Clearing up confusion for canned soda drinkers about how to use bent straws correctly. Many people still use them incorrectly, causing the straw to float and bounce. Here’s the proper way to lock the straw securely using the can’s pull tab. It’s easy to do and makes drinking much more convenient.
Many soda can fans have probably experienced the minor annoyance of inserting a plastic straw into a can only to have the straw "float" or bounce up due to the pressure of carbon dioxide gas inside the soda. This forces you to hold the straw down constantly while drinking, sparking a common question online about how bent straws are really meant to be used and whether manufacturers designed them to solve this problem.
Generally, when we use a plastic straw with a bend, we insert the longer end into the can and bend the flexible part toward ourselves to drink. While this isn’t wrong by design, with canned soda the light plastic combined with gas bubbles causes the straw to float up and easily fall out of the can.
A little-known secret at the dining table is that the soda can’s pull tab isn’t just for opening the can. The gap in the pull tab is designed to act as a "straw lock" to prevent the straw from floating up. The simple steps to follow are:
1. Open the can as usual. Lift the can’s pull tab to open the lid and release the soda’s fizz.
2. Rotate the pull tab back over. After opening, rotate the pull tab back to cover the can’s opening.
3. Insert the straw. Insert the bent straw (or a regular straw) through the gap in the pull tab into the can.
That’s all it takes. The pull tab will lock the plastic straw in place, preventing it from moving or bouncing up due to the soda’s pressure. This simple trick effectively solves the floating straw problem.
Using a bent straw together with the pull tab lock is just one handy life hack that makes drinking soda more enjoyable and easier. If you haven’t tried this method yet, you can apply this small tip to your daily routine right away.