Where can I find a Silica Gel or dessicant bag here in singapore? tried Home Fix DIY shop, they dont have. i can only think of getting it from the newly bought shoes. 
Dessicant Bag / Silica Gel
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Quote from TS:
...i can only think of getting it from the newly bought shoes....
I don't think I can find thirsty hippo on newly bought shoes
.Regards,
Arto.
The "silica gel" (dark blue beads which turns light pink/ clear when 'fully saturated' with water) can be bought off most photostores/labs.
Ask the cashier for help if required. It comes in a plastic container (500 cc size) and costs around S$5.
And don't buy new ones once they turned pink. You can recycle by putting them in oven safe containers (no plastics or you'll melt them) and then heating them to around 200 degrees celcius for 10 to 15 mins.
Or you can use a microwave oven (@ medium setting) for around 5 to 10 mins.
Once they turned dark blue, cool them for around 10 mins and you can re-use them - good for a few hundred cycles until you can no longer recycle (due to contamination).
Hope this helps.
Do not use calcium chloride type of dessicant (eg. those used in thirsty hippo) as the beads absorbed water and become a liquid mixture, which can be quite messy if you spill some and might damage your electronics/ leather stuff.
One more thing: The whole bottle of silica gel (500cc) would be sufficient for a 3 to 5 L size dry box. If it turns pink after just a few days, then you will need more. Mine usually lasts for at least a month before turning pink again. I usually leave it around for a few months (as the air inside is still dry) before recycling.
Ask the cashier for help if required. It comes in a plastic container (500 cc size) and costs around S$5.
And don't buy new ones once they turned pink. You can recycle by putting them in oven safe containers (no plastics or you'll melt them) and then heating them to around 200 degrees celcius for 10 to 15 mins.
Or you can use a microwave oven (@ medium setting) for around 5 to 10 mins.
Once they turned dark blue, cool them for around 10 mins and you can re-use them - good for a few hundred cycles until you can no longer recycle (due to contamination).
Hope this helps.
Do not use calcium chloride type of dessicant (eg. those used in thirsty hippo) as the beads absorbed water and become a liquid mixture, which can be quite messy if you spill some and might damage your electronics/ leather stuff.
One more thing: The whole bottle of silica gel (500cc) would be sufficient for a 3 to 5 L size dry box. If it turns pink after just a few days, then you will need more. Mine usually lasts for at least a month before turning pink again. I usually leave it around for a few months (as the air inside is still dry) before recycling.
The blue silica gel contain cobalt chloride which is known as carcinogen agent. Cancer caused agent.
I believe TS looking for those silica gel in small (like paper) bag that usually can be found on food or medicine, or new shoe. This silica gel is white silica gel, contain no cobalt chloride, so it is consider safe.
Regards,
Arto.
The carcinogenic silica gel you are talking about is more readily available. As long as you take good care not to ingest them, should be OK.
I'm also looking for the clear ones you mentioned.....any idea where to get them?
Then, I think it's the smaller container @ $3++. The slightly bigger containers are selling for arnd $5....not exactly sure if they are 500cc or 750 cc but they look quite big....hmmm maybe 1 L. I've to check this out again.
I don't care about silica gel anymore since I am using Dry Cab.
It doesn't need to be ingest them to get carcinogen effect. It could be crushed into small pieces and somehow goes into your lung. Being carcinogen doesn't mean it will give you straight away cancer. If you lucky, you may ingest them and nothing happen now or in the future. But I won't take the risk.
Regards,
Arto.
Hrm, not that I disagree with Artosoft about being careful, but just fyi, we worry so much about so many things, but the car exhaust you breathe in when walking along the road probably is more carcinogenic than a lot of the things we gripe about and actually pay attention to, like water quality, etc. Same goes for that lovely barbeque dinner you had last night. =)
somehow, heating up such things and letting the fume float around doesnt seem like a good idea. Why save over such a small amount. Get a dry cabinet or new silica beads whenever in need. I think we are living in a world where there is too much dessicant. U dont know what happens when you inhale the fumes We will never know. But its safer to not do it? I dont know. I wont. =p
Actually why not just use Hungry Hippo-style things? Works the same way, unless you're Clumsy Bob nothing will happen. Btw, I once just tried to turn the thing upside down and no liquid leaked out, so no troubles with leakage or fluids in your dry box, blah blah blah.
Nowadays they even have a smaller size version which is good, the large size one is way too dry, one dose for about SGD0.50.
Nowadays they even have a smaller size version which is good, the large size one is way too dry, one dose for about SGD0.50.
The problem is, thirsty hippo is too thirsty. It may bring humidity below 40%. Some reported problem with some lens when keep too long in <45%RH.
Regards,
Arto.
Yep, so you have 2 options,
1) Buy the large size one, and only open HALF of the top, what I'm doing, keeps it nicely around 45% lowest.
2) Or buy the small size one (recently introduced into the market I think), and it should be fine. =)
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