Does Aluminum Foil Protect Against EMF Radiation?

I get this question fairly often, so I wanted to look into it.

First of all, to answer your question: Yes, Aluminum foil, much like Aluminum mesh, will shield against most wavelength radio frequency radiation.

Even better? Aluminum foil is Super Cheap!

Now let’s dive into this a bit deeper and find out how, and why, aluminum foil blocks radiation.

(Also, I would love for you to take just a minute and check out Nicolas Pineault’s groundbreaking E-book “A Non-Tinfoil Guide To EMFs.” It is the most entertaining and informative book on EMF radiation you’ll ever read, I promise.)

Does Aluminum Foil Protect Against Radio Frequency Radiation?

Aluminum foil does block, or shield, radio frequency waves. Since the Aluminum is a conductor of electricity, it forms a barrier often called a Faraday Cage, entirely stopping the radio waves.

You can try this for yourself. Get a large sheet of aluminum foil, lay it out flat, set your cell phone on top and wrap it up. Now try calling it, the phone won’t have any signal. These radio waves are a form of EMF radiation. The aluminum foil acts as a barrier and completely blocks those waves.

If you’ve heard of a Faraday cage before, it’s essentially just a structure, often made of a wire mesh of a metal like aluminum, that completely blocks radio and microwave radiation.

The thickness of the metal does not matter, the super thin aluminum foil will work just as well as a thick and heavy sheet of metal. The important factor is that there are no holes larger than the shortest wavelength of the radio or microwaves trying to enter.

Have a look at your microwave. Almost every microwave window has a subtle metal mesh layered in. This is a Faraday cage material, like aluminum, made small enough that the microwave radiation can’t exit.

Aluminum foil would work well for these purposes, but a better option would be Aluminum screening as is used in the video below. This screening will effectively block both RF radiation, as well as microwave radiation.

However, you do need to remember that although Aluminum does block EMF radiation, it does not absorb it. RF and microwave EMF radiation travel in straight lines. Therefore you are only protected if there is a material capable of blocking the radiation directly between you and the source of the radiation.

Make sure you are careful using materials like EMF protection paint ( read my article on that here ) or aluminum in your home if you have wifi or radiation-emitting devices because the waves will just be bounced around and can be accelerated and amplified.

A better use for aluminum mesh and EMF protection paint would be keeping RF waves out of your home, like lowering the ambient EMF radiation from local cell towers entering your home.

Watch the video below to the end to see just how effective Aluminum can be at blocking RF radiation from routers, cell phones, smart meters and more.

As you can see from the video, Aluminum foil, or in this case aluminum mesh with holes small enough to block the wavelength, is highly effective at shielding, or blocking, EMF radiation.

If you’re looking for even better products to block or protect against EMF radiation, check out my recommended products page. I frequently update it with the products that I use and trust.

How To Test If Aluminum Foil Is Blocking Radiation

The best way to do this is to get a quality EMF meter. Not only will you be able to test to see how well things like Aluminum foil or other EMF radiation blocking materials are working, but you can also use it for tons of other personal protection.

I really love the new TriField TF2 (read my review) as it’s easy to use, really accurate, and measures every kind of EMF radiation. This way you can go around your home or office and see what is emitting harmful EMF radiation and how much. This is also really helpful when you’re trying to implement changes to reduce this radiation to ensure that it is working.

If you read my posts on EMFs In The Bedroom or 11 Ways To Eliminate EMF Exposure, you’ll better understand how you can use an EMF meter to make positive changes in your home.

Ways To Use Aluminum Foil To Block EMF Radiation

1. Shut Off Your WiFi

Take a few sheets of aluminum or copper foil, and create a cage with an open bottom large enough to cover your home router. Now slip a sheet of the foil underneath the router. Then take the cage you created and slip it over the router to create a mini faraday cage. The aluminum foil will have completely blocked the WiFI signal and eliminated the EMF radiation. This is great to do at night while people are sleeping and the WiFI is not needed.

Although, a better option is to just get a router guard, that will block most EMF radiation while still allowing you to use WiFi.

2. Create a Mini Faraday Cage For Electronics

Take an un-used shoebox or cardboard box, and line the inside completely with aluminum foil. Use tape, glue or adhesive, so that you are not creating holes in the box. You will have created a miniature faraday cage. Use it to block the signal to electronics while you are not using them, or to put your family’s phone inside during family game night!

