Whether it's a party, a picnic or a barbecue you could end up with left over food - and there is a simple way to make sure it doesn't go off

08:51, Thu, May 28, 2026 Updated: 08:51, Thu, May 28, 2026

Plain potato chips in a bowl

A bowl of crisps (Image: Getty)

As the warm weather continues across the UK, so does the season of BBQs, beach trips and picky teas, and no summer spread feels complete without a sharing bag of crisps. But what happens when you don’t finish the bag and want to keep the rest fresh for the next day?

With UK food and non-alcoholic drink prices still rising by 3.0% annually, according to the latest ONS figures, households are continuing to seek simple ways to reduce food waste and make their groceries last longer. That becomes even harder during warm and humid weather, when opened snacks can quickly go stale.

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Fortunately, a food expert has shared a simple trick that can help reseal crisp packets using an item many people already own at home: hair straighteners. The method involves pressing the open edge of the bag between warm straighteners for a few seconds to gently melt and reseal the plastic. The aim is to reduce the amount of air getting into the packet, helping crisps stay fresher for longer.

Richard Price, food and supermarkets expert at BritSuperstore, said: “Crisp bags are usually made from layers of metallised plastic film, which can be re-sealed when exposed to gentle heat. Hair straighteners reactivate the original heat-seal layer used during manufacturing and bond the material back together.

“Keeping air and moisture out helps preserve freshness, especially during humid weather. With grocery prices still rising, small habits like this can help households reduce waste and avoid throwing away food unnecessarily.”

However, Price warns against using high temperatures:

“Too much heat can melt the packaging completely. Use the straighteners on a low setting and only apply heat for a couple of seconds at a time.”

For extra protection, he suggests placing a thin sheet of foil over the bag before sealing it to avoid direct contact with the heated plates.