Aluminum foil reuse
 

My son and I are having a conversation about how many people reuse their aluminum foil after it's first use. He does not think that the majority of people do and I think the opposite Of course, I grew up in the 50's and 60's and everyone we knew did. I will wash it, let it dry, and put it away in the drawer for future use. Any thoughts on this subject.

I do not reuse it, but I also do not use it very frequently. If I used it everyday I wouldn't be throwing it away so easily.

I will reuse one if it's not soiled. i fold it and put it in the pantry near the foil box.

My mom reuses but I do not.

If it's clean enough I reuse it! I just lay it on the counter, run a wet dishcloth over it and then dry it. If it doesn't get used it's good to wad up in a ball for cleaning the grill etc.

My kids get so upset with me for reusing things. But I guess that is the way I grew up. And today it works out with recycling. I reuse the heavier plastic silverware. It is a shame to through them out, when it takes so little to wash and dry them. I guess it comes from being a farm kid in the 50's, but you know I can sure make do with what I have if I have to. Would like to see some of the kids of today make do with what we used to have to.

Oh my goodness, I had an aunt who used to save and reuse tea bags too. Life is too short to wash tin foil.

I rarely use aluminum foil anymore. When we were kids (many, many years ago) my cousin and I used to fashion designer dresses for her dolls from the aluminum foil covering the cake that my mother broght to dinner. (There was NEVER any cake left and after the pan was washed, the aluminum foil was ours.) Each time we visited her dolls had only their original dresses on them. I don't know what happened to the aluminum foil after our session. Today I use plastic containers or plastic wrap. Plastic containers are washed and reused but plastic wrap sticks together too much for much reuse.

I will reuse it if it is fairly clean - then again I wash large plastic storage bags and use them over and over.
Don't know if that is for recycling and just being cheap.

I also do not use foil much anymore, but when I do, I will wash and reuse it if it is not too badly soiled. I usually use it for meat on the grill now, and I do not reuse it after that. I do wash out plastic bags for reuse. My kids would not think of washing and reusing foil or plastic bags.

Thinking about it, I only use it to line a broiler/roaster pan and then it is too far gone to reuse. When I was a kid, my grandma would give us a piece of aluminum foil and a piece of Saran wrap and for some reason we could amuse ourselves almost the entire day with them.

I mainly use the no stick foil and I only use it once. I'm not much into recycling. I grew up in the 50s. My Mom grew up in 1914 and lived on a farm. She saved bread sacks, christmas wrapping paper and everything else at the time. I don't do any of that. I live in a small house and keep it clean. I don't have room for trash.

I reuse it in a great way, well I think so anyway, I wipe it clean, fold it up and when my Rotary blade starts losing it's edge I cut the foil up with the cutter and hey presto a longer lasting blade.

Being a retired Chef I don't reuse it for food use, not hygienic however much you think you have cleaned it, sorry.

I reuse it to wrap the cheese in. First I wrap the cheese in wax paper and then in the aluminum foil. The cheese seems to last longer. By the time I have opened the cheese a number of times the cheese is gone and the foil is ready to be thrown in the recycle bin.

I don't reuse foil or plastic storage bags. That stuff to me is for one time use like disposable cups, plates and plastic flatware.

Yeah, my twin!

I don't reuse foil because I don't use it very often. I pretty much only use it for meat.

My grandparents lived through the Depression. My grandmother washes plastic silverware and Ziplock bags and will reuse them, no matter what they've been in contact with. She also will run her dishwasher on the rinse cycle only, with a little soap thrown in, to save money on water and electricity. I'm scared somebody is going to get sick at her house someday.

When I was growing up, my dad insisted we use only 4 sheets of toilet paper per bathroom visit. I absolutely ignored this, especially after I started menstruating.

As someone else said, life is too short and hospitals are too expensive.

My thoughts exactly!

If I have to live through a depression then I'll learn to reuse and make do just as my grandparents did. They had to learn at some point. No use getting hung up on saving everything just because you have it.