3. Fun Experiments With Kids

Want to teach your kids about how radio waves work? Use aluminum foil and one of the EMF meters I talked about above to show them how it blocks the signal. Have an old remote control car lying around? Have your kid drive it around for a minute and then cover the car in aluminum foil to show how it blocks the radio signal!

Other EMF Blocking Metals

Aluminum foil is really inexpensive, highly effective, and works extremely well for DIY projects around the home. There are other metals that work really well for this purpose and for the creation of Faraday cages. The two other metals that you see most commonly would be Iron and Steel. This is the reason that often times in buildings with significant steel framing, you will have various dead spots where you won’t receive a cell phone signal.

Another material that works similarly well as aluminum foil at blocking radiation would be copper. Check out my full post on how copper blocks EMF radiation.

Uses For Aluminum Foil

Not only is aluminum foil useful for covering a casserole pan (for example), its many additional uses make it a unique preparedness item to have around…

Here are some uses for aluminum foil. Add your own ideas at the end:

Foil Hat: Great to wear while reading conspiracy websites… 😉

DIY Cooking Pans: Works best with heavy-duty aluminum foil – Fold into the shape which suits your cooking needs. Place on low heat, hot coals, etc..

Storing Food: Provides a barrier against light, oxygen, odors, flavors, moisture, and bacteria.

DIY Utensils: Shape into bowls, plates, etc..

Solar Oven Reflector: Use your creativity and make your own solar oven.

Scrubber: A little bit of crumpled aluminum foil for scrubbing pans of tough messes.

Bird Deterrent: Great for around gardens to scare off birds – Tear off sheets, attach to anything to catch the rippling wind.

Funnel: Shape it into a cone shape and start pouring…

Sharpen Scissors: Fold a sheet of foil several times and cut through it with a pair of dull scissors to sharpen the blades.

Reflect & Radiate Heat: Wrap a piece of plywood in foil and tuck it behind a radiator to reflect heat into the room.

Rust-free steel wool: Set your kitchen steel-wool scrubber on a piece of foil to keep rust away.

Shine Your Silver: Chemical reaction with the foil: Line a glass pan with foil, add several spoonfuls of baking soda and salt, fill the pan with boiling water, and drop in tarnished silver for a quick cleaning.

Fishing: Press some aluminum foil around a fishing hook, covering it completely, causing it to wiggle in the water.

Keep Stuff Dry: Wrap it tightly around things like matches, tinder, or anything you want to keep dry

DIY Faraday Wrap: To help protect a portable radio (or any device) from EMP. First completely insulate (wrap) device in a non-conductive material (Ziploc, paper bag, etc.). Then completely wrap the now-covered radio with foil. Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil works better due to the ‘skin depth effect’. Repeat procedure for greater effectiveness (insulate-foil-insulate-foil, etc..).

Signal Mirror: Use the reflective properties to form into a signaling device.

Cat Toy: Roll into a ball and let the fun begin…

Start a Fire With a Battery: Touch both ends of a battery – will generate heat and flame-out depending on battery.

Antenna Reception: Wrap a piece of foil around radio antenna for potential of increased reception. Don’t do this for transmitting.

Dryer: A scrunched up aluminum foil ball will help relieve static cling in the dryer.

Windows: Foil taped over windows will keep out summer heat.

My favorite aluminum foil is an 18″ roll (500′ long) which we purchased awhile ago. Being wider than the typical roll, it has more uses. For example it will cover an entire cookie sheet with one piece (e.g. cooking bacon!).

Though ours is Kirkland brand, the best equivalent deal I could find is ( this one ) on amzn.

Can you suggest more uses for aluminum foil??

These Aluminum Foil Hacks Are Improving Peoples’ Daily Lives, And They’re Painfully Easy To Do

It’s no longer just for wrapping your kids’ sandwiches — or, of course, making cone hats. Homeowners are raving over these aluminum foil hacks. Easy to do and practical for every day use, these helpful tips are guaranteed to make your life easier. Whether it’s a better way to clean your frying pan, or a fun new method to serve food (and impress your friends in the process!), who knew tin foil could be this inventive?

1. Keeping Your Grill Clean

If there’s one thing that many people love after a long week, it’s a well-cooked barbecue. But anyone who’s enjoyed a Sunday afternoon grilling burgers and steak also knows how hard it can be to clean the grill. While wrapping your food in tin foil can be one method to prevent grime, it’s also not a very sustainable option.

