Do More Than Wrap Food: The Many Uses of Plastic Wrap

If you need some foot relief after a long day, plastic wrap is going to help. For this trick, you'll also need a fresh onion. Chop up the onion, and put each half into a sheet of plastic wrap. Step into the plastic wrap and wrap it around your foot.

Hit the hay and get your normal sleep in, and when you wake up, your feet will be refreshed and ready for another day on the road. The onions contain chemicals that reduce swelling and can even reduce lung tightness in people with asthma.

Setting up the tree is a lot of work, but it's usually a good bit of holiday cheer at the top of December. Of course, once the presents are unwrapped and the decorations come down, it gets annoying again. Make both sides of the job easier by leaving the tree fully decorated.

Put all the lights and ornaments in place for December, and then once January hits, wrap the entire thing in plastic wrap. It locks everything in place, so the next time December rolls around, all you have to do is set the tree back up and unwrap it – just like a present.

There are lots of reasons why plastic wrap is great for cooking, but this one might have slipped under the radar. If you want to make the perfect poached egg, place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of a mug/glass, though not too tight, and break an egg onto the wrap. Since the wrap isn't tight, the egg won't spill and you'll immediately have a handy container that you can tie up and place in a pot of water to boil.

You'll get some of the best-poached eggs ever. Make sure the plastic wrap is free of dirt or other gross elements first.

If you're moving from place to place during a vacation you know that getting your jewelry mixed and tangled up is pretty likely. Here's a way to stop that. Get a few pieces of plastic wrap and lay your jewelry out on one.

Lay the second sheet of wrap on top of the jewelry and press down. The clinging detail that makes plastic wrap so handy will adhere to the jewelry, and keep it from tangling up. Once you get to where you're going, peel off the top piece of plastic and now you can get ready for the big event.

There are plenty of products on the market available to try and keep kids clean from one day to the next. But one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal in the war against messes might already be in your kitchen.

If your kids love to paint, wrap their painting surface in plastic wrap and let them go to town on it. After they're done flexing their artistic muscles and want to go play outside, just peel the wrap off and toss it in the garbage for the easiest clean-up ever.

Create your own homemade greenhouse during the winter with just a box of plastic wrap and a simple frame. Get strong sticks, chicken wire, or something else to stick into the dirt around the plant. After that, use plastic wrap to wrap all the way around. Give it a couple of layers – you don't want it coming apart.

We can't guarantee that this will keep all of your plants safe from the cold during the winter months, but it will at least give them a fighting chance. And all you'll need is a few sticks and something you probably already own.

Kids love playing in the snow. Heck, even adults love it. But for kids, it's one of the more special things that they can do after homework is done. However, the famous thing about snow is that it's cold. What's more, if it gets inside clothes and melts, it's cold AND wet! Not great for kids that just want to throw snowballs.

To prevent snow from soaking through, wrap little kids up in plastic wrap, which resists moisture and lets them focus on the important stuff: building huge snow beasts big enough to terrorize the entire neighborhood. And shoveling the driveway.

Want to add an artistic flair to your snapshots without resorting to photo-editing or Instagram effects? All you have to do to get a hazy look is wrap a little bit of plastic wrap around the lens.

You don't want to touch the actual lens as it could leave smudges, but if you're looking for something special to do with your next session, this is something to have in your toolbox. A naturally hazy look is a great way to capture lazy days at the beach or sunny moments riddled with nostalgia.

Here's something you might not know: heat is motion. There's a lot of complicated science behind that, but basically, if you have hot air and cold air, the hot air is moving and the cold air is simply taking its place. If you have older windows, they might be leaking warm air out into the cold. That means you'd have to pay to keep things warm.

Avoid this by taking big sheets of plastic wrap and laying them over the edges of the windows. You aren't going to be opening the windows anyway, and this way you can save while keeping your home toasty.

Lettuce is a great addition to a lot of meals, but it tends to look a bit bad after only a few days in the fridge. It tends to wilt, go brown, and might even attract creepy crawlies. Prevent all of those things by doing a few simple things.

