Keep Your Plastic Wrap Frozen And It Won't Ever Stick To Itself
Plastic wrap, also known as cling film, is a key tool in any chef's or home cook's arsenal. For example, while improper storage could be among the mistakes you're making with banana bread, plastic wrap can address that issue. plastic wrap's versatility makes it one of the best options when it comes to food storage. As helpful as this kitchen staple is, you only have to use it one time to figure out one of its major drawbacks. True to its name, cling film sticks to nearly everything, including itself. This can make the product difficult to use since a sheet of plastic wrap can quickly crumple into a tacky ball that's difficult to unfold. Fortunately, you can easily minimize plastic wrap's tendency to cling to itself by storing the roll in your freezer.
It may sound strange but putting cling wrap in the freezer actually makes it less sticky. This makes pulling it off the roll and using it to cover up food much easier as the wrap won't automatically adhere to anything it touches. The cling film will still be able to stick to itself but only when you want it to.
The science behind this hack
There's no special substance on plastic wrap that makes it sticky. Instead, through the science of static electricity, the plastic uses friction to cling to itself. If you hold up a sheet of cling film, you'll notice that any loose ends will be drawn back to the sheet. That's the static in action. Putting cling film in a cold freezer reduces the static charge, which allows you to move the film through the air without it attaching to itself. This makes the entire process of using plastic wrap much less annoying.
Keeping your plastic wrap on ice has other benefits aside from reducing its stickiness. Cling wrap is a bit more rigid when it's frozen, so it doesn't flop onto itself. The wrap is also more pliable in this state, which is particularly useful when wrapping irregularly shaped items or covering items with sharp edges, as the firm plastic is more resistant to tearing. Just make sure you're using plastic wrap correctly to get the most out of this handy trick. A freezer may not be the first place you'd think to keep your plastic wrap but the frustration it can save you may be worth making the move.