However, there is a much more effective thing you can do — one that’s extremely easy as well. When you’re done grilling, all you have to do is crumple up a sheet of aluminum foil and use it to scrape the grill. Presto! Good as new.

2. The Quickest Way To Iron Clothes

We’ve all been in that position where we’re trying to get dressed for a fancy event, but that awesome buttoned-down shirt we want to wear is hopelessly wrinkled. The only problem is, there isn’t enough time to iron it. Thankfully, we’ve got a solution right here that may help.

First, take a long sheet of aluminum foil and place it on the ironing board. Second, cover the foil with a towel, or some other kind of safe covering that you plan to put your clothes on. The aluminum foil will reflect the heat instead of absorb it, and your clothes will lose their wrinkles much faster!

3. Keeping Your Snacks Fresh

Resealable bags are useful, but sometimes we don’t have them at our disposal. This is a way to essentially plastic seal your bag, all with the help of aluminum foil. Once you’ve already gotten everything you need from the bag, here’s what you need to do.

Take a strip of aluminum foil and place it right over the opening of the bag, while flattening it the way you want it to close. Then, you must heat the foil with an iron on top of the opening, just slightly enough to create a seal. Obviously you must be careful that you don’t overheat it, but done right, your food will be as fresh as it ever was.

4. Clean Your Frying Pan

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, chances are you’ve dealt with your share of unwanted gunk on your pots and pans. It’s natural for grime to accumulate over time, but there are multiple ways to deal with it. While using dishwasher soap and a sponge are obvious things to use, sometimes they can’t do everything.

YouTube/Clean My Space

For the extra-hard spots on your pan that you can barely make a dent in, aluminum foil can actually be very helpful. Crumple up the foil and give those pestering coats of grime a whirl. They’ll see who’s boss soon enough.

5. Create Your Own Battery

It’s incredibly frustrating when a battery unexpectedly dies on us. It’s no big deal when we have batteries lying around, but some of us simply aren’t that lucky. However, if that happens, and smaller batteries happen to be in the vicinity, this is the perfect solution.

With the help of aluminum foil, you can basically transform your small battery (such as a AAA one) into a bigger one that fits (such as a AA). Simply take a small piece of foil and crumple it up so that it fills in the excess space which the small battery isn’t big enough to fill. If done right, the electrical signal should be good to go.

6. Customize Your Own Cake

Chances are that you don’t have a heart-shaped cake pan in your house. You’ve likely seen cakes of all kinds of shapes and sizes, and they’re usually only possible because of special pans that you buy in the store. But here’s an alternative option that you can use if you don’t have any special pans at home.

Take a few sheets of aluminum foil, barricade them along your standard rectangular or circular pan, and make sure your chosen shape is tightly sealed. Add an extra layer of a cooking sheet, and voilà — you’ve got a new pan. Don’t forget to add a generous layer of frosting!

7. Prevent Dryer Static

Aluminum foil can obviously provide all kinds of assistance in the kitchen, but it’s helpful in the laundry room as well. For those of us who do laundry quite frequently, we’re all aware of the annoying dryer static effect that can be seen on the clothes at the end. One way to deal with this issue is by using dryer sheets, but they’re not always around.

YouTube/Clean My Space

Of course, you can actually use aluminum foil instead. Roll a few pieces of aluminum into balls, and make sure that they’re compressed smoothly enough that there are no sharp edges. When they’re ready to go, toss them in the dryer before turning it on, and it’ll get rid of that annoying static for you.

8. Make Your Teeth White As Snow

Who doesn’t want pearly white teeth? As great as toothpaste is, it’s mainly for cleaning teeth, and even the ones that claim to be for whitening don’t always get the job done. With the help of aluminum foil, however, there is a great solution to achieve the white teeth you deserve.

YouTube/Hacked Life RP

First you need to mix up your toothpaste with some sodium bicarbonate, and some water. Make sure it’s mixed enough that it’s now a consistent paste. Now, extract a couple aluminum foil strips that are as wide as your mouth, and apply the paste to your teeth. Leave the strips there for a while, and enjoy the results.

9. Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal

In this day and age, being without wi-fi is like being without oxygen. Okay, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you certainly get our point. Nothing sucks more than losing Internet out of the blue, especially when your Internet provider isn’t helping much either. That’s why aluminum foil might actually provide an answer you may not have expected.

YouTube/Byte My Bits

In order to make it work, take a sheet of cardboard and cover it with tin foil. Second, insert it in the flaps around your router, and make sure it’s close to where the cords are plugged in. If done right, this tin foil Wi-Fi booster should restore your Internet fully, or at the very least, provide some connection help.

