Do you have a glass bottle with a plastic top--or maybe a picture of one of your bottles?
Usually a child-resistant (CR) cap is 2 parts that should lock together to spin off. I've been fairly successful with channel locks if I can clamp it just enough to lock the CR sections together and twist it open. You just want to squeeze the lid sections together, but not so tight it clamps onto the bottle neck. One of the hacks for those, assuming you can get it off, is to use some white glue or toothpicks to hold the sections together so they operate as a unit. If I get a tricky top, I try not to close it tightly and engage the CR feature, but seal it enough to keep if from leaking if stored upright.
The CR bottle my cat's Atopica comes in is especially evil. It has a plastic lock ring underneath the outer cap that has to be broken (like a soda bottle top) in order to get the CR tops to spin and open the bottle. If I don't remove the lock ring after opening the bottle, it doesn't give the CR caps enough space to engage and spin off properly. If you have a lock ring, can you slip a tool or even a crochet hook in there to pull it down to where you could snip the ring in half?
Gorgeous! Where did you get that? I need one now too lol! Seriously I absolutely have to buy one!
Is the outer cone cap supposed to detach from the ring at the bottom? Does it cover a long squirt bottle nozzle when you open as intended?
If you have a few sets of pliers, and the plastic bottle and cap are flexible, I would try a couple of things.
Can you grip the bottom ring and hold it tightly with one pliers? I would want to keep this part from spinning at all if I can do it without breaking the bottle. This plier could be a slip joint or channel lock. The next 2 options require holding the ring from turning with one set of pliers.
If the cone is a press down and turn, can you fit a larger slip joint pliers downward over the cap? I would want a big handle to grip the cap, and press downward hard enough to engage any teeth or gears between the 2 sections. If it keeps spinning, this isn't working.
If the downward pliers won't lock in, is the cone soft enough that you can squish it with pliers and feel resistance where the inner section is inside the cap? If you can squeeze the cap and the ring between the 2 sets of pliers, can you twist it open that way? You don't want to crush it, just squeeze the 2 sections tight enough that they turn together.
If the cone cap is round, you might be able to cut it near the middle to expose the nozzle tip, but leaving the rest of the cap attached to the bottle. They make a metal tubing cutter like plumbers use to cut sections of pipe. This would need to roll around the cap to cut through the plastic, but won't leave crumbs like a saw would. This would destroy the cap, but if you have a spare bottle, at least you won't lose your liquid.
metal tubing cutter - Google Search
Sounds like a job for a husband. Of which I no longer have. LOL. Thanks Cats, I truly appreciate the time you put in helping me. I might try again. I do have both channel locks and pliers on hand and not sure I tried holding the ring. Instead I held the bottle.
Well I'm a husband, unfortunately situated a long way from CA.
I've used those caps a thousand times but never had a clue how they worked. I remember having trouble with a handful of them. Can't remember what I did, I think it just involved major force.
I took a look. The first time you open a bottle the top part is attached to the bottom ring by half a dozen or so tiny plastic tabs. When you push down and twist those tabs are broken leaving the top part free to turn and unscrew.
I just experimented on a new unopened flavor bottle. I got a not very sharp knife. An old swiss army knife. Stuck it the gap between the top cap and the bottom ring and cut those little tabs. It was really easy to do because the tabs are so small. It may be that on other cap designs it's harder to get to those tabs. Maybe you could use a screwdriver to force the top and bottom ring apart and snap the tabs that way.
The cap is made of an outer and inner part. The outer part spins freely. The threads are on the inner part so you have to lock the outer and inner parts together by pushing down for the inner part to unscrew. I couldn't figure out how that locking happens without cutting up a cap and I don't have any to spare.
It's possible that with some design of cap and bottle you just can't push down far enough to lock the inner and outer parts of the cap. That might happen if the bottom ring gets in the way. The next thing I might try is to remove the bottom ring. That could be done with a sharp utility knife blade but it would be tricky to do without cutting into the plastic bottle. Bit easier if it was a glass bottle I guess.
Good luck
Here's a video about how many of the caps work. These seem to be the average USA versions of CR packaging. If Dinner Lady is based in the UK, they might be using slightly different caps to meet their own standards. Sometimes tilting the outer cap a tiny bit can help get the friction needed to turn the inner cap, but I usually can only get that to work after the first time I opened the bottle.
No husbands around here, but I do have a rather large rolly tool chest in my kitchen. It made my brother's friends jealous.
@englishmick is correct about cutting the little plastic bits on bottle caps. I do that too, but it only works when you can see them. If these are covered by the outer lid, unless a crochet hook or something can snag the ring, you might be SOL for the first opening. Technically, a CR cap should re-set itself when you close it. If you do get it off successfully, you will have an opportunity to try the glue or toothpick hacks to lock the inner and outer lids together.
No husbands around here, but I do have a rather large rolly tool chest in my kitchen. It made my brother's friends jealous.
@englishmick is correct about cutting the little plastic bits on bottle caps. I do that too, but it only works when you can see them. If these are covered by the outer lid, unless a crochet hook or something can snag the ring, you might be SOL for the first opening. Technically, a CR cap should re-set itself when you close it. If you do get it off successfully, you will have an opportunity to try the glue or toothpick hacks to lock the inner and outer lids together.
I have cut the tabs but I have not cut the ring. That will be what I do next. Thank you! PS I have left home in California nad came to stay in Georgia by my daughter but still and always will consider CA my home. My sister in CA wants me to come back so I just might.
Ooooh that figures lol! Dans been holding out on me then! lol!Morning shinies
No you don't! And I got my lil gorgeous one from Dan the stabwood man.
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