How to use the end of a squeezy tube?

Question

I use shaving cream that comes in tubes like above.

It is very convenient and a great product that I've used for about 10 years or more.

However, the nature of the nozzle end means that around 5-10% of the product remains in this area after most is used-up. This is enough for me to use for around 6 weeks of shaving.

As a result, I now have 3 tubes in the state above waiting for me to excise the remnants from the tube in some clever way. I still don't have a clever way.

The only thing I tried once was to cut the end of the tube off. I was able to get at the product then - but still with some difficulty. However, since the cream contains certain oils, they all evaporated from the open tube, leaving the cream unusable after about a week.

Any ideas how I can easily use this residual cream from these 3 tubes?

EDIT: The white "cap" does not unscrew but can be forced to pop off. Underneath there is a nozzle with a flange. Getting the cap back over the flange is very difficult but not impossible. Without the cap, the nozzle CAN be persuaded to give-up 1 or 2 more doses of the product, but you can't leave the cap off and it's too much work to keep putting it on/off for every shave.

Answer 1

A simple tube squeezer should do the trick, making your solution cheap and almost permanent since they're generally made out of durable and sturdy plastic.

You can find them almost everywhere.

Answer 2

Wait till you have several almost empty tubes. Then cut the tail-end off of one of them. Cut the others nearer to the nozzle. Scoop the remaining product out of these tubes and put it into the one with the cut tail-end. Crimp the end of the nearly full tube, folding it over several times & using pliers to set the crimp. Use the product & when it's almost empty, repeat the process. With some plastic tubes which are hard to crimp, I attach a tube key (search "tube key" on google) which securely holds it closed.

Answer 3

For the last bit of toothpaste in a tube, I have often resorted to pliers. I bend the flattened tube to one side, put one face of the pliers on the "face" of the cap, and the other face of the pliers on the bent-over flattened tube. Then I just squeeze, and more toothpaste comes out. (Obviously the plier face doesn't cover the hole in the cap. It's positioned next to the hole.)

Answer 4

With tubes such as the one in your photo, I just switch hands when the tube stops dispensing. That is, if I normally squeeze a tube with my right hand, then I switch to my left hand when I can't squeeze out any more of its contents. This technique probably doesn't ensure that I use up every last drop in the tube, but I can often delay buying a replacement for a week or two.

Answer 5

One alternate solution not related to using different squeeze alternatives, is to cut open the end of the tube, and insert something else to use as a piston.

That is, you could use some cotton or possible some plastic inserted into the end, and when this is made into a ball (or sort of piston), this can be used to drive everything else forward in the tube and out of the opening.

Answer 6

If you don't want to have a dedicated tool lying around for the job you can do what I've always done:

1. Hold the end of the tube with your right hand.
2. Hold the open side of the tube with your left hand.
3. Place your right hand with the end of the tube right below the edge of your toilet sink.
4. Strongly press down on the tube and slide it down until your toothpaste (or whatever it is) is conveniently concentrated near the open side of the tube.
5. Profit.

Answer 7

for toothpaste tube and shaving cream from a tube...I would use a pair of scissors and cut the end of the tube and go from there. you can cut a little bit more each time until you reach the top of the tube. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Step 1: Ensure you have all the product squeezed into the "forbidden" part of the tube.

Step 2: Fold the empty tail in half, then in half again, and again -- you might, with a very thin tube, get a fourth fold, but at the end of this, the empty part of the tube should be very short and very tightly folded.

Step 3: Hold the folded empty tail with a chip clip or similar device. Steps 2 and 3 are to prevent product returning to the empty tail of the tube during step 4.

Step 4: Hold the tube nozzle between two fingers on your stronger hand, and push your thumb into the flattened part of the tube material. You should fairly easily be able to squeeze more product out of the nozzle -- and do this several times.

I've used this technique at work to get the last 3-4 tablespoons of grease out of a squeeze tube before discarding it and getting another; if you have strong enough hands, it works very well, but there will always be a small amount of product you can't extract, short of cutting open the tube and removing it with a spoon-like tool. Another answer suggests combining the leftover contents of multiple tubes into a single one, cut right at the tail; you might then be able to heat-seal the tail of the refilled tube with a soldering iron or hot glue gun tip. This is still an option after using the "thumb and fingers" extraction method above. This method could also be used to load a large syringe with a cap in place of a needle (these are sold in hobby shops to apply glue, or in machinist hobby suppliers for grease).

Another option might be to search for another product equivalent to this one, but packaged to reduce waste -- for instance, in a tube with a softer top, or even in a (recyclable, we hope) metallic tube, where you can crush the top of the tube to recover the last of the product.

Answer 9

Have a go at this:

• open the tube lid
• inflate the tube by squeezing the folded edges so that it regains some shape, or hold it in a hand making an OK symbol 👌 and put your mouth so your lips are touching your fingers/ aren't touching the tube (can't imagine the taste is nice!) and blow
• close the tube lid
• repeatedly bang the lid on a hard surface to shake the product down so it blocks the output hole
• open the lid
• hold iron the same orientation it was when you banged it, squeeze gently to pressurise the air behind the product, driving it out of the nozzle
• repeat

You could also use this technique on several nearly empty tubes after deciding on one of them to refill; open two tubes, push the nozzles against each other and squeeze one, forcing the product into the other tube. You don't usually need to be very elaborate in terms of getting a seal but if the nozzle doesn't protrude a short length of pipe might be required

Answer 10

I agree with the piston like advice. Do you know what a push pop ice cream or popsicle is? They have a plastic piece that pushes the ice cream up and it looks just like a piston and it may be the exact size you need! And they're only a 1.00 at a convenient store or 2 or 3 bucks for a box of them at Walmart but they only have orange sherbet ones and jolly rancher ones! But it would save you trouble trying to find something else. I mean it's the closest thing to a piston I can think of!