10. Keeping Those Scissors Razor Sharp

This is something that most people don’t know about, but it’s actually very practical. If you’re someone who uses scissors a lot, then you’ve probably come into trouble occasionally with the scissors being too dull. Luckily, aluminum foil has got yet another perfect solution for that.

Due to the unique physical properties of foil, it’s useful for sharpening blades, and here’s how to do it. Simply fold over a large sheet of tin foil, and repeat that step a handful of times until your foil is pretty thick. Then proceed to cut 10 to 15 lines into the foil with your scissors. Before you know it, they’ll be sharpened.

11. A Great Slime-Catcher

To some people, washing dishes can actually feel pretty therapeutic — except, of course, when we have to deal with all that sludge at the bottom of the sink. Whether it’s a mushy mix of various foods we’ve eaten, or a well-accumulated mixture of liquids, there’s no chance we’re going to touch it.

In the past, you may have found yourself using gloves, or simply “biting the bullet”, as they say, in order to remove it. But instead of all that, why not just crumple up tin foil into marble-sized balls and leave them near the drain? They’ll happily absorb all the disgusting slime you have no interest in touching.

12. Social Distancing For Cupcakes

After you’ve slaved tirelessly for hours on the delicious cupcakes that you’re going to serve for your kid’s birthday, you want to make sure everything goes right. And what that means is making sure that none of those cupcakes touch each other, from the perfectly placed frosting to the moist cake itself.

By using these long, inventive, thick strands of aluminum foil, you can easily separate them. It goes without saying that you can do the same thing for all other types of food that you want to keep isolated. Hey, it may not seem that complicated, but then again, the best things aren’t.

13. Don’t Be Messy While Eating Ribs

You might think you’re America’s greatest barbecue master, but even champions have their off-days. Indeed, no chef is immune to the occasional slip-up, and when it comes to ribs, we have a solution for a very common problem. While the rib meat sits there getting cooked, quite often the protruding bone will get black and charred.

This can be a bit annoying when the time actually comes to eat the rib, because your hands get all nasty. But by wrapping the excess bone with tin foil, you prevent that extra char from taking place, and prevent your own hands from getting all black and greasy!

14. The Wilderness Oven

Living the camping life isn’t easy, and even the most experienced campers are always learning new ways to improve their outdoor adventures. One thing that all potential campers could learn is how to make a reflective oven out of tin foil.

The first thing you need is a roaring fire. You also need two flat surfaces, such as the metal grate from a basic grill at home. Wrap those two pieces in aluminum foil, place them at the correct angle, prop them up near the fire, and you’ve got yourself an oven! Put your food inside, and be amazed by the result.

15. Make Your Own Stylus

In our society of endless tablets, iPads, and other “touch devices”, a stylus is something that’s not so bad to be without. Sure, we could always use our finger, but that’s how you get smudges on the glass screen. But if you don’t feel like shelling out the extra dough to buy one, here’s how to create a makeshift stylus using tin foil.

First, grab a normal pen or pencil. Second, find a Q-tip, cut it in half, and tape it to the tip. Finally, take a small strip of aluminum foil, and wrap it around the whole thing, using tape to seal it. It’ll now work perfectly. Some people actually make these homemade styluses without a Q-tip at all, but we recommend going for the softer touch.

16. Warm Up Your Feet

This hack is mainly relevant for those who live in colder climates, but even those who don’t could use this hack on their next winter vacation. Because no matter how thick your socks are, sometimes the layers just don’t cut it. Using aluminum foil in this handy way, you’ll find your feet warming up unlike ever before.

As shown here, simply line up a sheet of tin foil with the in-soles of your shoes, and the heat generated from your body will reflect itself back to you as you walk. It might be a little tricky to do correctly, but the payout is great.

17. The Perfect Taco Holder

Here’s something that isn’t exactly a necessity, but it certainly creates a neat little trick to show off for your friends. If you’ve got an ample supply of excess aluminum foil that you were planning on throwing out, this can be a good way to hold your food together.

All you need to do is shape the tin foil in such a way that it’s strong enough for the food to lean on. It’s especially helpful with tacos, a food that we all know can get quite messy. By using the foil to barricade tacos from falling over, it not only saves you from the extra mess, but it’s also a fun way to present your food to guests.

