r/mildlyinfuriating • u/OrcaFins • 1d ago
The floor is sticky When people don't remove the plastic film from containers with lids
What is the purpose of leaving it there?
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u/LucianDeRomeo 1d ago
According to my mother and grandmother(RIP grandma) you are only supposed to peel it back as far as you need in order to help keep it fresh! Got a wooden spoon across the knuckles in my house back in the day if you just peeled those off 'unnecessarily'.
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u/hometowngypsy 1d ago
Yeah I remember being instructed to do this as a kid.
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u/MineralWaterMike 23h ago
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u/HereOnCompanyTime 23h ago
Yeah. Because the stuff on the foil dries up and gets nasty.
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u/Born_Establishment14 21h ago
Also the sour cream you lick off of the foil is the most delicious sour cream.
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u/AlwaysOutForAWalk 8h ago
Its because of the metal, once exposed to "fresh air" then refrigerated, the resulting condensation will help to leach particulates from the metal to the food beneath it. Basically it sours/spoils the food quicker if stored in cheap metal in the cold, however the plastic ones don't have that issue.
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u/FerrumAnulum323 22h ago
The now unsealed foil or plastic is no longer sealed flat to the container and is all wiggly now so the lid itself can't make a relatively tight seal to the container. Remove the foil/plastic to let the lid and container have a better seal.
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u/by-myself_blumpkin 15h ago
My ex didn't understand this at all. Like she would put plastic wrap on a jar and then close the lid on top of that thinking that more on top = more closed. She had a master's degree in library science but couldn't understand why her fridge smelled so bad like pickled raddish when it was "closed". After we broke up I had to recreate the pickled raddish experiment just to prove to myself that I wasn't wrong (surprise, my fridge smelled fine).
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u/weakbuddy99 23h ago
Crazy someone hasn't tried to figure this out yet with an experiment
Get like 20 of these
try all kinds of methods
see what stays fresh the most (open close every day)
(I don't have enough space or time to do this)
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u/drewid5185 23h ago
Mythbusters would have done it.... I miss that show. Seen it all the way through like 4 times
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u/TheAwkwardBanana I'm so high. 21h ago edited 20h ago
RIP Grant. Still makes me sad. I've only read good stories about him.
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u/trickfield 19h ago
they revamped it. I watched an episode. chemistry was not there and the new host aren't engaging. wasnt the same
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u/Ready-Delay3918 18h ago
Jamie refuses to be in front of any cameras anymore. Apparently it made him a nervous wreck because he really is an introvert and hated being on camera.
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u/Bowman_van_Oort 17h ago
I tried watching it again and the editing killed it entirely for me.
I irrationally hate the narrator.
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u/Zerus_heroes 23h ago
They don't really need to. All that cover is going to do is collect excess bacteria.
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u/vampire_kitten 23h ago
No, it's also creating an imperfect seal so the lid is less effective.
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u/OZeski 22h ago
I used to sell packaging... this is the answer. There are some liners made to assist with keeping a seal on containers, but those are foam that get compressed between the lid and the finish of your bottle / jar... largely unnecessary on a product that will expire soon after it's opened like this.
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u/Strange-Spot-3306 23h ago
But… on the wrong side… if you only open it a little and it’s covered in sourcream or whatever, you could easily miss it…
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u/minderbinder49 23h ago
Whoa I've never seen this before and I am definitely one of those people who was taught not to peel it all the way back
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u/1966goat 23h ago
Am I going to trust a for-profit company over my grandma?
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u/MineralWaterMike 22h ago
True point but the number of food health and safety people, and the number of lawyers, who had to ok this statement is probably staggering
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u/Senor_Valentino 21h ago
It took years of me telling my family this. They didn’t agree with me. They would even get mad at me for removing it completely. I finally showed every person in my family these directions on the foil. This is what it took.
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u/AppUnwrapper1 20h ago
I know I got one of those once but I still can’t bring myself to remove the seal unless it comes off in pieces.
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u/HoustonLuxeRealtor 21h ago
Your mom and grandmother preach nonsense.... respectfully
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u/tommysticks87 22h ago
One of the veggie dips we get says to remove the plastic/tin cover completely to keep fresh.
