You know those not-so-wonderful steel wool pads that after a few days become rusted and yucky. Well after each use, add a little liquid soap (if you want to but not required), place it in a small freezer bag, and freeze it. When you take it out to use it, it will be like new and this will make them last for a lot longer. I get 5 to 6 uses out of them before I have to throw it away.
I like to use a clean SOS pad every time I need one but often find that they are too large to really use up each time. I pre-cut all the pads in the box into quarters, using scissors. Each piece is a good size for my needs and I can toss the used quarter away without feeling it is wasteful.
I am probably one of the most "thrifty" people I know. My husband calls me cheap - LOL When I need to use a scrubbing steel wool pad, I cut them in half or quarters first.
There is a two-fold reason for doing this. One, it sure cuts down on the amount of steel wool pads I buy. They ALWAYS begin to rust before they are used up. Two, it seems to clean and sharpen my scissors also!
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Store Steel Wool Pads in Freezer
To get the longest use out of a steel wool soap pad (like Brillo), wrap it in a small piece of aluminum foil and store in freezer after scrubbing your pans. I don't even remember the last time I bought a box of these pads because you can use one right down to the last wire without any rust at all. When the soap runs out, just use your own.
By Cakeluv from Henry, TN
Store Steel Wool Pads in Freezer
Really, how often do we use a steel wool pad to clean? But when you need one, you need one. My tip: cut them in half for small jobs. When you are done, forget putting it in the sink to dry, it will rust. Instead, put the steel wool pad in a zip lock bag and freeze it. It will be as good as new when you need it sometime in the future.
Saving on Steel Wool Pads