to the consumer, based on its purpose;
It is up to the consumer to use it for food products such as pet food, cereal, snack, or use it in the medical sector such as medicines, preserving vitamins.
But yes, it is safe to use, as long as the beads stay in the packet and not come in direct contact with the product itself.
