A sure sign that you’re buying something nice is that it comes with a few silica bags. These are those little bags of beads that are often found in shoe boxes or the packaging of electronic equipment, and while most people simply discard these, they can actually be pretty useful if you hang onto them.

Silica bags contain small blobs of silicon dioxide, which remove moisture from the surrounding air by attracting water particles onto their surface – a process known as adsorption. In doing so, they protect other items from becoming damp and prevent the development of mold.

This makes them pretty handy, and while it may not be immediately apparent exactly how they can be utilized, the following video provides some neat ideas for life hacks involving silica bags. For instance, placing them in your gym bag can help stop your stuff from getting moldy, while leaving a few on the dashboard of your car can prevent your windshield from fogging up.

So next time you go shopping and find a silica bag or two thrown in with whatever you’re buying, be sure to keep hold of them and put them to good use.