Uses for Fresh Step Crystals

Fresh Step is the brand name for a line of cat litter products, including Fresh Step Crystals. The crystals are silica gel that has long been used to control moisture and humidity levels. You are probably most familiar with silica gel as the ingredient inside packages that look like tiny pillows, found inside food products such as beef jerky, bacon bits and many other items needing to remain dry. Even if you don't have cats, there are a number of practical uses for Fresh Step Crystals.

  1. Refrigerator Drain Pan

    • Fill the bottom of the refrigerator drain pan with Fresh Step Crystals to absorb moisture, preventing the pan from spilling over when condensation builds up. The crystals dry out when condensation is low.

    Soak Up Carpet Spills

    • Quickly blot up anything that will leave a stain and wash the area with a cleaning solution. Pour Fresh Step Crystals over the area to soak up moisture from the cleaning process. Let the crystals set in place for about a day. If you have a cat and are using Fresh Step Crystals in the litter box, place an upside-down laundry basket over the crystals, so your cat will not be confused about appropriate uses.

    Potted Plants

    • The silica gel used in Fresh Step Crystals is the same material sold to control water in potted plants. The crystals absorb excess water in the soil to keep plant roots from getting too wet, and release the water as the soil dries out.

    Rescue Wet Electronics

    • The next time you drop your cell phone, MP3 player or watch in water, quickly remove the batteries and the SIM card and place the item in a plastic bag or box covered with Fresh Step Crystals. For all the moisture to be drawn out, anything submerged in water may require up to a week buried in the crystals. If the device fails to work properly because of perspiration during workouts or other high humidity conditions, this trick should revive them them in about a day. There is no guarantee that this method will save every drowned device.

    Protect Electronics, Tools and Guns

    • Place Fresh Step Crystals in a sock or cotton bag and seal with a rubber band. Or place the crystals in a bowl and set inside cabinets where tools, guns, cameras and other electronics are stored to prevent corrosion on metals electronics.

    In the Car

    • Place Fresh Step Crystals in an old sock or cotton bag and seal with a rubber band and place under the car seat, in the trunk and in tool boxes on the back of trucks. The crystals absorb humidity and moisture that enters the car on rainy days to prevent musty smells and damage fabrics and metals.