Am I the only senior who is alarmed and frightened over the fact
that we cannot open a jar of pickles or mayonnaise or any other
product with a screw top jar lid? We don
’t seem to be reading about this problem in any senior magazine,
newspaper or any other informational medium.
Am I the only senior who is alarmed and frightened over the fact that we cannot open a jar of pickles or mayonnaise or any other product with a screw top jar lid? We don’t seem to be reading about this problem in any senior magazine, newspaper or any other informational medium.
My husband and I have a “dandy” tool purchased through one of those self-help catalogues for seniors. This tool, similar to an oversized “O” shaped pliers, is designed to easily open jar lids, so the advertisement description states.
The advertisement sounded so appealing for opening a jar that we ordered this “amazing” household implement. However, it still takes the two of us to use it. One of us must hold the jar while the other attempts to unscrew the lid using the device.
I would not be so concerned if the situation only occurred once in a while. But each and every jar we want to open requires the strength of a Charles Atlas.
The most recent change in packaging is the mayonnaise jar. For the longest time we were not able to twist the lid easily and our “dandy” tool had to be used. Now, for some reason unknown to us, and known only to those in the packaging business, we are able to unscrew the lid from the jar.
Unfortunately, first we must remove a very strong plastic seal surrounding the lid. A sharp knife is required to remove this seal. The entire seal does not come off, thus leaving a rim of this material surrounding the opening of the jar. Do you want to see this ring on the top of your mayonnaise jar? No!
My metamucil product that I use daily (come on now, how many of you use the same type product), also has this type of seal.
Once I am able to remove the seal with a sharp knife, the rim of this container is clean and I have no problem with the lid of the plastic container.
If this plastic seal problem was found in just one or two products, I would not be so alarmed. But, how many of us have attempted to open a box of cereal with the contents sealed in a plastic type bag inside the cereal box only to be thwarted to exasperation with the attempt to open. Again, a sharp knife is required to break the bag in order to reach the cereal.
And, have you had the same problem in opening a box of crackers? In order to break the seal of the plastic packaging that is supposed to protect the cracker, you are forced again to use a sharp knife.
How many times do we end up with cracker crumbs? Oh, well. Cracker crumbs are necessary for chicken fried steak or graham cracker pie crust. Right?
Perhaps, one of the biggest problems is the prescription container. At the time of filling your prescription, you must state to the pharmacist “regular or childproof.” We must always be prepared to make this statement.
If not, we are given a container with a lid that is just about impossible to open. The first time this happened to me, I returned to the pharmacy and asked the pharmacist to open the lid. And, no surprise, she could hardly open it. I smiled as she struggled.
How do our seniors who live alone handle this problem? So many of us have lost strength in our hands and fingers and can no longer easily open a jar.
Are the seniors who are alone waiting for their Meals on Wheels visitor, also waiting for someone to assist them in “opening” a jar?”
We now understand why senior centers who offer meals during the week are full to capacity. Because seniors cannot open jars. No wonder we are reading in the newspapers about seniors starving.
Seniors cannot open jars.
But, wait. We finally found the solution. It’s a Black & Decker appliance, “Lids Off” an automatic electric Jar Opener. It really, really works.
At last, our senior citizen’s problem, “Opening the jar,” has been solved.
