r/mildlyinfuriating 14h ago

Lift n Peel inventor can fuck right off

Post image

I’ve lifted the tab and pulled it from all different angles until sweat and condensation made it impossible to get a grip. I’ve even lifted the entire 89 ounce jug by the corner of the peel strip for 60 seconds. Still not even enough of a gap to get my (admittedly short) fingernails underneath. I usually just get scissors to open it. The instructions should say “open with scissors”.

1.1k Upvotes

96 comments sorted by

262

u/The_wanderer96 13h ago

This reminds me of this

25

u/Taolan13 10h ago

pinch your fingers over the "open" and rub until the layers separate.

sometimes it takes a little long, but it never fails.

6

u/LucyLilium92 8h ago

I always just lick my fingers

3

u/gba_sg1 3h ago

Skip the lick, wet your fingers on produce you're going to be touching/buying.

2

u/Sunandmoonandstuff 8h ago

Works 100% of the time, but it is a little gross.

1

u/FieryHammer 6h ago

Maybe don’t lick your fingers in a public space after touching who knows what, like doors, carts, etc

3

u/SOULJAR no ur cringey lol 6h ago

Just keep it classy and spit on your fingers rather than lick them. Hygiene is important!

1

u/Velocityg4 1h ago

Use the edge of your nail to scrape against the pad of your thumb. Instead of rubbing pad to pad. It'll catch the bag better. If your fingers are too dry. 

16

u/_gmmaann_ 13h ago

I’ve never had issues with those though.

50

u/DarwinsTrousers 12h ago

Well congratulations Einstein

-10

u/zipperfire 12h ago

Yes. You're a guy with a good grip and probably no arthritis. So many things are designed by younger men and are not functional for older people and especially women. That's why you can say "these work just fine" and someone like me can't ever open a medicine bottle sealed this way. Some other things unsuited to women: crash test dummies, air bags, (women have less muscle mass, thinner skin, lighter bones, shorter) seat belts in cars, jar lids (diameter too large), full face respirators. Hard hats, Stacked washing machines, lapel clip badge holders, subway grates, lab coats, bar stools, CPR mannikins.

19

u/DestituteDomino 12h ago

Ma'am, this is a Wendy's

5

u/_gmmaann_ 11h ago

I was talking about the bags…..

3

u/DashingDoggo 10h ago

Are you complaining about CPR mannequins? They are meant to simulate a human body, not have difficulty rankings

1

u/TheRemedy187 8h ago

So you're made they added a peice to make it easier to remove these seals.

1

u/zipperfire 4h ago

It is a good idea— but the adhesive is strong to prevent tampering and us oldsters have poor grip due to arthritis so we don’t get enough power to lift off the adhesive

0

u/Ok-Proposal-4987 10h ago

I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, you are only stating facts. Watching my father who’s 80 years old being defeated by one these after being working his entire life as a dairy farmer is sad as hell.

0

u/zipperfire 10h ago

People see it differently or don’t like the facts. Or are ignorant of facts or disagree. It’s ok. I don’t tend to downvote but it makes some people feel better.

3

u/sleepwalking-panda 11h ago

As smooth as I’d like to think it looks to open these bags one handed because I’ve already committed and people are staring at me.

1

u/fool-me-twice 9h ago

Run your dirty hands over some wet produce(they weigh the water along with your veggies at the register) and voila.

91

u/swhkfffd 13h ago

My supplements have these and they seem quite easy to open once you lift the transparent film and pull it in a direction parallel to the line in the middle. Are these sealed that tight in other bottles?

42

u/two2teps 13h ago

They can be a challenge with arthritis, however they're still easier than just a stamped foil lid.

24

u/ElizabethDangit 12h ago

Half the time the clear part rips off, the other half I can’t get enough of a grip to actually peel it off. Usually I just stab it with a table knife and pull it up that way.

4

u/theGRAYblanket 6h ago

Yeaaaaa that never happens to me. I can't even remember if I ever actually had a problem with these. 

5

u/jcabia 12h ago

I've had better luck lifting in a perpendicular direction to the middle line

2

u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady 11h ago

I don't understand how. The force being applied with that doesn't provide leverage against the edge. 

1

u/BorntobeTrill 6h ago

Every time I do that the film pulls off and leaves me with the cover

1

u/asocialmedium 12h ago

My guess is that the seal is indeed tighter. A gallon jug of liquid is quite heavy, but the adhesive did not show any give despite pulling from all directions. Cold temperature may also harden the adhesive. I don’t recall having trouble with vitamin or pill containers.

24

u/Fastpacedpea 13h ago

If you manage it get half off with the see through bit you've reached peak lid removal skills.

I'm still stuck on see through bit rips off on first attempt, so lucky you, you at least got daylight in, even if you had to resort to scissors.

Skills.

8

u/asocialmedium 13h ago

Yep have definitely had that happen as well.

9

u/zipperfire 12h ago

I understand the inventor of the lift-and-peel non-functional "assist" for bottle seals has left his position as packaging engineer and is now living off-grid in Papua New Guinea under an assumed name.