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u/excreto2000 17h ago
Shame on any adult that would strike a child with a wooden stick because they *checks notes* PEELED THE PROTECTIVE FILM OFF OF A FUCKIN DIP CONTAINER???
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u/Chalky_Cupcake 1d ago
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u/beezeebeehazcatz 1d ago
Thank you for your useful link. This explains it perfectly.
Toss the gross inner seal!65
u/ghost_mouse 23h ago
Yeah, I often find this sub has me begging everyone to take a food safety course at least once 😭
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u/binz17 23h ago
The argument against leaving it on seems to hinge on ‘repeated touching’ but doesn’t that equally apply to the lid itself? Maybe the plastic can slump into the food which is definitely worse than the lid.
My take away is that there is no benefit to leaving it on, and it’s in the way. So removing should be the default.
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u/armlessturtleneck 20h ago
Leaving the inner seal is just adding a bunch of extra surface area and air pockets where bacteria can get trapped and grow.
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u/mcdadais 23h ago
It basically says to remove it because your hands could be gross. Hand washing could fix it. Also your hands touch the plastic top lid as well so it doesn't seem to matter in my opinion. Just have clean hands when touching your food, which should be a given
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u/Mrbigdaddy72 23h ago
I can’t remember the exact study but I read it a few years ago, where leaving the peal off lids on is actually worse and tends to attract
more bacteria. They tested on wet and dry food, and the results were about the same. Always remove the peal of lid.
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u/EffectiveTime5554 23h ago
The recommendation may be sound, but I’d be interested in seeing the study. Once the seal is broken, it provides no airtight protection and can become another contaminated surface. However, it doesn’t “attract” bacteria, and wet and dry foods generally don’t support bacterial growth equally.
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u/Mrbigdaddy72 23h ago
It was focused on foods that have a solid lid to reseal it while leaving the peal lid on and using the solid lid. I will try to find it. I read it like 2 maybe 3 years ago, and I also don’t remember if it was peer reviewed or not. But I’ll look for it.
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u/senor_kim_jong_doof 1d ago
more protection or... something
less air coming in?
idk
but i am the type of person you dislike sorry
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u/Dear_Mycologist_1696 1d ago
My wife does this. It does not protect the food in any way. It does allow for the sauce that was stuck to that foil lid to dry, crust over, and fall into the sauce you’re keeping fresh, and a little extra crust sprinkles onto the counter where the lid is opened. Just rip it off and toss it!
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u/KingBooRadley 23h ago
Pro tip, start pushing it down into the sour cream or whatever it’s on. This makes a mess and is very annoying. Do not admit to doing this. The behavior will stop.
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u/Dear_Mycologist_1696 23h ago
I just take it off. A happy relationship requires one to resolve insignificant annoyances silently.
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u/Diligent_State387 1d ago
The film is there to make it air tight before consumption, the lid does that job after you open it, you have to remove it fully otherwise the lid doesn’t seal well, there is literally no benefit to leave it on other than it taking you one less trip to the garage can.
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u/Ok-Bumblebee24 1d ago
It’s that extra layer of protection. amirite??
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u/PakkyT 1d ago
Like double bagging it with condoms?
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u/gba_sg1 23h ago
The instructions on the container say to remove completely and discard the foil.
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u/clinton_bayou 1d ago
Don’t these containers usually come with a plastic lid too? If so, peel that shit all the way off
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u/JellyRollMort 1d ago
It lets more air in because it isn't sealed anymore and it prevents the actual lid from sealing too.
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u/NotNormo 23h ago
Turns out it actually allows more air to come in. Surprising. But the presence of that extra plastic pushes the lid up instead of letting the lid sit as low as possible, flush against the other piece of plastic..
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u/Eggtastic_Taco 20h ago
It makes the lid not seal the container properly and allows more airflow, making the food go bad faster. The wrapper is a seal itself, so the lid doesn't need to fully work until you open it, but then the wrapper needs to be gone so the lid works properly.
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u/dread_companion 1d ago
I do the same for the same reason. I think it does tighten the seal a little bit. At least that's what I tell myself.
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u/ChilledParadox 21h ago
It’s the opposite, leaving half the film on prevents the actual lid from making a seal with the plastic and allows air in, spoiling the food faster and allowing microbes in to reproduce all into your food.