Place all of your lettuce in a bowl, and then put a paper towel on the lettuce. After that, use plastic wrap to cover the entire bowl, including the top. This hack keeps other moisture out, while the moisture already in the lettuce gets absorbed into the paper towel. It's temporary, but it still works.

You might have a couple of old makeup kits lying around that you think aren't worth using anymore, but you'd be wrong. Using just a little bit of alcohol and some plastic wrap, you can make it fresh enough to be part of your next exciting look.

Get a smooth surface by adding a few drops of alcohol (rubbing alcohol is the obvious choice, but you do you) and letting it get absorbed into the makeup. Once the alcohol sinks in, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap and use your thumb to smooth out the surface. Now, you'll get usable makeup again!

Bananas are delicious and sometimes even hilarious if you have a good monkey impression, but they have a big problem. They go bad really quickly. Sure, that means banana bread, but it often means a sickly-sweet smell, liquid on your counters, and a bundle of banana-mad fruit flies. Prevent this by wrapping the connected stems in plastic wrap. Even stores use this trick to keep their collection from going overripe before purchasing.

This slows the ripening by reducing the number of chemicals the stems release – which actually speeds up the sugar conversion inside the banana, which turns them brown.

Your favorite chair or table looks good in the kitchen, but it doesn't look great when smashed to bits in the back of a big moving van. Professional movers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make sure everything gets to your new home safe and sound, and plastic wrap is one of them. If you're moving, cover the furniture with wrap entirely to protect against scratches.

This also keeps cupboards and drawers from sliding open during the move. The legs of furniture can be wrapped in plastic for more safety while dragging. Another option is aluminum foil, which reduces friction on carpets.

Your phone or tablet is one of the most important things in your life – how often do you head out of the house without one of them? If you're headed somewhere that has lots of water, sand, or anything else that could get inside, wrap them up. Sure, some devices are waterproof these days, but that isn't the only danger out there.

Cut a big sheet of plastic wrap and wrap it around your device. You'll still be able to use the touchscreen, but it will be safe from dust, sand, and other unwelcome things.

Have you ever given your nails a marble look? It only takes two colors and some plastic wrap to achieve this interesting design. The way you can pull this off is to apply two layers of paint – using two different colors.

After the second layer is dry, use a bit of plastic wrap to rub off the top layer. Doing this results in a marble design. It might take a few tries to get right, but if you mess up you can just cover it with a solid color. Once you get something you like, add a top coat to seal in the design.

Getting out a big gallon of paint to give the walls a fresh coat and finding splatter on the couch is heartbreaking. To prevent this, get out your plastic wrap and cover things that don't need a new color just yet.

If you have a lot of furniture – or they're big pieces – this might end up using a lot of plastic wrap, but we think you'll agree that it's better than having to get your upholstered chair cleaned, or getting brand new items. A little bit of tape, and you can cover almost anything before you get to work.

We're sure it's happened to you – you've baked three pies. One of them doesn't have strawberries because uncle Alex is allergic, one of them doesn't have corn syrup because cousin Silvia is allergic to that, and one of them doesn't have nuts because your nephew hates them. But which one is which?

You don't even have to use big sheets of plastic wrap to solve this problem – just cut small squares and write the relevant information on them, and slap them onto the pies, the CD cases, the books, the presents, or whatever else you need to be sure of.

If you want to put the finishing touches on a cake, cupcakes, or even cookies, that might mean a piping bag. This piece of baking tech can sometimes be pricey, but there's a way to create your own that will let you make something delicious and beautiful. Create a rudimentary funnel with a long sheet of plastic wrap and pour your icing inside.

Finish by cutting off the end of the plastic wrap. This is especially handy when you have a number of colors of icing to work with — you won't have to do nearly as much cleaning.

Stove tops are one of those places that end up being pretty tough to clean. Baked-on food and grime can be really hard to remove, even if you can take the elements of the stove top apart. However, plastic wrap is a great way to make this tough job a lot easier.

