Am I growing old and decrepit?

[NorthernLight]

Yes, the tab things are difficult if you have weak hands, like me. It's not just age; my hands were always weak.

I had to transfer my recent prescription to another container. I used to get my little girl to open the "childproof containers," but she's grown up now.

 

[RobinWren]

I have the same problem re opening jars and have a couple of gadgets to help me. Cans, I am still able to use a can opener.

 

[spectratg]

I have a heavy duty pair of plyers with a variable gap adjustment that works quite well on bottles of various sizes.

 

[hollydolly]

 

[Lewkat]

I usually slip a butter knife under the outside rim of the jar, lift, and release the vacuum. Poof, off comes the lid.

 

[Alligatorob]

Am I growing old?

Yes, and I hope it continues.

and decrepit?

Probably not so much, a lot of us lose strength in our hands with age, arthritis and other reasons. You got lots of good ideas to help with the jar opening. There are also some hand exercises you can do to rebuild some strength and improve movement.

 

[CarolfromTX]

Have a friend who has a battery powered jar opener She loves it.
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Res...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[caroln]

I also don't like the pull tab lids. It really hurts my finger to pull it off. I prefer my hand held can opener.


What I have problems with is the packages that say "tear here" even when they have a little notch cut. Nine times out of ten I can't get it to tear at all, or sometimes it goes halfway and stops. So I try it from the other end and can't get it started at all. So I end up having to find the scissors anyway.

 

[Knight]

I have a heavy duty pair of plyers with a variable gap adjustment that works quite well on bottles of various sizes.

I don't have a problem but if I did I'd use this. I think this is what spectrag was referring to.
https://www.harborfreight.com/10-in...MIg-XYpNzO-wIVm3NvBB1yMgT9EAQYAiABEgK5FPD_BwE

 

[katlupe]

My BF bought one of these for me and it works great. I use it for spring water containers, condiments, everything.

 

[Ruthanne]

I don't have a problem with opening jars. I have to hit it with a flat knife two or three times and it opens right up after that.

 

[Trish]

In attempting to remove plastic lid of a jar of Peanut Butter I had to resort to using a bread slicing knife, then a pair of pliers to remove lid.
This happens often with soft drink bottles as well. Many times I can not remove the lid and have to cut them off.
I have noticed that sometimes the drink bottle caps have no perforations making it extremely difficult to remove the cap.
Bottles with thin aluminium caps can be a pain as well, also without perforations , with a faulty thread, turning the cap flattens out the thread and the cap goes nowhere.
Exasperating at times.
Anyone here come up against these first world problems?

I have several gadgets which open bottles and jars but, a thick elastic band wound around the lid also works as it gives you grip.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gripper-Pu...d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

 

[horseless carriage]

I have several gadgets which open bottles and jars but, a thick elastic band wound around the lid also works as it gives you grip.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gripper-Purpose-Reusable-Openers-Bottles/dp/B09FSYX5QD/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.4939ea89-efd4-468c-a458-8735f4cbce34:amzn1.sym.4939ea89-efd4-468c-a458-8735f4cbce34&cv_ct_cx=Jar+Opener+Grip&keywords=Jar+Opener+Grip&pd_rd_i=B09FSYX5QD&pd_rd_r=4a2eb921-0619-4b74-80f2-2b1d8975b78f&pd_rd_w=hJBdg&pd_rd_wg=fkWP5&pf_rd_p=4939ea89-efd4-468c-a458-8735f4cbce34&pf_rd_r=VY9M2D0YDVXDXG1TNMPH&qid=1669672971&sr=1-1-b75715df-0cbd-4312-a971-de5362256967-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

We use one of these Brabantia grippers, bottles, jars any sort of twist or prise lid, they all succumb to this handy gadget.

 

[Geezer Garage]

We have a cutting board that is always out on the counter. I can open most things that my wife hands me, but for the exceptions I'll smack the lid at a slight angle, in a few places on the cutting board and that does the trick.

 

[Tish]

@Tish, do you have a picture of it? It sounds fascinating.

I buy it by the roll, for about $5.00

 

[NorthernLight]

Or you can buy it precut, a few inches in diameter, for about $5 each.

 

[caroln]

Like @Jules , I use hot water to open jar lids. I don't bother boiling the water though. I just hold the jar lid under hot running water for a few seconds and it generally opens right up.

 

[Chet]

Anything vacuum sealed like pickles, I poke the lid with an ice pick to release the vacuum, and it opens easily. I use channel lock pliers on some screw off lids like milk. I start pull tabs with a rod used as a lever by pushing down with the opposite edge used as a fulcrum. Once started, it's easier to pull the rest.

 

[caroln]

Anything vacuum sealed like pickles, I poke the lid with an ice pick to release the vacuum, and it opens easily. I use channel lock pliers on some screw off lids like milk. I start pull tabs with a rod used as a lever by pushing down with the opposite edge used as a fulcrum. Once started, it's easier to pull the rest.

But how do you seal up the food in the jar again if you poked a hole in the lid? I guess that would work if you ate the whole jar of pickles in one sitting!

 

[NorthernLight]

But how do you seal up the food in the jar again if you poked a hole in the lid? I guess that would work if you ate the whole jar of pickles in one sitting!

You save all the old lids, of course! One of them is sure to fit the jar.

 

[hollydolly]

I buy it by the roll, for about $5.00

View attachment 252820

I have a couple of rolls of this too.. I use it for a lot of stuff.. like a piece under the microwave to stop the MW from moving when I open the door.. also a sheet of it in my desk drawer to stop things sliding around when I open and close the drawer..basically it stops anything from moving that you don't want to move... doesn't work on the Bingo wings tho'..sadly..

 

[hollydolly]

This gripper..altho' expensive, is the only one so far that's on Both the .com site, and Amazon .uk.. with almost a full 100 % review from all buyers and users..

https://www.amazon.com/KUHN-RIKON-S...rikon+gripper+jar+opener+,aps,128&sr=8-4&th=1

 

[HoneyNut]

Usually if I hold the jar with a jar opener wrench and twist the lid with the grippy hand thing, I can open a jar. When I searched Amazon for the jar opener wrench to paste the URL, that was the first I realized the wrench could be used on the lid itself. I just tried it, but then the jar turned around, so I tried doing the opposite of my usual method, this time I held the jar with the plastic grippy and turned the lid with the jar opener wrench. It worked, but I got sloshed a bit when the jar suddenly opened. I'll have to try one of the gadgets in the posts above, probably will work better.

https://smile.amazon.com/Norpro-Jar...jar+leverage+opener+holder,garden,138&sr=1-27

 

[Gary O']

In attempting to remove plastic lid of a jar of Peanut Butter I had to resort to using a bread slicing knife, then a pair of pliers to remove lid.

I got my wife a few sizes of these oil filter wrenches

 

[BC Flash]

I place the "stubborn" jar on a VERY L0W flame on the gas stove (or electric stove). The lid twists off without a problem (use a towel on the "hot" lid.) Never cracked/broken a jar with this method.)