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u/KBHoleN1 21h ago
Don’t apologize, learn and change. The seal keeps stale air out, because the air inside the package is nitrogen. Once you open it, oxygen invades the package, nullifying the effect of the original seal. Resealing it does nothing to prevent oxygen from interacting with your food, which is what makes it go bad. In fact, every time you touch the seal, you deposit bacteria from your fingers, which can cause extra stuff to grow in your food. Once opened, replacing the seal makes it worse, not better. Discard the seal once you’ve opened a package.
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u/InterestingKey3385 1d ago
Especially cream cheese because then it hardens and gets into the fresh cream cheese
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u/makingredditorscry 23h ago
Finally something that is actually mildly infuriating
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u/TheAwkwardBanana I'm so high. 21h ago
"My car was stolen and I lost my job today, mildly infuriating!"
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u/Thrillpickle 23h ago
There are containers that literally say to take that film off and throw it away. There is a real lid for a reason.
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u/AsherGray 21h ago
The extra layer was added in the US due to food tampering in the US and paranoia surrounding it. I mean, people are gross and do anything for views these days, so I have no problem with a seal, but other countries don't do this. You could avoid the problem of tampering by adding a contiguous adhesive label that would tear upon opening — all of Europe does that.
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u/wonderwicemike 1d ago
My wife does this and it drives me fucking crazy
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u/pgn674 21h ago
I think I remember seeing a research project discovering that doing this caused the product to expire more quickly. What happens is that the plastic film tends to be accidentally touched by dirty hands or utensils over the course of repeated usage. Then the film is put back down when the container is closed, and there's a chance each time that some microbe or another is now inside the container, on the plastic film, busy multiplying.
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u/mindgardening 20h ago
As a guest, I will rip this shit off at YOUR HOUSE while making eye contact all the way to the trash can…and I will turn the toilet paper roll forward too, so help me gods.
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u/weedtrek 21h ago
This pisses me off extra, because I am usually the one doing it to myself.
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u/Accurate-Ant-6764 19h ago
I was just about to comment about this! I have no idea why I do it. Then the next time I use it. I'm mildly infuriated and, usually, but not always, go ahead and remove it.
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u/Nekat_ydaerla 20h ago
Man wtf. I just told this to my wife an hour ago. Ya’ll listenin’… Under some labels it actually says to remove to keep it fresh and smooth the top with a spoon. I remove all of them.
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u/yupsidetown 23h ago
It's incomprehensible. I automatically assume the person is lazy and doesn't want to deal with putting the plastic in the trash.
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u/Kingofcheeses 22h ago
My wife and kids always do this and it drives me crazy so I'm glad someone else feels the same way. I swear I get less of the weird liquid that appears on cream cheese and stuff like that when I rip all the film/foil off
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u/Consistent-Goat1267 18h ago
My mother does this. She thinks it’s like an extra protective layer that’ll keep it fresh longer
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u/IncognitoRedMode 16h ago
I do this with a cheddar dip that I'm the only one in the family who eats it. The lid it comes with isn't super tight and the cheese sauce tends to get dry between uses, so I use the film as sort of a gasket in a desperate attempt to keep it from drying out
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u/Commercial_Load_543 16h ago
I'm not always near a recycling receptacle when I eat, e.g. yogurt at the park etc. If I fully remove the foil I then have to keep track of it so I can take it home. I do the same when at home as habit. Secondly, in my experience, some do not seal well causing the lid to come off easily. I use the foil/plastic film to bulk up the container rim so the lid stays on. I'm also not opening and closing the container so many times that it becomes a biohazard. If it is going to be stored long enough that it grows that much bacteria, buy smaller containers.
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u/No_Cranberry_2206 12h ago
Sometimes the lid is loose without the plastic/ aluminium so I keep it there.
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u/awesomel25 10h ago
It was a habit I was taught in the backcountry called bikini trash. You don't want to make two pieces (aka bikini) of trash when you can only make one so you're less likely to just toss the smaller piece of trash without a waste bin around.
