Desiccant Sachets

[FEISTY]

Not sure if this comes under this topic, but, having spent a fortune on those desiccant sachets, I decided to DIM (Do It Myself). They're useful for all sorts of stuff, eg inside shoe boxes to keep them bone dry and sweet smelling and inside camera cases, etc. Now that I'm prepping, I've graduated onto the larger sizes to keep the contents of large Really Useful Boxes dry while they're stored in the garage. So, having looked into this, I've bought a couple of large bags of silica cat litter (a huge saving) and I'm trying to decide how to package it up. The best way seems to be to use coffee filters (taped, stapled or sewn - I favour the latter), but I don't have any. So, what I'm wondering is, can I use fabric? I have a fair bit of left over fabrics stored. Can I make some attractive sachets (well, if you're going to make it, make it beautiful ) or would I regret it? The only fabrics I've see recommended as suitable alternatives are "cheesecloth, silk or nylon stockings" (don't have cheesecloth or silk and don't really want to use tights, especially because the colour might transfer). Want to make a batch tomorrow, but should I run out and get coffee filters first?

[Decaff]

What a good idea! Have you thought about using cotton for the material or would that not work?

[FEISTY]

What a good idea! Have you thought about using cotton for the material or would that not work?

This is what I'm not sure about Decaff. Don't know if fabric will absorb moisture too and go ... fusty? I'll be using these in the garage where it's totally unheated and I want to be sure they won't go mouldy when the silica's reached saturation point. It's not looking like anyone has tried it with anything other than coffee filters (on You Tube). Actually, I did think of using those blue, disposable, cleaning cloths or even scented tumble drier sheets (which I keep after I've used them to make tumble drier fluff kindling (? - to catch the spark to light a fire)). New ones would probably work and would smell pleasant too. I'm all for recycling or at least keeping the cost minimal. I may try some of each and see how I get on. I guess someone's got to try it first. I dry the sachets (spread out on a tea towel or kitchen towel to stop them falling through) on top of the radiators, rather than putting them in the oven, but I haven't gone all scientific and weighed them before and after to see how much moisture they're absorbing - or not. In the US, where coffee filters are cheap, plentiful and always available, they make their own sachets to keep in their ammo buckets LOL! Those two big bags of silica cat litter are going to go a long way ... .

[ForgeCorvus]

I'd of thought pretty much any fine fabric (thin and with a high thread-count) would work.
J-cloths (and the 'Own Brand' versions) or drier sheets (possibly not scented around non-tinned foodstuffs) are just non-woven fabrics, just like coffee filters are non-woven fabrics (different fibres but arranged the same way).

I don't see any reason why you can't use any permeable sheet for this job.

Suck it and see..... Then post a write-up

[munchh]

BT engineers have various sizes of desicants in their vans, they are used in underground cable joints and the green boxes by the side of the road, it doesnt hurt to ask

[Hamradioop]

Most Caravan dealers sell silica gel for use in overwintering Caravans and Motor homes. You can also fin it in Aldi twice a year. The coop sell coffee filters.