Cling wrap uses you probably didn’t know about

Screen protectors can run anywhere from $15 to $40, but one box of cling wrap is roughly $4 or so, making a DIY plastic wrap protector a no-brainer. First, make sure to clean your phone screen. Then cut the cling wrap, so it’s about 8cm bigger than your screen. Stretch and smooth it over your screen and wrap any excess in the back of your phone before cutting it off. Then put your regular phone case in place.

Extend the life of your fresh bouquet with plastic wrap. Cut a rectangle of cling wrap and place a damp paper towel on top. Then put the ends of your flowers in the middle of the moist paper towel and fold them both up to keep the flowers fresh. You can use a bow or tissue paper to cover up this cling wrap hack.

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Pesky fruit flies are no match for cling wrap. Here’s what to do: grab a small cup and a few pieces of fruit. Then use plastic wrap to cover the top and poke a hole in the middle with a pen or pencil. The flies find their way inside the cup but have trouble escaping the plastic wrap, effectively trapping them.

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Bananas, much like avocados, are notorious for quickly moving from fresh to over-ripe. To slow down the process and keep your bananas fresh, try wrapping the stems of the fruit with plastic wrap.

You don’t have to toss out every broken make-up compact. Instead, try using cling wrap to firm-up the powder. First, cover the powder compact with plastic wrap. Then crush the powder with your fingers or a spoon, so it’s loose. Add a drop or two of rubbing alcohol to make a paste. Use the same spoon to smooth this out and wait 24 hours for it to dry before using.

If the plunger fails, it might be time to try this technique for unclogging your toilet. Use plastic wrap to cover the toilet bowl and flush. Once the plastic swells, you should push down on it, creating enough pressure to unblock the pipeline.

Here are more ideas for clearing a blocked toilet. 

Travel-lovers often learn the hard way that some bottle caps are bad at their job. Avoiding shampoo, conditioner and body wash spills is easy with a piece of cling wrap. Remove the lids or caps and place a piece of plastic wrap on top ensuring everything that’s in the bottle stays in the bottle.

This plastic wrap hack could be the key to finally perfecting egg poaching. Start by covering a bowl in cling wrap. (Be sure to use good quality plastic wrap that has a melting point between 130 to 145 degrees celcius, so the plastic doesn’t melt during the poaching process.) Spritz the wrap with cooking spray, so the egg doesn’t stick. Crack your egg into the lined bowl. Tie and knot the corners of the plastic to keep the egg in place. Then simmer your water and cook the eggs for six minutes to poach them perfectly.

Cover your shelves with plastic wrap to make them easier to clean. The plastic is easy to peel off, catches leaks, and means there’s one less thing to scrub down in your kitchen.

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Never let good ice cream go to waste because of freezer burn again. Cover the top of your ice cream container – or anything else you freeze – and put the lid back on top. This double-duty system keeps frozen food fresh.

Check out more brilliant food prep hacks.