How to Unscrew a Screw Without a Screwdriver: 9 Quick & Easy Ways

These ‘everyday’ items are relatively common and should be easy enough to find around your home.

They may not be perfect from a DIY perspective, but they should get you out of a pickle and save you the hassle of spending hours looking for a screwdriver, waiting for one to be delivered, or having to ask the neighbors to borrow one.

We mention a butter knife specifically, but really, any knife with a curved end (as opposed to a sharp end) will do, as it’ll fit nicely into both flathead screws and larger Philips screws.

Go ahead and place the end of the knife in the screw’s head as per the photograph above, and turn it clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on whether you want to tighten or loosen the screw.

Depending on how tight the screw is, you might end up damaging the knife, so we’d recommend using an old one that you don’t mind twisting or bending out of shape.

Also, it goes without saying, but be careful when using a knife so as not to injure yourself or anyone else. Safety first!

Once you’ve finished the drink, bend the ring pull forwards and backwards a couple of times, and it should eventually fall off. Be careful, though, as the part of the ring pull that remains, along with the drink’s opening itself, are usually sharp.

Ring pulls are surprisingly strong (they are made from aluminum, after all), meaning they should be more than up to the task.

A slight drawback is that they’re so small, so it can be hard to get the grip and leverage needed to insert or remove tighter screws. Also, owing to how blunt the end of a ring pull is, they’re probably suited to use on flathead screws or Philips screws with oversized heads only.

It doesn’t matter which type you use (both can remove screws relatively easily), although you’ll usually get more leverage from lockable pliers meaning they require less effort.

You can use them where the screw head is sticking out a bit as per the screw in the image, as this gives enough surface area for the pliers to grip.

Unfortunately, pliers won’t work on countersunk screws with a fully encased head. You should probably avoid them too even if the head is even ever-so-slightly exposed; the plier’s teeth inevitably end up causing more damage to the wall or furniture where the screw has been used in these situations.

The downside is that coins are usually pretty thick, even in smaller denominations, so they won’t be a good screwdriver substitute if you need to tackle smaller screws.

For larger flathead screws though, you should be able to get enough bite and leverage from placing the edge of the coin in the head’s slot and twisting.

It wouldn’t be our go-to choice, but it’s a good backup if you don’t have access to any of the other items on this list.

Provided the screw is big enough, you can place both of the tips in the head as we’ve done in the image above, or you can use a single tip if the slots in the screw are smaller.

Even better?

The tips are usually shaped in such a way to give a sharp angle on the edges, making them a good option for tiny screws and making tweezers a possible substitute to a dedicated ‘watch screwdriver’ or a jewelers screwdriver set.

They won’t be much use for smaller screws, and because they’re so flexible, you’ll struggle to remove particularly tight screws with them.

For looser screws with small heads, though, they’re worth a try if you’re desperate and don’t have access to a proper screwdriver.

We’d recommend choosing an old card that you no longer have any use for, as the chances are, you’ll end up splitting the card before you’re finished!

Well, provided the screw in question is relatively loose, and assuming the screw head’s slot is big enough, you could try using the edge of a CD to remove it.

A word of warning, though, don’t use a new CD or DVD as you could end up chipping the edge to the point where it no longer plays. Also, broken discs are notoriously sharp, so watch out that it doesn’t bend too much and break; otherwise, you could risk a nasty injury.

The disc bending a lot is a sign that the screw is too tight. If this happens, move on and try another item on this list, or wait and use a proper screwdriver.

It’ll only really work on looser screws, and will probably end up damaging your nail or leading to injury on tighter screws, so it’s worth avoiding these.

The downside is that you’ll need longer nails for this to work. We’d be lying if we said it hasn’t worked for us over the years, though, and in terms of a back to basics approach to DIY, you’ll struggle to find anything simpler.

There are a few different types of nail file, with this technique working best with the kind that has a pointed end.

Provided the end forms a sharp enough point, you can use it in smaller flathead and Philips screws. The file can be placed sideways into the slot of larger screws, too, making it very versatile from a DIY-perspective.

Just make sure you ask permission from your partner, girlfriend, or wife before borrowing it, though! Also, watch out not to injure yourself from the pointed tip should the file slip during use.