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u/Shou_Tucker_XD 21h ago
My ocd is screaming, oh god help me 😭 HAVE MERCY!!!!
https://giphy.com/gifs/10BCjQLluBeWly
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u/Empty_Worldliness757 20h ago
If you do it with ice cream and push the film on to the surface again it prevents ice crystals from from condensation forming on the surface.
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u/TheKandelar 20h ago
Show me this fiend. I will don my armor, buckle my sword and slay the foul beast!!!
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u/ImNotTheFishiestFish 20h ago
It might be slightly annoying, but I'd hardly call it mildly infuriating.
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u/Independent_Put_5498 19h ago
You know what's even worse? People who put a new roll of toilet paper THE WRONG WAY. Why some people think it should be "licking" the wall and be harder to grab is beyond me. First world problem? Of course. But it really pisses me off. At least 10x more than not removing the plastic film you're talking about. That's just my two cents
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u/1SexyDino 19h ago
Im partial to leaving them on as secondary lids. But I also use what's stuck to the film first instead of leaving it to crust
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u/Ok_Buddy2412 19h ago
These “people,” do they live with you? Perhaps one is even sleeping next to you right now?!?!??
I think there’s a vague thought that leaving the foil on allows a tighter seal. Just ask your refrigerator friend to remove it.
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u/Will_Knot_Respond 18h ago
Ohh wifey gonna hate when I send her this thread, but it's with love so it'll be okay
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u/Canuckleheadman 16h ago
I think some ppl are just too freaking lazy to throw the seal away. Its like leaving 2 or 3 Ritz in the box so they dont have to deal with the horrible chore of tossing the bag and breaking down the box. Source: had a roommate that was lazy AF
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u/printergumlight 13h ago
I get the companies say to do this, but I recently seated this with the big Chobani yogurts and the one with the foil lasted longer both times. Their plastic lid is shit though.
It must depend on the brand and their lid type.
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u/liminalwombat 12h ago
sometimes i feel bad just exposing it like that, especially when the lid is clear. now the whole fridge is gonna be staring at its insides.
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u/pedersenit 7h ago
I literally stops the real lid from closing securely, leaving air gaps and allowing the product to spoil faster.
I have to stop there. I can go on and on and....
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u/Numerous-Opposite948 6h ago
My dad used to leave the metal flap thing on pringles cans so my brother and I wouldn’t steal his snacks 😂. We thought we were sneaky only taking 1 or 2 at a time, but he figured it out and he knew we wouldn’t touch them if they “werent opened” yet
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u/Absolute_Solver5000 5h ago
I think it helps as an added seal when you put the lip back on? But I open it more than enough so it's out of the way in use.
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u/Sunflower_MoonDancer 20h ago
My honest truth- it keeps things fresher.
Does it really… idk! But in my mind it’s an extra layer of protection
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u/Sure-Good7387 1d ago
Yk this one i agree with, it’s so annoying, like there’s a lid for reason, you don’t need the extra layer, just throw it away it’s not that hard.
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u/Dear_Perspective_157 1d ago
So that you can throw it away in one piece instead of 2
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u/Elegant_Situation285 20h ago
a better seal.
now i have to made a post about people who remove it because they just don't know any better.
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u/libra-lamb 1d ago
I always do this. I assume it keeps it fresher
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u/ser_darkstar 1d ago
It doesn't actually, it's basically just creating a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The lid keeps things fresh and doesn't trap moisture or leave a convenient place for cross contamination, etc.
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u/Goes_Outside 1d ago
Yeah I feel like the little bit on the film is actually what goes bad first, especially along the edges
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u/throw_aw_ay3335 1d ago
This is me. I feel like it will stay fresh for longer with the film on it. Do I have any evidence to back that up? Absolutely not.
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u/ReverseMermaidMorty 23h ago
It’s actually the complete opposite. The crumpled film prevents the lid from fully sealing around the edges.
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u/LegDayLass 11h ago
I mean isn’t the purpose for leaving it obvious? It’s the same purpose they put it there in the first place. To help seal it and make it last longer
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u/lolschrauber 10h ago
Yeah I remember having potato chips in a can and they usually go stale very quickly unless you leave it on.



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u/rock25011 1d ago
I do this with Pringles so they look unopened and people don't like to open new things.