It’s a kitchen essential for wrapping sandwiches and covering leftovers to keep them fresh, but your humble roll of cling film can do a lot more.
Expert Home Tips has compiled a list of very useful cling film hacks that prove your trusty roll is even more useful than you ever believed.
In addition to wrapping up food, it’s also your friend in the kitchen by dishes by softening ice-cream, preventing bananas from over-ripening and helping you perfectly poach eggs.
It can also keep flowers fresh, ward off fruit flies and stop your toiletries spilling in your suitcase on holiday.
Wrapping bananas in cling film can help to stop over-ripening, according to Expert Home Tips (stock image)
PREVENT BANANAS FROM OVER-RIPENING
You can prevent bananas from going brown and mushy by wrapping the stalks in cling film.
This prevents the release of ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process.
STOP TOILETRIES LEAKING
Before packing your suitcase, remove lids and place a thin layer of cling film over the open end before replacing them tightly to prevent any spills while travelling.
TAKE THE HASSLE OUT OF MOVING
Cling film is great for wrapping up smaller household items when moving house.
For instance, there’s no need to unpack your kitchen utensil holder. Just wrap it up and it’s ready to go as soon as you’re settled in your new home.
Keep flowers fresh before you give them as a gift by wrapping the stalks in a wet paper towel and covering in cling film (stock image)
BOOST YOUR GREEN FINGERS
Place a layer over your seedling trays to protect them, maintain the air’s humidity and compost’s moisture.
KEEP THE FRIDGE CLEAN
Drips and spills can lead to stains that are tough to remove, so line your shelves with cling film and remove once it starts to look messy to keep the fridge sparkling.
MAKE PERFECT POACHED EGGS
Place cling film over an empty mug, crack an egg in and twist the top to fasten before poaching in simmering water as normal.
FIX YOUR CORKED WINE
If there’s cork in your wine you might think that it’s ruined beyond repair, but a scrunched up ball of cling film can be your saviour.
Whirl it around your glass and it will attract and collect all remnants of the cork.
KEEP YOUR ICE CREAM SOFT
To prevent large ice crystals forming on the surface, place a sheet over the top before sealing the tub and putting it back in the freezer.
UP YOUR NAIL ART GAME
Paint your nails with a base coat and colour and make sure they’re dry.
Apply a second colour and blot with a scrunched up piece of cling film for a tie dye effect, before finishing with a base coat.
Cling film can be used for poaching eggs, tie dye nail art and keeping fruit flies at bay (stock image)
PROTECT GLASSES WHILE PAINTING
If you have poor eyesight and can’t decorate without your glasses, wrap them in cling film to prevent any stains.
Its transparency means you’ll still be able to see perfectly.
KEEP FLOWERS FRESH
If you’ve bought a bouquet as a gift and want to make sure your blooms don’t wilt before you have a change to present it, then cling film is the answer.
Cover the stems in a wet paper towel and wrap tightly in cling film to keep them fresh as a daisy.
WARD OFF FRUIT FLIES
Add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and several drops of washing up liquid to a vessel of your choice and cover with cling film.
Prick holes in the top with a pointed object and you have your own fly trap.
The sweetness of the cider vinegar attracts the flies in, while the washing up liquid breaks the surface tension of the liquid so they drown.