18. The Coolest Way To Make Grilled Cheese

Are you a fan of grilled cheese? That’s a rhetorical question, because who isn’t? Regardless, here’s a fun new way to make grilled cheese, one that we doubt you’ve ever tried. The first thing you need to do is prepare the sandwich like you normally would, with your bread, butter, cheese, and whatnot. Then you wrap the sandwich with — what else? — aluminum foil.

Here’s where things get fun: you take an iron, and proceed to start ironing the sandwich! Be sure to cook it for a solid amount of time (at least six to eight minutes), and when it’s done, pop that grilled cheese out of the tin foil for a taste.

19. Keep Your Bananas Fresh

Banana-lovers seem to be trying to incorporate this tropical fruit into their meals constantly: breakfast, dessert, snack, whatever! They also know how aggravatingly quick the bananas can lose their freshness. So if you’re someone who buys bananas in heavy bulk, this aluminum foil hack to retain the freshness of bananas will certainly lead you in the right direction.

YouTube/Hacks and Snacks

It’s actually one of the easiest hacks we have on this list, but no less effective! Simply take each banana you want to preserve, and tightly wrap an aluminum foil seal around the root. If done correctly, your bananas should be nice and fresh for a lot longer than they normally would. Enjoy!

20. Don’t Scrape Your Floors

It’s pretty common for us to get sick of the same, boring old furniture arrangement at home. As beautiful as the couch used to look, now you feel like it has to move; but is it worth dragging it and ruining your beautiful floor?

It turns out that you don’t have to ruin that surface, because tin foil is here for the rescue once more. By making your foil thick enough, you can actually create a makeshift holder for each couch leg. Once you’ve successfully attached the foil to each leg, you’ll now be able to drag it wherever you want without floor scratches.

21. The Grease Catcher

Let’s be real — all the best foods generate grease. Whether or not you agree with that statement, chances are you’ve dealt with grease quite a bit in your kitchen, and will likely encounter it again. So what are we suggesting you do for the next time this happens?

Make a little cute grease catcher out of aluminum foil! It’s actually quite easy, and incredibly helpful. This way, you avoid gooping up your drain, which can sometimes clog up your pipes. Just keep it in your bowl made out of foil, and wait till the grease hardens. Once it’s solid, toss it all in the trash!

22. An Easy Funnel

Funnels can be useful for a myriad of different reasons. Whether you’re trying to consolidate liquids in the kitchen, or attempting to refill your car with practical fluids, it’s an essential household tool. However, while many people have access to such an item, A) Not everyone does, and B) It can easily get lost, especially in those moments when you need it most.

For this reason, it’s always good to have a stock of aluminum foil available as an option. With careful and clever maneuvering, tin foil can easily be made into a funnel, and you’ll find that it’s just as effective as a plastic one.

23. The Perfect Egg

Whether you’re an omelette master or an amateur chef, you’re bound to have some fun with this aluminum foil hack. Here’s how to do it: first, take the pan you intend on using, and line the inside of it with a generous sheet of aluminum foil. Make sure that the tin foil is pressed hard all along the pan, so that it’s shaped like a bowl.

From that point on, you can proceed to make your eggs the way you would normally do it. Once you’re done, simply remove the foil from the pan. There are actually two benefits to this trick. By adding tin foil, you actually prevent the eggs from sticking to the pan. Additionally, it’s a lot easier to clean. We think it’s definitely worth a try!

24. Clean Your Silverware

Keeping silverware or jewelry clean isn’t like keeping other things clean. Retaining that classic sparkle is a whole process, and constantly polishing each silver item over and over again isn’t exactly easy to maintain. Luckily, aluminum foil provides a solution that’ll not only clean your silverware, but also do it easily and efficiently.

Take a cup or pan and line it with some tin foil, and proceed to fill it with cold water and some salt. Then, place the silverware into the cup and wait a few minutes. Once you’re done waiting, wash off the silverware like you normally would, and you’re good to go.

25. Protect Your Stove

It can be quite overwhelming to cook a five-course Sunday afternoon meal for your immediate and extended family, your friends, and your cousin’s colleague who somehow managed to invite himself over. While you’re slaving away in the kitchen, we all know how messy things can get.

But there’s simply no time to worry yourself about that mess while there’s precious food to be cooked. So what’s the solution? It may seem obvious, but covering your stove with aluminum foil is an excellent way to keep your stove clean throughout this whole process. When you’re done, all you have to do is toss it in the trash, and you’re done!