# Why doesn't plastic food wrap film cling to aluminum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352 "2016-09-19T15:19:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/1 "2016-09-19T15:19:05Z")
Working as a cook for decades now, this has always kind of bugged me. I can cover a stainless steel or glass container with plastic film wrap, and it “clings” and seals the top of the pan/container. Trying to do the same with an aluminum pan, however, is an exercise in futility. It won’t cling at all. What’s so special about aluminum here? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/2 "2016-09-19T16:01:35Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > What’s so special about aluminum here? It’s better at foiling you. Is this true for all aluminum containers? I’m wondering if this might have something to do with the surface finish, or the presence of a lip on the container. I noticed last night that my cling wrap was pretty hopeless on a particular ceramic bowl, so it could be a topology issue rather than material. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/3 "2016-09-19T16:13:58Z")
It a something to do with electrostatic charge, but I don’t know anything more than that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/4 "2016-09-19T16:14:33Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > It’s better at foiling you. As penance, you must read stories of [Roy Orbison in Cling-film.](http://michaelkelly.artofeurope.com/karl.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/5 "2016-09-19T16:18:58Z")
WAG: Electrostatics? The AL dissipates the surface charge of the wrap which is what allows it to cling. OTOH: Observational bias? I notice that one time the wrap will cling to a bowl and the next time it won’t. Very fussy stuff. You might only notice the times when it doesn’t cling. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-plastic-food-wrap-film-cling-to-aluminum/766352/6 "2016-09-20T00:30:24Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > WAG: Electrostatics? The AL dissipates the surface charge of the wrap which is what allows it to cling. > > OTOH: Observational bias? I notice that one time the wrap will cling to a bowl and the next time it won’t. Very fussy stuff. You might only notice the times when it doesn’t cling. The observed behavior has been consistent over the 33 years I’ve been observing it 😛 The electrostatic idea sounds interesting. Others mentioned topology/surface finish, and that was sort of where my own thoughts were tending. At least in professional cookware, stainless steel tends to have a highly-polished surface, whereas aluminum has a more “matte” finish. It’s worth noting that the plastic film will cling to glass, but not to most other plastics. ETA: I should also mention that I’m talking about scenarios where the film and the metal are both dry. A bit of oil or water will prevent the film from clinging, regardless of the other material.