Did you know you can use rubber bands to open soda bottles, Mason jars, and more? Save your wrists and grips — rubber bands will come to your rescue! And what’s more, rubber bands improve traction in many areas and with household products.
In the Kitchen
To crack open a Coke, twist the rubber band around the bottlecap to give your grip a break. Once you pop your pop, you’ll have a rubber band to thank for your refreshment! With jars, thicker rubber bands work best, but you can use several smaller ones to create your grip, as well. Instead of popping tops with knives (it breaks the seal, but is potentially dangerous) or wrenching your wrist, a quick slip of some rubber bands will make your jar ajar safely and pain-free.
The Science of Grip
It works like a charm, but how exactly does the magic happen? Through science, of course. Everyday thermodynamics help create the tough, abrasive feel of a rubber band when it’s working as an opener.
When a rubber band is stretched, it releases heat. If you’d like to feel this process in action, carefully stretch a rubber band across your lips! When a rubber band contracts, it absorbs heat, making the area surrounding it ever so slightly cooler. This heat exchange affects the gripping strength of the rubber band, and helps to create traction.
Additionally, the water resistance and rough surface of rubber acts as a stabilizer between he soft skin of the hands and the smooth surface of jar lids! Who knew? Rubber is great, and so are the handy and helpful rubber bands that can save your hands!
