Learning how to open stuck jars is a handy skill, especially for us empty nesters who no longer have strong young adults at home to do it for us! I don’t contend with stuck jar lids very often, but when I do, I find it quite annoying when I have to drop what I’m doing to go find help.
But I’ve picked up a few tricks that enable me to open a jar with a tight lid on my own, and I’ll be sharing those with you here in this post! You probably won’t need to try all 11 different ways to open jar lids, but it’s always good to have a few options you can try if your first couple of attempts don’t get it to budge!
11 Ways to Open a Stuck Jar Lid
1. Rubber Glove
Pull on a pair of rubber gloves, then hold the jar firmly in one gloved hand and twist the lid of the jar with the other. The gloves will give you a better grip on both the jar and the stuck lid, making it easier to twist off.
2. Towel
You can unscrew a tight lid using a towel for added grip. Just put the towel over the stubborn lid and twist. (If a dry towel doesn’t work, try a damp cloth!)
3. Silicone Hot Pad
If you have a silicone hot pad or oven mitt, you can use it to open stubborn jar lids. Silicone is very effective when you need a good grip around the rim of the jar lid.
4. Rubber Band
There are so many great uses for rubber bands around the house, including as jar openers! I keep a large rubber band in my kitchen drawer just for this purpose. Place the rubber band around the lid you’re trying to open, then grip the lid and twist.
5. Mousepad
One of the most unexpected ways to open a jar is with the aid of a computer mousepad. Just place the bottom of the mousepad against the lid of the jar, then grip it with your hand and twist.
6. Duct Tape
To open a tough jar with a piece of duct tape, place a piece of duct tape around the edge of the lid, leaving one end of the tape loose to use as a handle. Pull on the loose edge in a counterclockwise direction and the lid should twist off with minimal effort.
7. Hot Water
To loosen a jar lid with hot water, turn on your kitchen faucet and try running the lid under hot water for 30 seconds or so. The heat will cause the lid to expand slightly, loosening the seal and making it easier to open the jar. Just be careful not to burn yourself!
8. Tap the Lid
If the lid of a jar of food just won’t come unstuck, try tapping it with a spoon or the handle of a butter knife. Sometimes food gets trapped near the lid and makes it hard to unscrew. Tapping the lid helps dislodge the food, which could solve the problem!
9. Tap the Bottom of the Jar
Another easy trick that people swear by for removing glass jar lids is to flip the jar upside down and smack the bottom of the jar with your hand. This may disrupt the seal enough that the lid will twist right off.
10. Break the Seal
As a last resort, you can use a bottle opener to either pry the lid off the jar or pierce the lid and break the seal. You won’t be able to use the lid anymore, but at least you’ll get it off! (Be sure to use a bottle opener for this, not a knife — you don’t want to end up in the emergency room!)
11. Use a Gadget
If you frequently struggle to unscrew jar lids, consider investing in a jar-opening gadget! They can accommodate several different lid sizes and aren’t terribly expensive. Just slide the gadget over the lid, grip, and twist!
How do you deal with stuck lids?
More Ideas You'll Love
Not sure if you will post this.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Whenever I can’t open a jar I pretend it’s the head of someone that has done me wrong. Works every time!! I’ve shared this with others who got the jar open by using this method.
Madelyn, thanks for making my team and I laugh today! We’ll have to give it a try. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a JarKey – they’re really good. You can purchase them from Amazon.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Re #10 breaking the seal. I use the tip of a spoon to do it. With the back of the spoon on the jar, I find a place where I can edge the tip between the jar and the lid. Then I push the handle toward the jar until I hear the pop of the seal breaking. Don’t have to use much force (so the jar is safe), it’s just a matter of finding a place to edge it in enough for. the tip of the spoon to catch on the edge of the lid. Works great though.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.BTW My cat says hello– short version of the long message she just typed when she laid on the edge of the computer. (bit of an eyeroll here)
A bottle opener can break the seal
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Breaking the seal works on very stubborn jars. My husband showed me this trick.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This works every time. If it’s a jar that you’re not going to need to keep, put the point of an old knife, or something sharp like a skewer on the lid and bash it with a rolling pin. This will make a hole in the lid and break the seal.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Apart from the gadget, which is the same as the one I have and which works brilliantly, there is one other method, guaranteed to work every time, just bang the edge of the lid on a hard surface, you generally hear the seal pop but, even if you don’t, it’ll still open. I always used this method until I got arthritis in my thumbs. Thanks for a brilliant post Jillee. Once again I’ve posted something that already has been! I must learn to read all the tips first!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The easiest, most simple way to open a jar is by using a spoon under the edge of the lid and breaking the seal. The lid is still reusable and it comes off easily.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love it that you did this post! I hate how feeble I am when trying to open jars unassisted. I grew up using a can opener to lever the lid and break the seal, but that can easily ruin the jar lid for future use. I started a few years back trying various other “twists,” liked rubber gloves and ended up with my favorite being latex gloves.
Now I keep a pair of latex gloves – the thin “medical” ones that feel like deflated balloons – in a corner of my gadget drawer just for opening things. I bet un-inflated balloons would work just as well, come to think of it. I don’t put the gloves on (that’s hard) but just lay one on the palm of each hand or on the object I’m working on and get to twisting . They add an amazing amount of power and can easily open just about anything. I wash them with dish soap when they get grubby, and hang them to dry. I’ve used the same pair for several years now and they’re still good to go.
Thank you, Jillee, for all your wonderful ideas. Your can-do attitude, encouragement and great tips have made big improvements in how I go about, and feel about, housework.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s so sweet, thank you Carolyn!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am 43 years old and I have never had a problem opening a glass jar lid. My dad taught me a trick ages ago when I was a kid. Flip the jar upside down and slam the bottom of the jar with the palm of your other hand. This action causes a weakening of the pressure in the jar. Then flip the jar over and turn the lid. It should work immediately with ease. This only works on glass jars though. Hope this helps.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.