A stripped screw won't budge — until you add a rubber band

You're mid-project and the screw head is chewed up — the driver just spins uselessly in the rounded slot. Before you reach for a drill or an extractor kit, try this: lay a wide rubber band flat across the screw head, press the screwdriver firmly into it, and turn slowly. The screw often comes right out.

The trick works because the problem with a stripped screw isn't strength — it's grip. The worn slot no longer transmits your turning force to the screw; the driver slips instead of biting. The rubber band's soft material squishes into the gaps and torn edges, filling the empty space and dramatically increasing friction between driver and screw. Suddenly your twist actually turns metal.

Two details matter: press down hard while turning (this compresses the rubber into the slot), and turn slowly so the band doesn't shear. A thicker band or a small piece of a wide rubber glove works even better than a thin one. The same friction principle is why a rubber jar-lid gripper opens stubborn jars.