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Ouch!!!

(57 Posts)
chicken Tue 13-Sept-16 13:50:58

I've just tried to open one of these ring-pull cans with the Lakeland gizmo as my poor old arthritic fingers can't do it any other way, and the ring shot off with the speed of a bullet, clipped my swollen joint en route and hit the window before vanishing into the great unknown. I then tried, with throbbing finger, to use the electric can opener, but it just sneered at the unconventional rim, so OH attacked the can with a screwdriver and I finally got at the prunes! Oh for the old style cans. At least I then had the measure of the enemy.

Legs55 Thu 15-Sept-16 19:18:39

Seb2015 - just what I was going to say - jar openers are useless on most lids on glass jars but great for opening plastic milk containers & smallest bit in middle for lids on fruit juice cartons. smile

Ring pulls I find often break when you lift them away from tin so it's back to faithful tin opener grin

Jalima Thu 15-Sept-16 09:37:24

Good idea Blinko

Ionly buy the small jars of decaf for me, everyone else drinks affeinated, I can just about cope with the small jars nowbut will try the rubber mat or glove method.
Excuse typos tablet is playing up!

Blinko Thu 15-Sept-16 08:10:16

Elrel, Jalima - from suggestions on here, I thought I might try the DE jar with rubber gloves.

Wobblybits Thu 15-Sept-16 07:12:27

Not had a tin of corned beef for years, do they still have those lethal openers?

Sheilasue Thu 15-Sept-16 07:00:14

Had a tin of tuna with a ring pull with just snapped off, they are rubbish, i have a tin opener so turned it up side down.

Wobblybits Wed 14-Sept-16 21:04:59

Our freezer is in the garage, so plenty of hammers about.

Jalima Wed 14-Sept-16 21:02:19

I do that in the utility room TriciaF
Unfortunately, it has a ceramic tiled floor and there are now one or two little chips.
Dropping from a height does work though grin

TriciaF Wed 14-Sept-16 20:41:42

Nelliemoser - breaking apart frozen items.
Our freezer is in a room with a concrete floor so I just throw the whole lot down on the floor and they break apart.
Keep well back because it hurts if some of it hits you.

Jalima Wed 14-Sept-16 20:20:26

I have been buying Douwe Egberts because I like the jars but they are difficult to open, so perhaps my thoughts of using them afterwards for storing nuts, seeds etc might not be such a good idea.

Judthepud2 Wed 14-Sept-16 20:12:56

I fell down a step a few weeks ago and apart from lots of massive bruises, I sprained my ankle and thumb. The ankle is much improved and I can drive again, but the thumb....! I just can't open or twist anything without excruciating pain. Never knew that thumbs were so essential to daily life sad or that they could cause such sickening pain!

spanishsue Wed 14-Sept-16 20:11:43

What about corned beef tins? Absolutely nightmare! Soooo dangerous! I do find the easiest wy is to forget about the key and open both ends, with difficulty, with a conventional tin opener and then push the small lid down. But still jagged edges to worry about!confused

Elrel Wed 14-Sept-16 19:46:01

Blinko - Douw Egberts - I thought it was because I have very small hands. I tend to buy whatever coffee is on offer and like the look of their jars! However while trying to open them I'm always worried I'll drop the jar and spill the coffee!
The milk with small seal under the screw top usually gets attacked with a knife, teaspoon handle or small screwdriver. I find some loo cleaners very difficult to open, every time! Sardine cans with pull tabs usually get part opened with great effort then have the contents scraped out with a teaspoon!

Blinko Wed 14-Sept-16 19:45:31

Kilner, not keiller....

Blinko Wed 14-Sept-16 19:33:46

Anyone know a good way to open those Douw Egberts coffee jars with the 'keiller' lids? Blessed if I can do it so have had to revert to jars with screw tops. Unfortunately not Douw Egberts....

grandMattie Wed 14-Sept-16 18:59:05

turn...

grandMattie Wed 14-Sept-16 18:58:54

If I have trouble with the ringpull, and the tin allows it, i thurn the tin upside down and use a regular tin opener - but some tins now have no seal at the bottom, just moulded bits...

HootyMcOwlface Wed 14-Sept-16 18:22:04

Yes, I second the rubber glove solution for tight tops. I find the tops on mouthwash bottles absolute buggers to get off!
For jars (like beetroot) I often have to stab a small hole in the lid with a very sharp knife, then it opens easily. I stick a bit of sellotape over the little hole.

Jalima Wed 14-Sept-16 17:28:56

Foxyferret I do that with the back of the blade of a bone-handled knife.
Why it has to be a bone-handled knife I do not know (someone told me that years ago).
It seems to release the seal and the jar can be opened. I have a couple of rubber grippers from Lakeland which also make it easier to open a jar.
www.amazon.co.uk/Lakeland-Grippers-Perfect-Opening-Pickle/dp/B00IRB2F0M
other makes are available!

Nelliemoser Wed 14-Sept-16 16:30:05

I have managed with my homemade jam by gently pushing a teaspoon handle or a narrow screwdriver blade under the lid just far enough to break the vacuum of the jar.
Do not try using a knife blade they can just break off. This can also occur when breaking apart frozen items. As some of my small knives show.

Ilrina Wed 14-Sept-16 16:12:51

lizzypopbottle...you made my eyes water reading about your mishaps
ouch indeed!

Swanny Wed 14-Sept-16 14:35:47

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where I get milk delivered, in a bottle and with a foil cap that just needs a thumb pushed down to open it smile

I often use the 'wooden spoon handle' idea to pull back the ring pull on cans but my problem is lifting them in the first place without breaking a fingernail. I usually resort to hooking a fork tine through it then reversing the fork to use the handle as a lever wink

Nibbie Wed 14-Sept-16 14:20:46

The mobility store usually has lots of gadgets for opening things??

VIOLETTE Wed 14-Sept-16 13:52:30

I agree ! hate ring pulls ...especially those that snap off half way through ! Sometimes try the wooden handle pull up ..that seems to work ok ! Also hate the aluminium seal inside milk bottle tops ...once I have opened the top with a nut cracker, that is ! With arthritic fingers pulling up that little tab on those inside lids is virtually impossible ...do sometimes restor to using a sharp knife to open them, but then you still have to pull off the rest ! and sardine tins ...when the little key goes off centre and you try to get it back on track ! As for the plastic packed 6 bottle of water ....don't go there ! I attack them with a stanley knife, but sometimes manage to stanley knife the bottle as well !

Modern life is not for me .......bring back the horse n cart with milk being served from the churn ! (no, I lie ...I'm not QUITE that old yet ....almost but not quite !) ..although I can remember in the Suffolk place I grew up, the Co op veggie and milk man as well as baker, delivering with his horse n cart !

Foxyferret Wed 14-Sept-16 12:43:58

If you tap around the edges of jam jars etc with a wooden spoon, it breaks the seal and opens easily.

lizzypopbottle Wed 14-Sept-16 12:05:40

Under the heading of 'Ouch!', I attempted to sit beside my dog but sat down firmly on the corner of the coffee table. It's been over a week and my poor tailbone is still very uncomfortable. A couple of days ago, I nipped outside with the dogs and didn't bother with shoes. I stubbed my toe on a paving slab and lifted a flap of skin right off. It catches on everything, especially bedclothes and inside shoes. ?