Tips for opening jars

[spork]

I'm sure others have thought of it, but I came up with this method for unscrewing stubbornly tight glass jar lids independently...

Take a thick rubber band. Like one used to bundle broccoli stalks at the grocery store. Fit around jar lid. For sticky grip. Twisting open the lid becomes easy peasy.

In the rare case even that doesn't work, I soak the metal lid in hot running water for five minutes.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by spork

I'm sure others have thought of it, but I came up with this method for unscrewing stubbornly tight glass jar lids independently...

Take a thick rubber band. Like one used to bundle broccoli stalks at the grocery store. Fit around jar lid. For sticky grip. Twisting open the lid becomes easy peasy.

In the rare case even that doesn't work, I soak the metal lid in hot running water for five minutes.

Great method. All the women I know call those "broccoli elastics". Men look at us like we're nuts.

Rubber hose, the kind that's about a half an inch in diameter, works even better, but I don't have any of that

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I use a Playtex glove. I don't even bother putting it on. I just drape it over the jar lid.

[Selkie]

For those of us with arthritis and no gripping strength in our hands... rubber band or no, I recommend a Black & Decker power jar opener.

Long handled slip jaw pliers work well in opening bottle caps.

Campbell's makes a wrench/puller for finger tabs on cans... the kind used for sardines, pineapple slices, etc. It prevents anymore painful pressure on a finger joint.

An assortment of chip clips are used to seal bags... even bags that are self-sealing with a plastic zipper. The The amount of extra plastic they leave to grip and pull apart in order to rip open the inner seal for the first time just isn't enough for arthritic fingers to get hold. Just cut it off and use a chip-clip.

[thePanMan]

Most of the time the problem is the vacuum created when the lid is sealed on. There is a gadget called a Jar Key which you simply use to lift the edge of the lid away from the jar breaking the vacuum and in most cases allowing the lid to be removed easily. Not just a young persons product, many older people have found this solves the problem.

[Zhizara]

I swear by my round tuit. the material is the same as for plastic shelf liner and it works easily every time. I got a pack of 4 for $1 at the Family Dollar Store. I keep one on the counter like a coaster so it's always handy.

Getting older, my hands get hurt easily even trying to remove a lid, but the pain is teaching me to reach for my handy dandy tool instead.

I haven't been able to save any "broccoli bands" since I've lived here. They sometimes used them for celery too, but all the celery I have access to now have plastic sleeves.

[pacanis]

That's a great second use for those blue rubber bands. I never would have thought of that.

[CraigC]

You can also buy a piece if 1/8" sheet rubber from the hardware store.

Craig

[DMerry]

I have arthritis in my hands, but that's not the problem. When I try to open a jar that I have to grip tightly, its the bit of flesh and the skin on my hands that give me pain. I use a jar opener, but sometimes I turn the jar upside down and slam against a wood cutting board, making sure that the lid is totally parallel to the surface of the wood. This also breaks a vacuum. It takes care to do this, but it works well for me.

[Andy M.]

All the rubber gripping tools mentioned are a great aid in jar opening, however they are not always a solution. I have used the "bang the lid on the counter" method with success.

As we age, our hands lose strength and in some cases, develop arthritis. These factors make opening a bottle or jar a major issue. I have seen first hand how this makes opening any jar a difficult to impossible task. As a result, any jar opening aid that relies on the strength of arthritic hands isn't going to be effective.

When I first saw the Black and Decker electric jar opener I thought it was a gimmick. I have come to realize how helpful it can be to aging men and woman with hand issues.

I don't need one yet but who knows when that will change.