Is it Just Me ? Opening Things !

[frayne]

It seems that no matter what type of container these days, be it a medicine bottle wrapped in plastic with a tensile strength that superman couldn't tear through to a margarine bucket or pomegranate bottle or whatever is a PIA to open. Then to satisfy Satan, the protective seals come with the little tabs that always break off or you end up pulling the thing off in pieces ? Argh.
I have no doubt somewhere there is an R&D department engineering just the right amount of force needed to tear off the tabs without being able to pull off the entire cover. My constant high expectations are always dashed in disappointment as I end up with whatever the product is in the container, on my fingers from trying to get a clean lid.

Sorry for the rant (not really) but as an almost 70 year old manly man, these things are getting the best of me and I don't see them getting any better as I age.

Is it just me ?

 

[Mulligan]

frayne, I just accepted the fact they have outsmarted me. Im in my 50s and still weight train, but trying to out muscle some of these packages isnt worth the aggravation. I got me some quality scissors and just basically go straight to them and cut em open.

 

[Miarocks]

Ha ha, no. My number one pet peeve on pretty much a daily basis. I marvel at the ingenuity and persistence required to open so many of these things. No pull tab? UGH. That’s just dumb. (as my dear departed mother was fond of saying) Can they please just have a few actual humans try to ‘test open’ these things? I’m convinced that this is not part of packaging development, otherwise it would be easier/better.

 

[6miths]

Also still in my 50s and packaging can definitely be both difficult and dangerous. There is just too much of it too.

 

[Aerides]

I got me some quality scissors and just basically go straight to them and cut em open.

But first you have to get the scissors out of the scissor packaging, which is the worst.

 

[Ready]

I have to blame the warehouse clubs for a lot of the packaging challenges. They encase everything there in a thick plastic shell with no obvious way to break it apart. It makes it easier for them to stack the items on pallets but it’s awful to break them down and get them to tear apart.

 

[pacergal]

A good pair of scissors and a sharp knife.
I gave up a long time ago on the twist openings, the pull tabs, the zip plastic, etc. Whatever they call it, it does not open easily!! And hand arthritis does not help.
Luckily, so far, I have not cut myself--lol.

 

[bizlady]

Put a wide rubber band around the lid and then open- works for me every time

 

[street]

No, you are not alone.

 

[OldShooter]

I have had strap wrenches for years but the ones in the garage show evidence of years of grime. A few years ago I bought this set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KWS03M4 They are great for tight lids, especially the smaller one. Search "strap wrench" and you will be buried in options.

 

[Nemo2]

I seem to recall, from eons ago, that this whole paranoid packaging began after some a-hole tampered with Tylenol (or somesuch) containers.

 

[Amethyst]

No biggie. I just use a kitchen scissors to cut packaging. Sometimes the plastic can be sharp, so I wear rubber gloves.

If it's a lid to be turned, I either get Mr. A. to open it, or put on rubber gloves for a better grip.

It seems that no matter what type of container these days, be it a medicine bottle wrapped in plastic with a tensile strength that superman couldn't tear through to a margarine bucket or pomegranate bottle or whatever is a PIA to open. Then to satisfy Satan, the protective seals come with the little tabs that always break off or you end up pulling the thing off in pieces ? Argh.
I have no doubt somewhere there is an R&D department engineering just the right amount of force needed to tear off the tabs without being able to pull off the entire cover. My constant high expectations are always dashed in disappointment as I end up with whatever the product is in the container, on my fingers from trying to get a clean lid.

Sorry for the rant (not really) but as an almost 70 year old manly man, these things are getting the best of me and I don't see them getting any better as I age.

Is it just me ?

 

[Amethyst]

That was 40 years ago, though; OP suggests his troubles are more recent.

I seem to recall, from eons ago, that this whole paranoid packaging began after some a-hole tampered with Tylenol (or somesuch) containers.

 

[MRG]

Quality kitchen shears help greatly. We live at 7750' and packaging does funny things here. The change in air pressure is pretty dramatic, most things go "pop" with great enthusiasm when stabbed. The little air packaging bags they put in to take space are fun.

 

[grasshopper]

For those vacuum sealed jars I have to release the vacuum first and then unscrew. I use a beer bottle opener to break the seal.

 

[Markola]

Just this week I was cooking and decided to add a couple of twists of Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning from an unopened shaker/grinder. I got the Armageddon-proof plastic wrap off, then gave my dish a couple of twists, like I wanted. NOT! The grinder part wasn’t screwed on well and I instantly dumped a half container of exotic peppercorns into the pot. Doh! Lesson-learned, I reckon.

 

[6miths]

Quality kitchen shears help greatly. We live at 7750' and packaging does funny things here. The change in air pressure is pretty dramatic, most things go "pop" with great enthusiasm when stabbed. The little air packaging bags they put in to take space are fun.

Fond memories of 'experiments' I used to do with the kids when they were young and we flew frequently. PV=nRT or more simply Boyle's Law.

 

[Amethyst]

Even as a little kid, I recall my Dad - who had arthritis everywhere - ripping and tearing open the cereal box, rather than carefully pulling apart the lid, interior bag, using the little tabs, etc.

 

[Amethyst]

Parents taught me to tap all around the lid with a kitchen knife, to release the seal. These challenges have been around my whole life!

For those vacuum sealed jars I have to release the vacuum first and then unscrew. I use a beer bottle opener to break the seal.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Parents taught me to tap all around the lid with a kitchen knife, to release the seal. These challenges have been around my whole life!

It actually works quite well, using the knife handle of course. And thanks to whoever posted the tip about wide rubber bands. I'll give that a try.

It seems the glue holding the foil tops is a lot stronger than it once was. I just puncture in the middle and lift from the middle for that bit of packaging.

 

[Nemo2]

That was 40 years ago, though; OP suggests his troubles are more recent.

40 years ago I didn't have problems either.

 

[Jerry1]

I take my tin snips to those plastic clam shell containers. I keep a pocket knife handy and use it frequently for the foil seals on many containers. Totally agree it’s getting more difficult with age. However, with age comes experience. We need to use the right tools when our bodies can no longer handle the challenge.

 

[calmloki]

For the foil/tab paper undercap seals I use a small blade pointy sharp knife and trim along the inside of the container top. Then my OCD kicks in as a small bit of the remaining paper decides to give up the fight and tear away from the container. Argh! now there's no more hermetic seal when I screw down the lid! So I carefully trim the remaining paper/foil/stickum off the rim. and typically nick the rim.

At which point I transfer the pills or whatever to the old container. To read some of my pill bottles you would think the prescription expired some years ago.

 

[easysurfer]

For those vacuum sealed jars I have to release the vacuum first and then unscrew. I use a beer bottle opener to break the seal.

I used to be able to demonstrate my wrist strength opening the jars. Now I end up reaching for a jar popper made for the very purpose of breaking the vacuumed seal.

 

[W2R]

My entry room at the front door has my dining table in it (that I never use for dining). I don't really use that room for anything, so I call it my "unboxing room". There, I sit at the table and open my (many) Amazon boxes and anything inside them that might be tough to open. I have a nice, sturdy box cutter that permanently resides on that table.

It's amazing what a good box cutter can do for you. And Frayne, you're not getting old or weak. They are just making packaging more difficult for normal people to open! That's my take on it, anyway. You just need the proper tools for the job (box cutter, scissors, and so on).