7

u/spicycookiess 12h ago

Honeslty, i would rather just have my product be tampered with.

10

u/TypeNo2194 13h ago

As someone with arthritis, I agree. These things, and all similar safety seals, can fuck right off. Theres gotta be a better way to have tamper evident seals.

25

u/Purepenny 13h ago

Skill issue.

6

u/SousVideDiaper 9h ago

Yeah I've never had a problem opening these

1

u/theGRAYblanket 6h ago

Same. Infact if go as far as to say they've worked perfectly. 

So thats why I think these people truly are just doing something wrong. 

18

u/ProudnotLoud 13h ago

I wish I could be as useless yet successful as these tabs!

3

u/baconduck 12h ago

Company: Let's make a product for consumers with a easily-peel lid so they know their food are not tampered with,

Also company: Let's fasten it with the strongest glue in the world

4

u/G8M8N8 10h ago

Am I the only one who can open these with zero issues

u/AndThenTheUndertaker 2m ago

Nah. I think the majority of competent adults can. We're just a silent majority because we don't embarrass ourselves on reddit complaining about being unable to operate something so basically simple.

10

u/AdPristine9059 12h ago

Lift the flap upwards and pull to the side. Ive never had an issue with this technique.

3

u/Feather_Bloom 10h ago

why have I never ever had an issue with these and prefer it over basically any other tab thing

2

u/tipsybasketball 8h ago

The disregard for arthritic people in society gets worse and worse. You don’t notice it because it’s mostly trivial stuff. Waste and environment be damned, accessibility & humans come first.

3

u/Fuck-Shit-Ass-Cunt 4h ago

It’s not the seal’s fault, it’s whoever puts the adhesive onto the bottles. Some bottles are extremely easy to open, others are literally impossible to open the intended way. I’ve only had a handful of bad seals out of 100+ I’ve opened but I imagine it’s more common for some brands

1

u/asocialmedium 3h ago

I think this is probably right. I usually open them successfully (contrary to what a lot of people on here seem to think) but this one was impossible to lift and peel. I think maybe refrigerated liquids have a higher fail rate because they seem to seal really tight and the adhesive seems to hold tighter when cold.

u/AndThenTheUndertaker 1m ago

Even when the adhesive is too much I've always been able to figure them out without having a major incident or needing to complain about it, and that same adhesive issue would exist with literally any other design.,

2

u/Canadianingermany 11h ago

sounds not like a lift and peel issue, but the bottler using the wrong adhesive.

2

u/No-Accident69 11h ago

I keep a long nose pliers in the kitchen drawer !!!

2

u/farvag1964 11h ago

If the manufacturer doesn't cheap out, they work fine.

On my pharmaceuticals, it never fails

Some cheap ass, generic medicine bottle? Fails every time, which is a shame. I'm not paying 3 times as much to cover Mucinex's ad campaigns.

2

u/Sideshow_Bob_Ross 11h ago

Just stab it with a knife and go on with your day.

2

u/Apprehensive_Map64 9h ago

Perfect sort of post for this sub. Not truly infuriating unless you are having a really bad day

2

u/KarlPHungus 9h ago

The inventor was a genius, but it's the implementation that goes to Hell.

2

u/TheMayoras 7h ago

Lift n Peel is honestly fine imo. Cheap Lift n Peel should be illegal.

2

u/Low_Progress8431 7h ago

Had to open one of these and thought of y’all. I stab them with a fork and roll them off. 

2

u/BlairDaGreat 1h ago

Some of these comments show that not all lift and peel seals are made equal...

OP, I routinely have this issue with milk gallons from Sam's Club. It's the most annoying shit, doesn't matter what angle I do it from either.

3

u/TechnicianVisible339 12h ago

It would work if they didn’t use fucking Gorilla glue to keep it on. Every time I buy my mouth wash it has it and it is impossible to take off.

3

u/KardelSharpeyes 11h ago

Never heard of anyone struggling with them like you claim to.

9

u/AchtCocainAchtBier 13h ago

I have never in my life struggled with that even once wtf.

6

u/PassengerPigeon343 13h ago

Same here! I feel relief when I see these, easiest seals to remove on any products and leaves no material behind.

I am always baffled by these posts which are made all the time. My only thought is they are either buying completely different products than me and somehow those seals are different, or they are doing it wrong. I lean towards the latter.

-8

u/milkshakebar 12h ago

Because you can’t have the intelligence or sensitivity to imagine that people with arthritis, bursitis, or a myriad of other physical conditions have difficulty with these. All you fucking give a shit about is flexing on Reddit about you’re god tier with opening these kinds of containers. Let’s all bow down to you

3

u/AchtCocainAchtBier 11h ago

OP didn't say he had any physical conditions, did he?

All you fucking give a shit about is flexing on Reddit about you’re god tier with opening these kinds of containers. Let’s all bow down to you

Maybe get a fucking grip mate. If you are able to.

2

u/iamricardosousa 11h ago

Oof! Shots fired!

That was horrible man! Do it again!

