How long can silica gel be usefully stored ?
The shelf life of silica gel is between 4 and 12 months (although practical experience has shown that it can often far exceed this). The crucial factor is to keep it in a sealed environment until it is needed for use – it will, of course, adsorb moisture from any environment. Although the moisture uptake rate is not fast, small sachets can be particularly vulnerable to poor storage conditions – it is recommended that they are not left open to the atmosphere for longer than 15 minutes.
