jerry90210

Hey all. Im flying back to the US. I have a small bag of oxiclean that i bought from walmart to whiten/clean my clothes and I like to bring this back with me to the US. Its a very small package when looking at the package. It is unopened. Because its a powder, would this be a big issue? And obviously put it in a checked bag right? Now the thing is would my bag get checked and opened because of this? If so, i would just toss the oxiclean away.


It basically looks like a small bag of potato chips if you talk about the packaging.


Also i bought some generic aspirin a while back as well but never used it. Its still unopened. Am i allowed to bring it back as well? If so, better in checked luggage or my carry on? In my carry on, i always have like vitamins etc.

Section 107

the aspirin is fine. put it in checked or carryon baggage.

Your bag might be selected for inspection because of the powder (any powder, actually). Or it might be selected for inspection not because of the powder. Or your bag might not be selected for inspection at all. There is no reason not to put the oxiclean with you. If there was some reason I preferred to minimize the possibility of my checked bag being inspected then I would put the oxiclean in my carryon.

Loren Pechtel

The scanners can't see powder other than it being an amorphous shape. Customs has never given a second glance at jars of powder. (Not only that, but unlabeled, not sealed and containing white powder. I carry an empty original can in case somebody questions them, but to date nobody has.)

I have had a canister of lite-salt (half NaCl, half KCl) draw scrutiny by TSA, but it was opened and they just wanted to make sure it was what it said it was. Tapped out a few grains and tested them.

In my experience customs only opens bags containing organic materials with a density approaching that of water unless they have already found something. (Note that while the powder I'm carrying is organic it's fluffy enough that it's maybe half the density of water.)

CDTraveler

I've packed a small plastic bag of powdered laundry detergent in my luggage dozens of times, and not had a problem. Mine is usually powder that I scoop from a larger container at home into 2 layers of plastic ziptop bags, so the only label on it is a strip of tape on which I've written "laundry detergent".

jerry90210

So I will be traveling out of the US again. I want to buy some silica gel as where i go to, its always hot and humid and I read silica gel is good to keep your electronics and other products from moisture.


If i buy a big pack off amazon and carry it in my checked luggage, no issue right? I would put it right at the top of my luggage so it would be obvious what it is. But would it be better to just toss a few in a ziplock bag instead instead of carrying a whole pack?


Also never put it in your carry on right?

GUWonder

A lot of times I've had some small packets of silica gel in my checked-in and carry-on luggage, and to my knowledge those have have never become an issue with the luggage screeners checking out my belongings. Can't speak of having a big pouch of the stuff in my luggage.

Section 107

it will not be a problem in either carry on or checked baggage. If, for some reason, a screener becomes curious about it then it might be pulled aside and might be subjected to ETD swab testing before being allowed through.