Q: A friend gave me some old tubes of paint and I can't seem
to open them. She suggested I hold a lighted match near the top of the
tube and let the heat loosen the top. Is this safe, and will it work?
A: Opening difficult paint tubes using the method your friend
suggests does work. On the other hand, a safer method is to place the
tubes upside down in water that's heated to a boil. Submerge the tubes
cap side down only to the neck, and in a very short time the caps will
open quite easily.