Dad Comes Up With an Ingenious ‘Ziploc’ Trick — People Say It's The 'Best Thing Since Sliced Bread'

Dustin Hadley (@that40yearguy), TikTok’s favorite dad, is making people’s lives simpler one hack at a time. From life-saving garlic-peeling trick to smoothening the folded corners of a rug, his simple yet game-changing tips have made tens of millions of people his fans over social media. In one of these popular videos, posted in late 2024, Hadley showcased a brilliant way to repurpose a Ziploc bag by cutting it into multiple smaller bags using a hot, serrated knife. The hack is a handy idea for moms looking to pack snacks in their children’s picnic bags. It took him “40 years to figure this out,” he said.

“You’ve never seen this mom hack before,” the dad of three wrote in the overlay text of the video which has been viewed over 15 million times ever since. The video in the background revealed Hadley holding a white-colored knife over a lighted stove. “Heat a knife for a couple of seconds,” he described in the caption. He then used this heated knife to tear a small green-topped Ziploc bag in two halves. “Make your own snack-sized bags for kids or smaller portions,” he said, while the video displayed several mini-sized bags cut out from larger Ziploc bags, filled with snacks. In another clip, he clarified that the edges of the mini bags were closed, meaning they were sealed by the knife.

Hundreds of people chimed in the comments section to share their excitement at knowing the new tip. “Wish I had known this back in high school selling those dime bags,” wrote @jason.peterson. “Oh my goodness, looks so easy,” exclaimed @personal_page09. @paola.m said, “I can’t even with the Ziploc bag trick! Amazing!” @chrisapplegate825 said, “I didn’t have to buy different bags when I was young.” Another one said, “I tried this right after watching, and it worked perfectly. You’re saving me a fortune!” One commenter wrote, “This is genius! I’m never buying snack-sized bags again!” Someone else said, "That's the best thing since sliced bread!"

At first, it seems extraordinary how a heated knife not only slices a bag into half but also seals the edges of the miniature bags. But apparently, there is a whole lot of physics working behind this seemingly simple Ziploc bag trick. Parade explains that it is the heat from the metal blade of the knife that seals the plastic edges. ” Heating a knife over an open flame can take several seconds, and there's no magic number to aim for. Knives made of thinner metal will heat up faster and a stronger flame (like from a gas stove) will heat the knife faster than a weaker flame (like a candle or lighter),” they explain.

Additionally, they recommended not to use an expensive knife for the trick as it may get spoiled by the flame. But perhaps the greatest benefit of this trick is, "This trick doubles the number of bags you have so that you don't have to use as many sandwich bags." And even though Hadley used a gas stove to heat the knife, one can also use candlewood or a lighter to accomplish the purpose.

You can follow Dustin Hadley (@that40yearguy) on TikTok for life-saving household tips.