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When you’re super thirsty, the last thing you need is a stubborn water bottle cap! Some water bottles can be tricky to open, but don't be discouraged if you can't loosen the cap on the first attempt. Read our article on easy hacks for opening a tight water bottle, below. You’ll be enjoying that sweet hydration soon enough.
Things You Should Know
- Loosen the cap by running hot water over it, or by hitting the cap against a hard surface.
- Break the seal with scissors or a sharp object like a steak knife, but exercise caution when handling blades. Saw back and forth to break the seal.
- Wrap a rubber band around the cap and then try to open it; the rubber acts as a grip so you can apply all your pressure to break the seal.
Steps
Hold the cap under hot water to make it more flexible. Place the bottle cap under the hot water for about a minute, and then dry it with a towel. Just be careful that you don’t burn yourself! Wrap a towel around the bottle before opening if the cap is too hot to grip with your bare hands.[1]- Hot water will loosen the plastic cap, making it easier to unscrew the bottle.
- Don’t make the water too hot or run it over the cap for too long. This could potentially melt the cap or damage the bottle—or, at the very least, it could heat up the cold contents of your bottle, which would be unpleasant.
Tap the cap against a hard surface to loosen it from the bottle. Firmly hold the bottle of water in your hand and hit the cap against a hard surface, such as the edge of a countertop. Tap the side of the cap against the surface to loosen it, rather than the top of the cap.[2]Advertisement
Ask a friend to open the bottle for you. If you can’t get the bottle cap to twist off on your own, it might be time to see if your friend or neighbor can help you out. Sure, it may hurt your pride, but the smooth, refreshing taste of water will soothe your wounded ego.
Wrap a rubber band tightly around the cap. If you can’t get a good grip on the bottle, use a rubber band to offer you some traction. You probably have some rubber bands lying around your house, but if not, you can get some at a convenience store.[3]- If you don't want to trek all the way to the store for rubber bands, try wrapping a hair tie, plastic wrap, or a rubber glove around the bottle, or anything else you've got at home that could offer some traction.
Space the band’s loops evenly around the cap. If the lengths of the rubber band are unevenly spaced on the bottle cap, it might be a little harder to grip it. Make the surface you’re gripping as smooth as you can by spacing the rubber band loops evenly around the lid.[4]
Twist counterclockwise and remove the cap. Apply all your pressure to break the seal. When the seal is broken, you’ll hear a little crack, and voila! Delicious water is yours for the drinking.[5]
Grip the bottle with your non-dominant hand. Grasp the bottle firmly with your fingers, but don’t squeeze the bottle, or else its contents will go everywhere once you open the lid. Grip the bottom part of the bottled water with your left hand if you’re right-handed, or right hand if you’re left-handed.[6]
Twist the cap counterclockwise with your other hand to break the seal. Use your dominant hand to twist until the cap becomes loose and breaks the seal. Make sure you’re holding the bottle tightly so only the cap twists, not the bottle.[7]- If the ridges on the cap are too sharp, use your shirt as a buffer between your hand and cap.
- Be careful not to hold your bottle at a downward-facing angle! You don't want to be mopping up the water once you get the cap off.
Unscrew the cap and enjoy the water. Once you break the cap's seal, the cap will easily screw off. You now have an open bottle of water![8]
Saw the seal with a sharp object, such as scissors or a knife. Scissors will probably be the easiest and safest, but you could also use a steak knife if you need to. Start a sawing motion, back and forth, with the blade along with the seal. Continue until you've broken the seal.[9]- The seal is a thin plastic ring located at the very bottom of the cap—it’s attached to the cap via a perforated line.
- Be careful handling sharp objects!
Use your hands to twist off the lid. Twist the cap firmly in a counterclockwise direction. After a portion of the seal has been broken, it’ll be easier to use your hands. Badaboom! Water!
Saw the rest of the seal, if needed, and remove the cap. If your bottle cap is still giving you trouble, use the blade to remove the entire seal. Once the whole seal is removed, there will be nothing keeping you from removing that lid and hydrating.[10]
Community Q&A
- QuestionWhich method is recommended?
Community AnswerI've had the most success using rubber bands, but hot water works well, too. - QuestionI have tried using hot water and a rubber band, but neither method worked. Do you have any other suggestions?
Community AnswerThe tapping method is surprisingly underrated, but it always works for me. Just take the bottle and hit the cap against the edge of a table (tap it hard but not so hard it explodes). What works best for me is a "tap tap tap," and then I turn the bottle and do another "tap tap tap." Just do this all around the bottle and it'll definitely open! - QuestionHow do I open a ridged plastic cap on a water bottle more easily?Community AnswerJust put one or more rubber bands on it, then grip through them. They increase friction so your hand won't get cut.
Tips
Tips from our Readers 
- Run the bottle under warm tap water instead of hot to avoid melting caps or making cold drinks undrinkable. Just a slight warming should help soften plastic.
- If tapping the cap doesn't loosen it, firmly rap the base of the bottle on the counter instead. This briefly pressurizes the contents to pop the cap off.
- Try rubber jar openers sold in kitchen stores if other homemade traction options don't work. The textured grip helps twist off stubborn caps.
- Twist the bottle instead of the cap if you lack grip strength. Rotating the larger surface requires less force to break the seal.
- For a wide-mouth bottle, carefully wedge the cap between a counter and cabinet door, then slowly close to break the seal.
Warnings
- Don't use your teeth! It's bad for your teeth and the cap. You might lose a filling.Thanks
- If you're a child, It's best to contact a trusted adult or teen to open the bottle for you.Thanks
References
- ↑ http://www.networx.com/article/11-ways-to-open-a-stuck-jar-lid
- ↑ http://www.networx.com/article/11-ways-to-open-a-stuck-jar-lid
- ↑ http://www.instructables.com/id/Use-rubber-band-to-open-stuck-bottle-cap-and-othe/
- ↑ http://www.instructables.com/id/Use-rubber-band-to-open-stuck-bottle-cap-and-othe/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/O4JjID_5eEg?t=110
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_zdcZzqXC5Y?t=73
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_zdcZzqXC5Y?t=77
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_zdcZzqXC5Y?t=87
- ↑ http://www.networx.com/article/11-ways-to-open-a-stuck-jar-lid
About This Article
Most water bottles are pretty simple to open—just twist off the cap. But if the lid is on too tight, there are some tricks you can try to make it easier. Running hot tap water over the cap may be enough to loosen it so you can twist it off. You can also try tapping the cap on a hard surface a few times before opening it. If the problem is that the seal around the cap won’t break, try sliding the blade of a utility knife around the space between the bottom of the lid and the seal. Once part of the seal is broken, you may be able to twist the lid off by hand. If you need a better grip on the lid, try wrapping a rubber band or a clean kitchen towel around the top of the cap, then twisting it off. If you want to learn how to cut the seal to break it, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
"The idea itself and the pictures! The bottle caps are too small these days and my hands don't have a lot of grip, so I tried the rubber band trick and it actually worked! My fingers don't hurt and it didn't need that much effort to open it, either."..." more
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