Letter Re: An Inexpensive Source for Bulk Silica Gel Desiccant

Jim:

You wrote in reply to a recent e-mail from “Billfour”: “JWR Replies: That is a great suggestion. Just beware of any desiccant that has any additives, dyes, or scents. A perfumed desiccant would be fine for tool storage, but potentially a disaster for food storage.”

I’ve just been through this. Tidy Cats Crystals has perfume, which I discovered after getting it home and opening it. (I’ll use it for my stored ammo.) The brand that I have found that has no perfume is the Amazing Cat Litter brand. It only has silica gel as the stated ingredient on its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Also, the chunks of silica gel are larger, with much less dust. I used twist-ties and brown coffee filters to wrap-up an ounce at a time, which is the approximate amount needed for six-gallon pails. – Ham