Stuck jar lid?

Question

I have an old jar/jug that was used by my mother for years to hold her sugar. The jar lid has been screwed on and cross threaded. How can I get this dang lid off?

Answer 1

Put the whole thing in the freezer for a half hour. Get a dishcloth or small towel, moisten it and wring it out. Heat the dishcloth in the microwave for 30 seconds. Get the jar out of the freezer and then drape the dishcloth around the lid to warm it up - only touching the lid!

This should shrink the jar and expand the lid enough to open it. Also, the moist towel may help you grip the lid better.

Answer 2

Get Lid Off Jar

Answer 3

I had this situation-- A glass cookie jar with a metal lid.

(By the way: "cross threaded" means that the lid has been screwed on crookedly, so that the threads of the lid are mismatched with the threads of the jar.)

I tried hot water and tapping, with no results. Eventually I heated it up as much as I could (dipping the lid in very hot water) and then placed in on the ground and pressed down on the high side of the lid, trying to seat it properly. If you do this be very careful about pressing down CAREFULLY so that you don't end up cutting yourself on broken glass or pottery. It worked, and once it was aligned, I worked my way around the edge of the lid with a flat screwdriver, inserting it under the lid and twisting gently, which let the lid disengage and be turned.

Answer 4

There is a special pliers available which may help. One jaw has a belt attached, which can be wrapped around the jar lid and then attached to the other jaw. This gives enough leverage to open most jars. In extreme cases, you will need two such pliers - one for the lid, and one for the jar.

Answer 5

RHSAUNDER is close it is called a strap wrench you can try a strap wrench but being crossthreaded it is difficult place a screw driver under the lid at the lowest point prying up making the lid a little wider then do the same all the way around

Answer 6

purchase a drain purifier (snake) at a ironmongery keep. The spiral cord form. It has a pointy cord end on it that you may want to twist and hook onto the lid and pull it out. What ever you, do no longer allow the lid bypass down the sewer pipe.

Answer 7

I had a vintage glass jar that once held stick candy. The lid was quite wide and cross-threaded. I used a combination of running hot water over the lid for several minutes, squirting WD40 under the edge of the lid, lifting the edge slightly with a knife, and placing a wet rag over the top and applying force left-handed. It worked.

Answer 8

try running hot water over it for a while then try again.

if that doesn't work, bang the side of the lid with the blunt side of a butter knife and try to unscrew it again.

you could also try banging the side of the lid against the edge of a table to loosen it.

Answer 9

Get one of those strap oil filter wrenches or new strap wrenches and twist away...the handle will give you good leverage.