15 Clever Ways To Use Aluminum Foil

Right alongside plastic wrap and parchment paper, aluminum foil enjoys a hallowed spot in homes across the U.S. Why? Because it’s one of the most versatile, hard-working products in the kitchen. That said, aluminum foil’s potential for service spans far beyond covering leftovers.

What Is Aluminum Foil?

Aluminum foil is a thin, easily malleable metallic product most commonly used for food storage and a variety of other culinary purposes. In supermarkets, you’ll usually find it packaged as a roll, but aluminum foil is also sold in standardized, pre-cut sheets.

As the name strongly suggests, the familiar roll of foil most of us keep stocked in our kitchens is 98.5 percent pure aluminum; the final percentage is typically made up of materials like silicon, iron, magnesium, and manganese—all incorporated to improve the foil’s strength. 

Aluminum foil is created by rolling sheets of aluminum until they are incredibly thin and pliable. During the production process, two separate sheets of aluminum are pressed together through powerful rollers, resulting in a single, fused sheet that has one shiny side and one side with a matte finish. Despite their distinct appearances, both sides are exactly the same in terms of function and reactivity with food. The thickness of aluminum foil ranges between 0.01 millimeters and 0.04 millimeters, depending on whether you buy standard, heavy duty, or extra heavy duty.

What Makes Aluminum Foil So Useful?

Aluminum foil has a number of qualities that contribute to its expansive functionality; here are a few key ones:

It’s an excellent heat conductor. Because aluminum is a strong thermal conductor, aluminum foil is perfect for encasing food items when you want to lock in heat and moisture. This is why it is popularly used to cover casserole dishes or wrap large cuts of meat, either while the food is cooking or as it rests.  

It’s a reliable barrier. Equally important to locking desirable heat and moisture in, aluminum foil is also highly effective at keeping unwanted elements out. This includes odors in the fridge that might otherwise seep into your leftovers, as well as direct heat that could over-brown a crumb topping or pie crust in the oven. Plus, aluminum foil is grease-resistant, which makes it a great choice for lining baking sheets before roasting vegetables and the like, as it will prevent cooking oil from soaking through and baking onto the actual pan.

It’s malleable. Aluminum foil can be easily molded and will retain whatever shape it’s molded into. Thus, in addition to being ideal for encasing items of any shape and size, aluminum foil can be used to form anything from sealed packets for cooking loose food items to shaping a makeshift funnel. 

It’s durable. Particularly if you opt for heavy duty foil, aluminum foil can withstand the high temperatures and direct flames of a grill and when folded or crumpled together, it’s not easily pierced or torn. 

Clever Uses for Aluminum Foil

We all know aluminum foil is great for wrapping up to-go plates and covering potluck dishes between servings, but here are 15 other ways aluminum foil can make life easier—within and beyond the kitchen.

1. Sharpen Scissors and Shears

Like any tool with a sharp blade, household scissors and kitchen shears wear down with continual use, but aluminum foil can help. To sharpen the blades, take a sheet of aluminum foil (12 to 14 inches in length) and fold it on itself so that it is 5 to 6 folds thick; then, use the dulled shears to cut down the length of the foil, making full-length cuts so that the entire blade is in contact with the foil. Repeat this process as needed to return the blades to optimal sharpness.

2. Shield Your Pie Crust

Sure, you can purchase a reusable pie crust shield to protect your crusts from over-browning, but you can also just make one with aluminum foil whenever you need it. To do so, follow our step-by-step instructions for How To Make a Homemade Pie Crust Shield.

3. Make a DIY Serving Platter 

Suppose you make an immaculate sheet cake for a party, but you don’t have a flat cake platter that’s large enough to transport or serve it. Anytime a situation along these lines arises, aluminum foil has your back.

First, you’ll need to find a piece of cardboard large enough to suit your platter needs. Trim the cardboard to the appropriate size and shape and then wrap it completely with a few layers of aluminum foil. The foil not only provides a sanitary surface for your food, but it will also reinforce the stability of the cardboard.

4. Safeguard Frozen Foods

Let’s face it, freezer burn occasionally happens. But it’s less likely to happen if you provide a bonus security layer when packaging your food for the freezer. To help keep moisture from affecting your frozen items, take this extra step: After you’ve wrapped the item tightly in plastic wrap, wrap it with a layer of aluminum foil.

5. Keep the Oven Clean

If you’re baking a bubbly dish that’s prone to dripping (like lasagna or a cobbler), prevent burnt-on mess in the bottom of your oven by placing a sheet or two of aluminum foil on top of the rack directly below the one your dish is sitting on. The foil will catch any drips, and you can simply toss it once all is said and done. 

