3 Tips to Easily Open a Stuck E-Liquid Bottle (Without Going Back to the Vape Shop)

Got a stuck E-Liquid bottle? Let’s fix that.

There’s nothing worse than buying a new vape juice only to find you have a stuck E-Liquid bottle. 

In this guide, we’ll talk you through some possible solutions to your issue, to save you a trip back to the vape shop!

Why Is My Vape Juice Cap Stuck?

Mass manufacturing isn’t always perfect, and from time to time, you may experience issues with packaging. This leads to having a stuck E-Liquid bottle, which is frustrating.

E-Liquid bottles can get stuck for many a reason, whether it’s a problem during manufacturing or weather conditions during transport causing the bottle to tighten. This can happen with any E-Liquid bottle from any brand, from nic salts to shortfills. 

The bottles can also get stuck because of the juice itself. If you’ve purchased an E-Liquid that has been on the shelf for a while, gases from the juice can end up compressing the cap, causing it to stick. This is the same if the bottle is faulty and the E-Liquid has leaked, seeping into the cap and drying it shut. 

A simple first fix for this is to just run the bottle for a few seconds under a hot tap. The heat should then expand the lid, making it easier to open. Hopefully, this will loosen the cap so you can get it open, but if this doesn’t work, we have other tips for you!

Medicine-Style Childproof Caps

Your stuck E-Liquid bottle will have two sections to it—the outer cap and the inner part. You’re probably familiar with childproof caps, which are used on everything from medicines to cleaning products. The inner layer has ‘teeth,’ which lock in when pushed down.

If you don’t push it down correctly, the bottle will not open. Make sure to use all your strength and give the bottle a good old push when twisting, as the ‘teeth’ may not be aligning correctly. 

Try Better Friction

When trying to twist the cap on your bottle, it may be a bit slippery. Make sure that the bottle is completely dry and not leaking any juice. Then, try increasing your grip with one of the following: 

• A towel
• Rubber gloves
• Tweezers or pliers

Our go-to choice is to use something made of rubber, like rubber gloves, which provide a strong grip and less slippage.

Borrow Your Local Strong Person

As a last-case scenario, simply just ask someone with more upper body strength to try and open it! It may seem obvious, but sometimes just an extra bit of strength is all you need.

If you find you have a bottle that you can open, but is consistently difficult to get the lid back on, consider keeping the lid off, or only partially screwed shut. You can easily keep your E-Liquid safe by making sure to leave it in the centre of a surface to avoid it being knocked over. You can also create a makeshift cover by simply wrapping a tissue or cotton pad around the tip, and securing it with a hair tie or elastic band. 

It’s important to note, though, that children and pets can easily get into an E-Liquid bottle, and the contents inside can be poisonous if ingested. If you have a child or a pet at home, we do not recommend leaving your E-Liquid bottles open within reach.

Which Stuck E-Liquid Bottles Should I Avoid?

In an ideal world, every bottle would work perfectly, but this isn’t always the case. Vapers around the UK have reported that the following brands do not have the most user-friendly bottles:

• RIOT
• Flavour DCTR
• Bazooka

If one of these is your favourite, don’t panic! There is always a solution.

Whether you are pre-empting a dodgy bottle or have one at home you are determined to get open; we suggest trying a bottle opener tool for opening shortfills. For as little as a few quid, this is a great reusable tool that will last you a long time, so you’ll never be stuck without E-Liquid again!

Summary

If you still continue to have these issues on more than one occasion, and after trying our tips, your stuck E-Liquid bottle is still, well, stuck—contact the manufacturer directly. Oftentimes, they’ll send you a replacement to compensate you for your hard labour.

Check out our Beginner Guides for more useful tips!