Research shows that nearly 285 million Americans eat breakfast cereal, so it is highly likely that you dig into a bowl of your favorite brand, at least on occasion. But when you go to put the box away, have you ever considered that you might be closing it wrong?
One stay-at-home mom says she has discovered the correct way to close a cereal box, and people on the internet are saying their minds have been blown.
How To Close A Cereal Box
If you’re like most people, you probably close the cellophane bag containing the cereal and roll it down. Then, you close the cardboard box by tucking the little tab into the small slot on top before placing it back in your pantry. If you are super-organized, you might even have individual storage containers just to keep your breakfast cereal fresh.
However, Denise Sith says that we’ve been doing it all wrong, as was she.
“I was 50 years old when I learned how to close a cereal box,” she posted on this video, which she shared on Facebook.
Here, Sith explains the trick that she learned browsing social media. Her method consists of creasing the shorter end sides inwards, then folding the top panel into the box. Then the longer ends are pushed together and the other top panel gets tucked in. This results in boxes with perfectly tapered tops that are more securely closed.
“I was scrolling, and I came upon something that blew my mind, so I’m sharing it here,” she said. “Apparently, you fold these little side tabs — you fold them in. Then you fold the side down, and then you fold the ends … and you just take the top, and you slide it in. Shut up! Guys, I’m flipping out right now!”
Sith was not alone in her amazement. The video has more than 8 million views and 14,000 comments.
“OMG,” commented Donna Fournier Casey. “Why were we never told!!!! And I thought I was a good Mom. I’m heading to the kitchen right now to give this a try. Thank you so much!!!!!”
“I just did this to all my boxes in my pantry,” wrote Lisa Galati Thompson. “lol amazed!!”
The hack was even keeping people up at night.
“It’s 1 a.m. in NY and I’m in the kitchen folding my cereal boxes,” commented Tara Ennis. “Tempted to open new boxes to keep folding. Thank you for sharing!”
Others shared their results.
“Tried the cereal box hack this morning,” posted Bobbie Hale.
The Social Media Origins Of This Hack
In fact, Sith wasn’t the first to post the video. As she points out, she first found it surfing social media. She might have seen it through a post from Becky Holden McGhee, who was wowed by the hack more than a week earlier when she also shared it on Facebook. Her version also went viral, with 142,000 shares.
Or, she might have seen the version TikTok user KatyBee2020 posted in April, making her a possible original source for the idea. This post garnered almost 191,000 shares.
Note: The video includes profanity.
@katybee2020You been doing it wrong all this time!##lifehack ##lifehacks ##technique ##hacks ##kelloggs ##cerealcheck⬠original sound – katybee2020
Have We Been Misled For Years?
While numerous commenters were shocked that they never learned this method and said that the cereal companies should have made this known, others were not convinced that this is actually how you should close a cereal box. We went to the source for an official opinion.
“The General Mills cereal team has enjoyed watching these videos,” said Mike Siemienas, a spokesperson for General Mills. “We have a lot of creative fans who find new ways to use our boxes. While this is not the intended way to close the boxes, it is definitely a fun ‘hack’ for consumers.”
So, will you start folding your boxes this way, or stick with the traditional tucking method?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
