The 15-Second Chip Bag Sealer with a Hair Straightener

At 6:24 p.m. in a Chicago apartment, a bag of sour cream and onion Lay's snapped back to life with nothing but a two-inch-wide Conair hair straightener. Instead of folding and clipping the half-eaten bag, the plates of the straightener pressed flat across the plastic, just above the last row of chips. The hiss as the bag heated for five seconds made everyone glance up from the TV. By running the straightener across the length of the open seam, a perfect airtight seal formed-no jagged edges, no gap, just a factory-fresh closure. Not one crumb escaped, and the next morning, even after sitting out on the counter overnight, every chip stayed as crisp as when the bag was first opened. Here’s the twist: most chip bags are made from heat-sealable polyethylene, the same plastic used in packaging plants. That’s why using the Conair for 15 seconds turns it into a home bag sealer, and why those Chicago chips stayed fresh for four days longer than usual.