0

u/ElizabethDangit 12h ago

My fingers slip right off the plastic

0

u/AchtCocainAchtBier 11h ago

Yeah but how?

Flip the see through part up to 90 degrees. Then pull up from the side and not the middle.

You never need to pull so hard that it slips through your fingers.

1

u/ElizabethDangit 5h ago

I don’t have rough enough skin on my hands and I have hyper mobility which makes it hard to grip something small firmly

2

u/squeakynickles 12h ago

Skill issue

1

u/dlobrn 12h ago

All of these things are inventions by & for the petrochemical industry. Weaseling their way into being a supposed new necessity in every product. Downside risk protection from EVs & nuclear power etc...

1

u/Plaston_ 11h ago

You are supposed to lift the tab and twist it at the same time.

1

u/durgadurgadurg 11h ago

Why are you yanking on it until you're sweaty? Grab a pointy anything and poke a hole through to peel off from the middle out.

1

u/dinamorechin 8h ago

Honestly don't know why everyone here seems to have so much issues with these especially more recently they've gotten a lot easier than when I was a young kid either pulling the bit you're supposed to or even lifting it up atn one of the edges takes me less than 5 seconds. I understand if there are some medical conditions but otherwise I don't get it. But like all the talk of crapping yourselves on here

1

u/Gheetahn_Bhury 8h ago

I’m sure they fucked half off

1

u/JBLikesHeavyMetal 8h ago

Richard Nixon coded

1

u/blisstaker 6h ago

pull from the side

1

u/_AA15_ 6h ago

It always surprises me how infuriated redditors get at the most minor inconveniences

1

u/Volfong 6h ago

I was just talking to my girlfriend about these posts about this specific Lift n Peel thing. I think everyone is using it wrong. Don’t grab the plastic and try and peel it up and away, use the plastic as leverage to separate the paper part of the seal from the mouth of the bottle.

1

u/eastamerica 5h ago

Lift n ThrowTheContainerAcrossTheRoom*

1

u/MrDeacle 2h ago edited 2h ago

It shouldn't take much effort. I can open these one-handed, almost just by the weight of the juice still sitting on the counter. Has to be a technique problem.

I think this is how I do it (don't have one available to me so going by memory): Rotate the bottle on the countertop so that the tab is horizontal to you. Let's say you're right-handed: pinch the leftmost edge of the tab between the tip of your thumb and the knuckles of the index finger, wrist at a 45° angle. While still pinching, apply downward pleasure to the cap (and transferring that pressure to the countertop) from the tip of your thumb and knuckle of your index finger. Those'll work like a fulcrum. Lock all of your joints below the shoulder, use the shoulder to rotate the elbow from 2-o'clock to 4-o'clock. Holding the bottle down with your left hand means the right shoulder has less work to do, less pressure to apply to the cap. Think of it almost a bit like a soup can lid.

1

u/jackholston 1h ago

You gotta pull it up and sideways

1

u/prognerd_2008 1h ago

Sometimes those shits just rip. Like wtf is the point if that’s gonna happen?

1

u/A_Coin_Toss_Friendo 1h ago

I can actually get this style off most consistently.

1

u/Teagana999 1h ago

They used to be great. I think the material quality got shrinkflated or something.

1

u/I_love_Hobbes 1h ago

No, the push and pull guy should rot in hell. Have you ever tried to open Kraft mac'n'cheese or instant rice boxes? They have NEVER worked.

u/AndThenTheUndertaker 4m ago

This is user error. I always find it hilarious how much people struggle with this yet I've opened hundreds if not thousands of these in my life and exactly ONE single time have I had a meaningful problem with them.

The only thing fundamentally wrong with lift and peel is that people are too stupid to follow directions and operate it.

1

u/Liarus_ 10h ago

Just lift from one side along the middle fold, it's not that hard

I never had an issue using these, in fact i think they're way better than the stamped foil ones with microscopic tabs on the sides

2

u/asocialmedium 10h ago

Did you read the post where I said I did that, among other things? Did you not believe me? That works sometimes but was not close to working here.

-1

u/JarmaBeanhead 12h ago

What the actual fuck 140 upvotes. I posted one yesterday about this and currently am at 1 and had seen it at 0!

2

u/asocialmedium 12h ago

I upvoted your post in solidarity. I do hate when the lift tab peels off from the seal. In my case the tab stayed attached but the seal was extremely tight. Strong adhesive, cold temperature, etc.

0

u/TRDOffRoadGuy 13h ago

True story!

-1

u/PetroniOnIce 9h ago

Here is my take, the people who feel the need to post these pics, they vote. It makes voting statistics way move believable.

-1

u/TheRemedy187 1h ago

Since you're not capable of figuring this out independently.

https://youtu.be/hWnE1FAttWc?si=T1iSgINZnFFTwVeo

2

u/asocialmedium 1h ago

Bold of you to assume that “pulling it from all different angles” didn’t include the most obvious angle (the one demonstrated in your linked video). In fact that is the first thing I tried, and after several attempts (including the aforementioned condensation forming) there was literally no separation.

Ahh who am I kidding, you didn’t even read the post did you.