Conquering stuck jar lids ranks right up there with cleaning out the dishwasher filter as one of our most despised kitchen tasks. There’s something about a fragile glass jar and a lodged-on lid that immediately adds an extra layer of stress. This is not to mention the fact that the time we spend fighting with an overly stubborn lid could be much better spent making dinner or dessert.

Whether you’re one of the 54 million adults in the U.S. with arthritis or simply ended up with a jar with a locked-on lid, it’s a frustrating predicament. For this reason, there are countless products ranging from under-cabinet openers and pricey electronic models to knife-knocking strategies and the viral hack of squeezing the lid between your hands. (By the way, we tried the latter method and weren’t able to get this to work.)

We’re convinced that there has to be a better way than shelling out $60 for a new appliance or struggling to make that squeezing strategy work. Turns out, there is. And you most likely already have what you need in a kitchen drawer right now.

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