I rarely use foil anymore. I have had the same roll for about 15 years.

I don't use very much but I only reuse if it is basically still clean (like someone above said, used to cover rolls,etc.).

I mainly use aluminum foil to keep my cats off whatever quilt I have on my longarm......otherwise it makes too nice a hammock!

Nothing wrong with reusing things. Our younger generation could learn alot from us older ones if they would just watch and process. But usually they can't get their fingers of their phones long enough!
Country1

I reuse.... shhh don't tell hubby... after I reuse it , I reuse it again to clean the chrome then I reuse it all the way to the recycle bin....

One of my dear friends would reuse the foil, or the plastic wrap - years ago I saved the plastic bags because they were very expensive, now they are much cheaper. But I will use a plastic container before using baggies or ziplock bags, etc. And foil is used so rarely - i use parchment paper when baking and foil is used with meat in the oven and way too difficult to clean.

I make it into a ball and put it in the dryer, somehow it works like a dryer sheet and gets rid of ststic cling. Not sure how long it last but I have had one ball in the dryer for a month now.

If I have used it to cover something with since my roll of aluminum foil is much wider than my roll of saran wrap, I will continue to cover whatever it is until it is eaten - like a ham, etc. If I have used it in the broiler or in the over then I discard it when it comes out of the range. The only thing I reuse are the plastic grocery bags. And I grew up in the 40's and 50's.

We use it sparingly, but don't wash and reuse...we are careful with water use and beside that we have a recycling bin/service, so all the used foil gets balled up and recycled.

I grew up pretty poor, so consequently I do a lot of recycling of household items. I do re-use foil, ziplocks, jars that something else came in from the store, etc. I also use left overs to make another dish for another meal. Call me cheap but old habits are hard to break.

I only reuse if it isn't dirty at all. Besides around here its hard to save anything to reuse. I live with people who have money to burn, obviously everything with them is "oh just buy a new one". . I have to hide my jars to save them. One day I will get my own place and be able to save all kinds of junk. LOL

i was born in 1936 so i grew up during world war II. we didn't even have aluminum foil, we were so poor, with a family of nine. must not have been very good birth control back then either, lol. but like someone else said, it's hard to break old habits, so I reuse almost everything but kleenex and toilet paper. worn out socks and t shirts work so good for polishing furniture. i can make one t shirt last for about 15 years - wear it the first 5, sleep in it the next 5, then cut it up for rags the last 5.

If it doesn't need to be washed, I reuse foil.
Also, I've stopped using plastic baggies for lunches. I bought a bunch of those semi-disposable plastic containers that have lasted over three years. I only use baggies, foil, and plastic wrap when I intend to throw them away.

I think it depends on what you can live with. Ever watch one of those hoarding shows? Those folks have a use for everything! Even used aluminum foil. It's a very fine line - I don't save aluminum foil or anything else that has been used once on a food product. I'm not even really a fan of plastic containers - I generally put stretch and seal on a regular bowl and use that to store leftovers.

During the 50's and 60's, when many of us were growing up, we were children of people who had learned to use and re-use during both the depression and WWII or they were just plain frugal people. And the world was in much better condition it is now. We are now known as the "Throw Away Society". I'd rather be frugal. Yes, I reuse. And I recycle.

I do put a square piece on top of jam jars in the fridge and screw the lid tight. This seals the jam for a long time. What I use frequently is the plastic bags in the cereal boxes. I use them for lunch and many things around the house.

Me also. There is is not a lot on those rolls so if I can get a second use that is a good thing :)
Judy in Phx, AZ

wad foil into a baked potato size and put into dryer, eliminates static cling,,amazing

When my sissors start to get dull I cut thru foil several times. It helps to sharpen them. It won't replace professional sharpening but will extend the life for awhile. Also I have to have foil for use on the grill. That I won't reuse.

speaking of plastic ware, it is much better for the environment to wash and reuse.....nowadays, we throw everything away....what a waste and filling up dumps