Note: Never place foil directly onto the bottom of your oven; this is a safety hazard.

6. Polish Your Silver

Tarnished silverware or serving pieces? No problem. In addition to aluminum foil, you’ll also need baking soda and a container large enough to accommodate the silver pieces you’re looking to polish. Line the container completely with aluminum foil, fill it with very hot water (you can use boiling water here) and 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda; stir with a long-handled spoon to dissolve the baking soda.

Next, carefully place the silver items into the container, using tongs if needed to keep from scalding yourself. You’ll want to make sure that all of the silver pieces are touching the aluminum foil, so work in batches if need be. Soak the silver pieces for 1 to 3 minutes, or until the tarnish disappears, and then carefully remove each silver item. Using a clean cloth, dry and buff each piece.  

7. Scour Pots and Pans

When stubborn, cooked-on grime is clinging to your cookware, the usual dish sponge probably won’t do the trick; however, aluminum foil sure will. Simply tear off a sheet of heavy-duty foil, wad it up to form a homemade scouring pad, and get to scrubbing. One caveat: Never use this technique on nonstick cookware, as this will damage the nonstick surface. That said, you can use this trick to remove rust or particularly stubborn caked-on grime from cast iron; just know your cast-iron cookware will need to be reseasoned after the scouring. 

8. Create Your Own Pastry Bag

If you want to add decorative flair to a layer cake or cupcakes but don’t have a pastry bag for piping frosting, break out the aluminum foil. Layer two sheets of aluminum foil and form a cone shape, leaving a small opening at the tip of the cone (alternatively, you can snip the tip with scissors). Spoon your frosting into the cone and gently squeeze downward through the open tip. As you use frosting, you can always fold down the top of the “bag” to push the remaining frosting towards the opening, like you would with a toothpaste bottle. 

9. Scrub the Grill

Just as aluminum foil can help you take on tough grime coating your cookware, it can do the same for your grill grates. Crumple a ball of heavy-duty foil then use a pair of tongs to grasp it, and scrub the grates. This is most effective if the grates are warm. If your grill grates are especially grimy, spray them with plain white vinegar, and allow the vinegar to sit for a few minutes before you begin scrubbing with the foil.

10. Upgrade Your Ironing Board

Because of aluminum foil’s strong thermal conductivity, you can speed up the ironing process by placing a sheet of aluminum foil underneath your ironing board cover. We’re not going to say this will make ironing less of a chore, but it will make it so that fewer passes are needed to press out the wrinkles. 

11. Clean Your Iron

While you have the clothes iron out, check the surface—if it’s caked with starch, fabric softener, or hard water stains, aluminum foil can fix it. Simply lay a sheet of aluminum foil on your ironing board (this time, on top of the cover) and run your hot iron over it a few times. The gunk from your iron will cling to the foil, so all you have to do is allow the aluminum to cool and toss it. 

12. Protect Your Plants

Savvy gardeners suggest shredding aluminum foil and mixing it into mulch surrounding the base of your plants. The reflective foil discourages unwanted insects and pests like slugs from approaching and harming the plants, but actually helps to attract butterflies. Additionally, the refracted light from the foil can help increase photosynthesis in your plants. Some find that loosely wrapping the base of plants with foil, or placing pieces of it at the bases, is more effective; however, incorporating shredded foil with your mulch is more visually discreet. 

13. Line a Paint Tray

If you have a painting project coming up, make sure you have your aluminum foil handy. You can extend the life of your paint tray by lining it with aluminum foil. Before pouring in the paint, simply line the tray with foil, as you would a baking pan, and crimp the edges over the sides of the tray to secure the foil in place. Once you’re done with the paint roller, pour any leftover paint back into the can, carefully fold up the foil, and discard. At the end of the day, you’re left with a clean tray for the next job. 

14. Keep Your Paint Brush Moist

While we’re on the subject of painting, if your project will require multiple coats (or days) to complete, aluminum foil can save you from spending time on washing brushes and rollers throughout the process. Whenever you need to take a pause on painting, wrap the brush or roller head tightly with aluminum foil; this will lock in moisture, preventing the paint from drying and your brush from stiffening. When you’re ready to pick up the brush again for the next coat, just unwrap it and get back to painting. 

15. Secure Your Sleeping Bag

Seasoned campers may already be accustomed to packing aluminum foil for open-fire food prep, but it can also help keep your sleeping bag dry and provide extra insulation. So go ahead and place a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil underneath your sleeping bag for a cozier night’s sleep outdoors.