Unstick 5-Gallon Buckets Easily With A Go-To Garage Staple

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Five-gallon buckets can be used for pretty much everything. From organizing tools to being a patio umbrella stand, there are countless brilliant ways to repurpose these buckets around your house. But anyone who has tried to pull just one 5-gallon bucket off the stack in their garage knows their drawback well: Once attached, they're nearly impossible to get unstuck. The good news is you probably already have what you need to break them free: the go-to garage staple, WD-40 Original Formula.

Used to clean and maintain things from the garage to the bathroom, there are so many genius tips to use WD-40 at home, and using it to unstick 5-gallon buckets should be right at the top. As WD-40's ingredients remain top secret, we weren't able to uncover the exact science behind this hack, yet many people find it to be just the thing to easily separate stuck buckets. Our guess? It likely has something to do with WD-40's strong lubricating power seeping between the plastic, making it easier to pull the buckets apart without wrestling, stomping, or giving in and repurposing the buckets into a stylish DIY coffee table.

The next time your 5-gallon buckets are stuck together, grab a can of WD-40, and nestle the straw in the crevice between them. Apply a light, steady stream of WD-40, turning the buckets to make sure you get the product around the entire edge. Let it sit for around five minutes, and then pull the buckets apart. They might need a tap or a wiggle, but they should fall apart fairly easily. Wipe up any remaining product, and you're good to go.

Out of WD-40? Don't worry — there are a few other tricks you can try. The easiest is to attach a thin nozzle to your air compressor and inject some air between the buckets to break them apart. You can also try filling the top bucket with cold water and running hot water over the bottom one to loosen them. To prevent your buckets from getting stuck again, try tying a thin rope or securing a zip tie around the wire handle, leaving a piece long enough to hang down the outside of the bucket. Anecdotal evidence shows this will prevent a vacuum from forming in the bottom of the bucket, making it easy to separate them.