Soak a few paper towels in ammonia and place them on the dirty surface that needs cleaning. After that, cover the entire surface with plastic wrap and leave it overnight. The ammonia will loosen the caked-on grime, making it much easier to clean whenever you need the kitchen to look its best.

Fruit flies crawling all over? There is a way to handle this. Get a small bowl and pour a little bit of fruit juice into it. After that, add a bit of overripe fruit and some soap. Once that's done, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a number of small holes into it, maybe three or four, away from the sides.

The bugs will swarm to the ripe sugar smell, get caught in the soap, and will be unable to climb out thanks to the plastic wrap.

Baking is one of life's great joys, often ending up with yummy creations, but it can get messy. If you've ever had to use a rolling pin to roll out dough, this is especially true. Not only messy but difficult to boot. Do you flour your rolling surface? Do you flour the rolling pin? It's hard to say.

A way to make it much easier is to place the dough on your surface and then place a layer of plastic wrap over it. It makes the rolling a lot easier, and it means you don't have to clean the rolling pin.

If you like home improvement, you know that keeping paint fresh after the initial use can be a difficult task. There's always some left, and trying to use old pots of paint instead of constantly buying new ones is a great money-saving tip. In order to prevent wasting that perfect color, get the lid all the way off and cover the opening with a couple of layers of plastic wrap.

After that, place the lid back on as tight as you can. Not only does this keep the paint intact, but it also stops the smell of wet paint from escaping.

Big kitchen appliances like blenders and food processors may make the actual act of cooking quicker, but clean-up is still a hassle. The force that these machines can use will send food particles flying all over the place, and the many parts will have you over the sink for some time. Make this part of the job faster and easier with plastic wrap.

After throwing your food in, place a sheet of plastic wrap over the opening and then place the lid on. This keeps the lid from getting messy, and you can throw away or rinse the plastic wrap depending on the food.

Creating something unique for your home's décor is at the top of any decorator's list, and it can be done with some plastic wrap. Put a layer of paint on your work surface, then cover it with plastic wrap cut into the desired pattern or design.

Use a different color of paint to create the swirls, loops, circles, or anything else that you want to make. Finish up with a top coat to get a glossy shine, and toss the wrap in the garbage. It's easier cleanup, quicker creation, and a better job all around.

It turns out that plastic wrap is the painter's best friend. If you're using big brushes or rollers, wrap the handles in a layer of plastic wrap to make it easy to keep them clean. This also helps to prevent the brushes from drying out, which lets them last longer and saves you money.

Brushes turning hard and solid is one of the biggest reasons painters have to pick up new ones, but this trick will keep them from losing all their smooth bristle motion.

If you're going into a big painting job, you have to be ready to get a little messy. However, there are some ways to make cleanup easier. Wrap your hands in a layer of plastic wrap to keep paint stains away – it's an obvious trick, but you'll enjoy the quicker cleanup.

If you're painting the den at four but you have a fancy party at five, this tactic will keep your nails pure before the big event. Sure, you could buy a pair of expensive gloves, but you probably have some plastic wrap sitting around already.

If you're getting prepared to move to a new home, there are a lot of things you have to pack and keep track of. Make it that much easier with a little bit of plastic wrap. Let's take the silverware organizer, for example. There are a lot of sharp objects in there, and you can't really have them bouncing around during transportation unless you want to spend an hour picking them up off the moving van floor.

Tape a piece of plastic wrap over the organizer to lock everything down. Make it nice and tight and keep things moving.

Let's picture it. You eat too much of the wrong thing, and now your toilet is clogged. A plunger doesn't seem to help. Many people would reach for the phone to call a plumber, but there's something else you can try. Use a sheet of plastic wrap to cover the toilet seat (with lids and seats raised, of course).

It has to be airtight – it's critical. Flush the toilet a couple of times, and the wrap should swell. Press on the swell, and the air pressure just might help to unclog the toilet. It's like a bigger, more powerful version of a plunger.

