Advice on a practical household problem

Steam from the kettle , on the container…..

Elegran

Gin

My worst enemy is the shrink wrapped packaging around meat, bacon and fish. One of these days I am going to do myself a nasty injury as my only effective means of attack is a large cooks knife. How do others manage? I have arthritic hands so pulling the little flap on the corner release the vacuum is an impossibility. My grandson opens all my pill packaging as it defeats me but not a child!

I use kitchen scissors to cut round the whole thing at the edge of the actual meat. You have to hold it over the sink to do it, as it starts leaking and making a mess once the scissors bite.

The non-shrink-wrapped rectangular containers of cubed meat, mince, etc are not so bad, but the corner pulls often don't work. I use a small pointy knife to stab the plastic cover and cut through it.

I use scissors to cut off the entire top of the plastic packet, then for frozen stuff like fish fillets I don't try to reseal but wrap the whole thing in a food storage bag and clip it with a clothe peg

keepcalmandcavachon

Allira

Caleo

NotSpaghetti

What sort of glass containers have tight plastic lids please?

Luminarc

You send them to the charity shop and buy a different kind of storage jar!

I'm not bring facetious- that's what I would do.

I even managed to break a nail getting a cardboard lid off a large pot of yogurt the other day.

This is the sort of approach I now find myself taking to many of life's niggles.
Sort of 'Niggle De Cluttering'

If it irritates?
Chuck it!!

Marmite jars are bad. Once used, the Marmite turns into glue around the glass threads.

I sometimes use a tin opener to prise the lid slightly. Other times I use nutcrackers.

Gin

My worst enemy is the shrink wrapped packaging around meat, bacon and fish. One of these days I am going to do myself a nasty injury as my only effective means of attack is a large cooks knife. How do others manage? I have arthritic hands so pulling the little flap on the corner release the vacuum is an impossibility. My grandson opens all my pill packaging as it defeats me but not a child!

I use kitchen scissors to cut round the whole thing at the edge of the actual meat. You have to hold it over the sink to do it, as it starts leaking and making a mess once the scissors bite.

The non-shrink-wrapped rectangular containers of cubed meat, mince, etc are not so bad, but the corner pulls often don't work. I use a small pointy knife to stab the plastic cover and cut through it.

A few months ago I emptied a cupboard full of jars of this and that, very ancient and not so ancient.

Eventually, the method of upside down in very hot water, followed by a sharp tap of the side of the lid against a hard surface* (edge of the kitchen worktop) worked for even the most stubborn.
*a tip from some kind GNer at the time.

I have a pot of vitamin tablets without a lid because I had to saw it off with my bread knife. Those squeeze -both-sides-and -turn tops are impossible for weak old hands. Bleach bottles are the worst.

Just looked at Luminarc. They seem to have click down flaps on each edge. Are they tricky??

I use a pair of kitchen scissors all the time. They are sharp and quite pointed. So I snip plastic packaging off meat, cheese and stuff like that. Cut open plastic bags of potatoes and fruit netting. Plastic covering on biscuits gets snipped.

But the ice cream round container little plastic seal even defeats my scissors.DD 46 found it difficult as well.
I have some Lakeland food storage boxes and their plastic square lids are tricky. And a couple of Pyrex square dishes with plastic lids are an effort. Tupperware lids were a dream in comparison..
The Pyrex dishes maybe are like the Luminarc ones.
My hands are quite strong and I have a problem. . I sympathise bigly...as Trump would say.... with those with arthritis.

Allira

Caleo

NotSpaghetti

What sort of glass containers have tight plastic lids please?

Luminarc

You send them to the charity shop and buy a different kind of storage jar!

I'm not bring facetious- that's what I would do.

I even managed to break a nail getting a cardboard lid off a large pot of yogurt the other day.

