How do I open things that will not open?

Stuck lids are usually not held by friction at all — they are held by a partial vacuum inside. Understanding that changes the approach from applying more force to letting air in, which needs almost none.

Safety

Step by step

1. Break the vacuum on a jar first.Slide the tip of a teaspoon or a blunt knife under the lip of the lid and lever very gently until you hear a hiss. The lid will then usually turn with two fingers.
2. Use heat if the vacuum will not break.Run hot tap water over the metal lid for thirty seconds. The metal expands faster than the glass and the air inside expands too. Do not use boiling water on a cold jar — the glass can crack.
3. Improve the grip rather than the force.A rubber glove, a silicone mat, a wide elastic band around the lid, or a folded tea towel. Most failed attempts are hands slipping rather than a lack of strength.
4. Tap the edge of the lid.A few firm taps around the rim with the back of a spoon deforms the seal slightly and breaks the bond. It works particularly well on jars with dried sugar or preserve around the thread.
5. Use both hands against each other.Hold the jar against your body with the weaker hand and turn with the stronger. Twisting a jar held in mid-air wastes most of the effort you apply.
6. Open blister packs from the back.Cut the backing with scissors along one edge rather than trying to push the item through the plastic. Clamshell packaging is best opened at a corner with a safety cutter, never a kitchen knife.
7. Deal with a stuck bottle cap.Warm the neck, tap the cap edge, and use a rubber grip. For a cork that will not come, hot water round the neck expands the glass and loosens it.
8. Free a paint tin or a screw lid gone hard.Dried paint or glue around a thread needs the residue removing first — hot water and a cloth, or a plastic scraper. Levering a hardened lid usually distorts it and makes it worse.
9. Use a proper opener rather than improvising.Jar openers, strap wrenches and grip pads cost very little and remove the whole problem, particularly for anyone with hand pain or reduced grip. Improvised tools are where injuries come from.
10. Know when to stop.A jar that creaks or flexes is close to breaking. Glass failing in your hand is a serious injury. Ask someone else, use a tool, or accept the loss.

Tips

• Store jars with a smear of oil on the thread if you find them hard to open. It stops the contents drying into the seal.
• A wide elastic band around both the lid and your palm is the simplest grip aid there is.
• Anyone with arthritis or reduced grip should have a proper jar opener rather than a set of tricks. It is a small purchase that removes a daily irritation.

Questions people ask