People who want to take their best makeup, favorite shampoo, or other liquids with them to a hotel or a friend's house out of state are aware that could mean messy spills. Try as they might, bottle manufacturers have been unable to make completely infallible openings, and there are few things worse than opening your luggage at your destination to find a big mess.

Once again, it's plastic wrap to the rescue. Remove the caps and lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the opening. Replace the cap, and you'll have a much tighter seal to keep everything where it belongs.

Experienced travelers have assembled plenty of packing hacks to make their trips easier. It's a good idea to bring along a few different pairs of shoes for different situations. Walking shoes for everyday use, hiking boots for fun trails, sandals for the beach, etc.

The thing about shoes is they can be pretty dirty. Wrap your footwear in plastic wrap to not only prevent dirt and debris from getting loose inside your luggage, but also to keep the shoes stuck together, so you don't have to hunt around for a matching set. Wrap them tight enough, and you'll save some space, too.

Washing dishes is one of those tasks that you can't really avoid. As soon as dishes were invented (By Albert Dishes in 1765) the chore of washing them was immediately after them. You could do it by hand, or put them in the dishwasher...but what if you could skip it? If, for some reason, you really don't want to wash dishes, wrap your plates and bowls in plastic wrap.

After your messy, messy meal, strip the plastic wrap off and throw it in the garbage. Those that will be busy after meals can set this up beforehand to make cleanup quicker.

The use of plastic wrap extended to most areas of regular life, it seems. What about those outdoor days when you need to work hard to spruce up the place? It can even be a boon to you then. After a couple of hours in the dirt and mud, your boots are probably pretty dirty. If you have to run inside for something, just wrap them in plastic beforehand.

Once you need to come inside, take the plastic wrap off and walk around in your nice clean shoes. After you're done inside and you need to head back out, add another layer to your boots.

Despairing at the blackheads and clogged pores in your face every time you look in the mirror? There's a hack for that. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to the spots on your face that need this attention, and cover it up with plastic wrap for a few minutes.

After the time is up, Remove the plastic wrap and wash off any petroleum jelly that is stuck on your face. Your face will be cleaner than ever, and smooth enough to marvel at. The jelly will hydrate, and the plastic wrap makes sure that it's effective.

For some people, soreness on their skin means reaching for a bit of soothing ointment. Rubbing or massaging it onto a sore spot provides relief, but there's an easy way to take this kind of treatment up a notch. Grab your favorite brand of cling film and get ready for even greater relief.

After spreading the ointment on your skin, massage it in, and then wrap the affected area with plastic. This keeps the ointment working without drying out too quickly. Make sure to test it on a small patch of skin first, just in case you have a reaction.

Not a lot of people think about the top of the fridge. It's mostly the tall people that have thoughts about it. However, come cleaning time, you're certain to discover that it's been accumulating dust. Out of sight, out of mind, right? But it's still getting dirty.

One of the easiest ways to avoid this job is to wipe down the fridge top and then cover it with a few layers of plastic wrap. Every time you feel like scrubbing the top of the fridge, just throw that plastic wrap and place a few more layers on, like changing the sheets on your bed.

Hangnails are one of life's great annoyances. Nobody can do anything about them, and unless you want to get rid of your nails entirely, you can't stop them from cropping up. Picking at a hangnail usually just results in more pain. You could clip them off, but that doesn't stop the problem, just makes them a little less noticeable.

Deal with these boogers more easily by applying hand cream to the affected nails and wrapping them up with plastic. Let it sit overnight while you dream of perfect nails. In the morning, the hangnail will be much softer and much easier to deal with.

Don't like dirty shelves in your home? Here's how to make cleaning them a snap. Take everything off and give them a nice, fresh scrub using soap and hot water. Dry them until they're perfect. Then, wrap them in a layer of plastic.

That's the full version, but there are probably some of you out there that don't want something that noticeable. In that case, use a bit of tape to secure a layer of plastic wrap that only covers the top part of the shelf. It's harder to spot, and it makes cleaning just as easy.

