I was trying to remove a stripped screw from a door hinge. The screwdriver just spun in place, making the problem worse with every turn. I tried pliers — could not get a grip. I tried a bigger screwdriver — just stripped it more. I was about to drill the whole thing out when my dad handed me a rubber band.

A rubber band. That was it.

How it works

Place a wide rubber band flat over the stripped screw head. Press your screwdriver into the rubber band as hard as you can and turn slowly. The rubber fills the gaps in the stripped metal and gives the screwdriver something to grip.

The rubber band compresses under pressure and conforms to whatever shape is left of the screw head. It creates friction where bare metal on metal would just slip.

When this trick works best

Phillips head screws that have been stripped by using the wrong size screwdriver. This is the most common kind of stripped screw in my experience, and it responds best to the rubber band trick.

Flathead screws where one side of the slot has widened. Center the rubber band over the remaining good metal and apply steady pressure.

It works less well on screws that are rusted in place. If the screw will not turn because of rust, you need penetrating oil — not a rubber band. Spray it, wait fifteen minutes, then try the rubber band trick.

If the rubber band fails

Try these, in order:

Steel wool. A pinch of fine steel wool pressed into the screw head works the same way as the rubber band but bites harder. Good for screws that are more deeply stripped.

Valve grinding compound. Auto parts stores sell this for a few dollars. It is a gritty paste that you dab onto the screw head. The grit gives the screwdriver incredible grip. This works on screws that seem hopeless.

Screw extractor bit. Last resort. You drill a small hole into the screw and use a reverse-threaded bit that bites in and spins it out. This destroys the screw so only use it when nothing else works.

The prevention lesson

Most stripped screws happen because of the wrong screwdriver size. Phillips screws come in sizes 0 through 4. Using a #1 driver on a #2 screw will strip it. Using a #2 on a #1 screw will also strip it because the tip rides up out of the socket.

I now own a set of properly sized screwdrivers. The rubber band trick still saves me once or twice a year, but I need it far less often than I used to.