This is the sort of approach I now find myself taking to many of life's niggles.
Sort of 'Niggle De Cluttering'

Gin

My worst enemy is the shrink wrapped packaging around meat, bacon and fish. One of these days I am going to do myself a nasty injury as my only effective means of attack is a large cooks knife. How do others manage? I have arthritic hands so pulling the little flap on the corner release the vacuum is an impossibility. My grandson opens all my pill packaging as it defeats me but not a child!

I sometimes have to hold the lid under hot water, that usually works, I also have a rubber thingy thats supposed to get the tops off easily, not so....

Caleo

NotSpaghetti

What sort of glass containers have tight plastic lids please?

Luminarc

You send them to the charity shop and buy a different kind of storage jar!

I'm not bring facetious- that's what I would do.

I even managed to break a nail getting a cardboard lid off a large pot of yogurt the other day.

My OH bought one of these glass dishes with plastic lid to use as butter dish. I don't put the lid on tightly as too difficult to open - and I don't have problems with hands.

My worst enemy is the shrink wrapped packaging around meat, bacon and fish. One of these days I am going to do myself a nasty injury as my only effective means of attack is a large cooks knife. How do others manage? I have arthritic hands so pulling the little flap on the corner release the vacuum is an impossibility. My grandson opens all my pill packaging as it defeats me but not a child!

NotSpaghetti

What sort of glass containers have tight plastic lids please?

Luminarc

keepingquiet

Just run under a hot tapas someone else has suggested- works everytime for me, or a hot damp tea towel can do it too.

No need for expensive gadgetry.

I do the hot tap thing when I have to and it does work. But I bought the Luminarc dishes for convenience as I have limited energy for additional jobs. I may try a quick turn in the microwave.

AmberGran

Are these like the food storage containers? I have square glass ones with plastic/silicon lids that can be hard to open. I slide a (not too sharp) knife under a corner to loosen them.

Yes, Ambergran those are the sort of thing. I have tried with a blunt knife but the lid seems to need a tool that has as long a blade tip as the side of the container. I 'll try to find something that shape in my tool box. A iron spatula for spreading plaster may do the trick.

Just run under a hot tapas someone else has suggested- works everytime for me, or a hot damp tea towel can do it too.

No need for expensive gadgetry.

HelterSkelter1

I find ice cream round containers, which have a small piece on the seal round the lid which you have to break off, the most difficult. I insert a small spoon handle or with care a knife blade under it to twist and break it.
Tonight a chilled cheese sauce pot nearly defeated me.
Vitamin tablet containers with a child proof cap are also the work of the devil. I have to take a heavy lump hammer to them. I first put them in a plastic bag to stop the tablets flying everywhere. I first try with rubber gloves etc, but end up using the hammer.
Everyday life shouldn't be this difficult!!

Ditto all three!
Good idea putting the thing in a plastic bag and using the lump hammer on it. I use cod liver oil capsules and once someone has opened the wee round box I never fully close it again.

Oh, maybe..?

Are these like the food storage containers? I have square glass ones with plastic/silicon lids that can be hard to open. I slide a (not too sharp) knife under a corner to loosen them.

Those screw top lids where you have to break the buts of plastic round the neck to unscrew them are a menace. I take a sharp knife to cut through them, but one of these days it is going to slip...

I find ice cream round containers, which have a small piece on the seal round the lid which you have to break off, the most difficult. I insert a small spoon handle or with care a knife blade under it to twist and break it.
Tonight a chilled cheese sauce pot nearly defeated me.
Vitamin tablet containers with a child proof cap are also the work of the devil. I have to take a heavy lump hammer to them. I first put them in a plastic bag to stop the tablets flying everywhere. I first try with rubber gloves etc, but end up using the hammer.
Everyday life shouldn't be this difficult!!

I have a gadget that clips under the edge of the lid and lifting it up releases the vacuum and the lid comes off easily. But since my husband's stroke, we were given a sheet of non-slip rubbery mesh to hold his dishes and plates still whilst he eats one handed, and this is brilliant for undoing screw items like the lids on plastic milk containers