We buy a lot of jars and bottles at the store, and sometimes it feels like a waste throwing them all away after we're done. Maybe you want to save them for a specific project, or maybe you just want to reduce waste. Either way, those stickers ruin the look.

Here's a way to remove them. Soak the sticker area with a mixture of dish soap and warm water. After that, completely wrap the container in plastic and set it aside for five to ten minutes. When you remove the wrap, the labels and stickers should stick to the wrap without any additional hassle.

You might spend all day pounding away at your keyboard, but that's what it's for. If you stop using it and let it sit, it can get dusty. Depending on the type of keyboard, it could damage the sensitive electronics that are contained within. This is especially important for laptops since there's so much more inside.

If you're heading out of the house for a little while (say, a week), and you want to prevent anything from getting inside, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap to block dust. You'd be surprised how much will have been collected by the time you get back.

For a to-go cup, you have to have a lid. Otherwise, it's just a cup. If there's no lid that can mean hot spills and less good stuff to drink. With a little bit of cling wrap, any cup can become your travel cup. All you have to do is cover the top of the cup with plastic wrap and poke a straw through.

It won't exactly work if you're running to catch the bus, but it works in a pinch. Plus, this way you can use that mug that you love, but that you can't usually take with you outside because it would spill.

Storage drawers are handy for keeping everything organized. They're light, they have plenty of space, and they are often made to be stackable. The problem is, if you're moving, drawers might slide around and spill out.

Some options allow you to remove the drawers from the shelves themselves, but that doesn't always solve the problem. Instead, wrap the drawers in plastic wrap to keep them from sliding around during transportation. Once you reach your destination, you can just tear the plastic wrap off and throw it away. Moving is a tough job – make it a little easier.

Things like brooms, mops, shovels, and garden rakes can end up taking up a surprising amount of space. If you don't have a lot of room to store them, use this trick to cut down on storage requirements. If you don't need these items very often, store them together by wrapping their handles together using plastic wrap.

Not only does it vastly reduce the amount of space that you'll need to hold them all, but it also makes finding the right tool for the job easier. No more tangled handles or piles of things all over the shed floor.

Wrapping up a present for a birthday or Christmas isn't the toughest thing to do, but it can still be pretty difficult. Maybe you want to try something a little different, or maybe you're out of wrapping paper. One way or another, plastic wrap is the way to go.

Just take the item and wrap it in layers upon layers upon layers of plastic wrap. They're sure to love it! As an added bonus, you can tell them not to use scissors. This will almost undoubtedly result in not being invited to their birthday anymore, but at least you had the last laugh.

If you've made some hamburger patties but didn't eat them all, what do you do? Put them in the fridge? Unless you're going to eat them quickly, they could go bad! Here's what you do. Wrap your leftovers in plastic wrap, and stick them in the freezer.

It's just that simple. If you have several pieces of meat that you don't want mixing – or if you want them to be separable when the time comes – place pieces of parchment paper between them before wrapping. Be sure to wrap fully, and use a few layers. It will prevent freezer burn and reduce spoilage.

One of the most important things about plastic wrap is the fact that it's impermeable – that means water and air can't get through it. However, that also means it will keep body heat in. If you have to venture out into a storm or you're stuck somewhere without the right kind of shelter, plastic wrap could end up saving your life. It traps body heat inside while resisting moisture.

You shouldn't leave it on for too long – your skin still needs to breathe. However, this can work in a pinch. As soon as you get someplace warm and dry, take it off.

Even if you need shelter for yourself, a roll of plastic wrap is something you can use. Wrap the plastic around close-together tree trunks or poles that you've cut, and cover the top of it. There are numerous ways to devise a door, or you can crawl out from underneath the plastic.

This does double duty by collecting dew on the top layer, so you'll have a little bit more liquid to stay hydrated with. The plastic traps heat, and blocks wind and water. Remember this next time you're stuck outside. You can also create a large greenhouse using this tactic.

