'Life-changing' method for closing your cereal box could help to keep it fresh

When it comes to food waste, we’re doing a horrible job. In the UK, the average household will throw out £470’s worth of food each year, usually because it’s gone bad before they’ve had a chance to eat it.

Making the most of your storage can make a big difference. For example, learning which foods are best refrigerated, frozen or kept in the cupboard can make things like bread and peppers go further.

How you put opened foods away can make a big difference, too. For example, you may be letting your cereal go stale sooner than the manufacturers intended.

It turns out the answer was on the box all along (vgajic/Getty Images)

Some nutters will pour cereal, then shove the box back in the cupboard without so much as pressing the interior bag down. By letting your cereal rawdog the air like that, you’re allowing it to oxidise and go stale way sooner than you have to.

But, as it turns out, there’s an even better, manufacturer-approved way of putting your cereal away than shoving the bag down over itself.

Thanks to TikToker Katy, or @subjecttochange2022 as she’s better known on the platform, we’ve got access to the education we need.

"You've been doing it wrong all this time!" she captioned a video explaining the method.

The Ramsbottom, Lincolnshire native’s video showed her closing the box with an innovative, secure, and staleness-free way that’s sure to blow your mind.

As it turns out, she didn’t need to engage much imagination to get there either. The instructions were on the side of the Kellogg’s box the whole time.

The method: fold the larger flaps into the box and bend the sides inwards. What results is a curved, coffee-pouch-like shape that holds the the contents securely.

Katy advised that you 'don't tear the card when you open it'.

"It was years ago when Kellogg's once put instructions on their Cornflakes,” she explained to Tyla in 2022. “I'd say a good 10 years back.

"I originally made the video on Facebook. But like masses of people I joined TikTok out of boredom.

The manufacturer-prescribed method is a bit of a needless faff... (Zuraisham Salleh/Getty Images)

"My friends think it's hilarious. I was so shocked it took off. No make-up on, and I said 'Ceweal' so I'm sort of gutted!"

Katy later refreshed everyone’s memories with a follow-up video showing the method.

"People saying 'Oh, ain't nobody got time for that', it doesn't take long," she said.

"And let's be honest, guys: all we have is time at the moment!"

Or you could just shove the bag down and spare yourself the faff.