Rope is always a handy thing to have while you're out and about, but sometimes you need more than you planned for. In that case, why not reach for a roll of plastic wrap? The plastic that is used for shrink wrap is extremely strong, and you can easily twist a long piece of it into a rope.

Once that is accomplished, this handy addition can stretch to about three times its original length and hold about 115 pounds without breaking. Pretty good for a piece of plastic that you usually only use to cover food in the fridge.

You need to have a lot of stuff in your first aid kit to cover your bases, but plastic wrap is one that you might want to add. It can help you to completely seal a sucking chest wound – not the nicest image, but it's nice to know you have options.

You can use it as a non-stick covering that can keep water or debris out of a surface wound. It can work as a sling, or you can use it to bind a splint. Throw some in your first aid kit for more options when you need help immediately.

Your desk probably has a lot of little things rattling around in the drawers. Notepads and sticky notes and pens and pencils and letter openers and staples. Maybe even single staples. What's the best way to transport all of these small, useful little items? Gather a big bundle of pencils and pens together and wrap it all up in plastic.

For best results, try to wrap things that have a similar size or shape. So writing utensils in one package, stapler and scissors in another, and so on and so forth. It's bound to keep things from shifting during transportation.

You'd be surprised how much space picture frames take up when you're moving. And you certainly don't want to mishandle them – those are your loved ones, after all! Here's a quick and easy way to make sure that your frames survive the trip to a new home.

Place two pictures glass-to-glass and cling-wrap them together. This works best for pictures of the same size, of course. For those of different sizes, add a piece of paper towel for another layer of cushioning. You can also do them separately with the paper towel trick, in case you want to be extra careful.

Rugs really tie a room together, but they're a hassle to take to your next living space. If you have a lot of rugs, that means even more work, but there's a way to reduce that effort. Pile your rugs with the biggest on the bottom and roll them up into a tube.

After that, you can use a heavy dose of cling wrap to wrap it into a single, easy-to-transport tube of rugs. It will probably be a little heavier than you expect, but it will take up much less room, and the rugs won't be sliding around in the moving van.

Finally! Yes, it's true, the long nightmare is over. If you have a favorite burger mold for perfectly-round patties, you may notice it can be a tough time getting the patty out without ruining the whole thing. The quick and easy way to do this is to line the interior of the burger mold with a big piece of plastic wrap, so once you have a circular patty you can just pull it out.

As a bonus, this means that you don't have to clean the mold, and you can just throw the piece of plastic wrap away when you're done.

So, you're going fancy for your next dinner party. Really fancy. So fancy that you need customized butter. It has to be in a specific size and shape. Here's what you do: Line the bottom of any old dish with plastic wrap, and carefully mold the butter into the correct shape. It doesn't matter what it is.

Once you're finished, place it in the fridge to firm up, and then use the plastic wrap to lift it out of the dish. Your guests will marvel at the designs you're able to come up with.

If you want to create a visible serving platter for the centerpiece of your meal or a fancy cake you've slaved over but don't have the right kind of serving dish, try this trick out. Usually, a few plates stacked on top of each other will be sliding around, but a layer of plastic wrap in between the plates gives them lots of traction.

That means that you'll be able to create a serving platter that will have eyes on the prize, even if all you have are a few plates.

This one is all about getting the most out of your plastic wrap. If you're like most people, you probably store your plastic in the drawer or cupboard next to sandwich bags and tin foil. Instead of that, keep it in the freezer.

The cold air reduces annoying static cling through some fancy science. This makes it far easier to tear off the right size and wrap the item correctly. Even if you don't have enough room to keep it there for good, throw it in the icebox a few minutes ahead of time to keep your at-home tasks simpler than they have to be.

If you have a keen eye, you've probably noticed the little cardboard tabs that are on either side of the box for your plastic wrap. Those are there for a very specific purpose. You can use them to lock the plastic wrap in place inside the box, which prevents you from using too much of the wrap.

It also prevents mishaps like the entire tube falling out of the box and rolling across your kitchen floor. Wrap up your food and other household supplies without making a brand-new mess by using a feature that is included in every box.