Have you ever had the urge to pop open an ice-cold can of soda but skipped it because you were worried about making noise and disturbing everyone around you?
There’s nothing quite like a cold canned soda on a nice day, but there’s nothing worse than having to open one when you need to be quiet. Whether your baby is sleeping or someone is talking on the phone nearby, you might not want to risk the loud “pop” of your soda top to quench your thirst.
In this article, we are going to tell you how to open your soda can quietly so you can enjoy a nice, refreshing drink even in the quietest of rooms.
Why Do Soda Cans Pop When You Open Them?
The sound of a soda can being opened is an iconic sound that many say is synonymous with a hot summer day or a relaxing afternoon. It’s an instantly recognizable sound for most people—but ever wonder why your can pops when you open it?
You may have noticed that what you’re hearing when you open a soda can is actually two different sounds, not just one.
The first sound you hear is the crack of the metal tab when you snap it forward to break the seal on the can. The second sound is a hiss that you hear as the pressurized gas from the carbonation escapes the can. This happens because the seal has been broken.
How Do I Open A Soda Can Quietly?
Now that you know why your can of soda makes such a loud sound when you open it, you should know what you can do about it. The good news is that there are a few different ways to make less noise (or none at all) when you open your soda can.
Some of these methods take a little finesse and patience, and you may need a sharp object, like a pocket knife or kitchen knife on hand, for one of them. Any one of these will have you tipping back an ice-cold soda without having to worry about giving away that you’re sipping on a drink you don’t want to make noise opening.
Here are some tried and true ways to open your soda can so quietly that no one will even know:
Muffle The Sound
One of the simplest ways to make a little bit less noise when you are opening a soda can is to muffle the sound. This can be done with any kind of cloth material that you have on hand. You can use dish towels, a sweatshirt, a blanket, or any soft material that has sound-deadening properties.
To do this, simply place the cloth over the top of the can and open the can through the material.
Depending on the thickness of what you are using, you may want to fold it a few times or use a stack of towels to make several layers to absorb the noise. While it may not be completely silent, it certainly takes the edge off the popping sound.
Poke A Hole
This is the one where you will need to safely use something sharp, like a knife or a sharp pair of scissors.
One sure-fire way to minimize the sound of your soda can being opened is to poke a hole in the top of the can first. Make sure what you are using is sharp—and never point the sharp end towards yourself or anyone else.
Poking a hole in the can will release the pressure from the gas inside without making any noise. When you open the top, it will only make the small cracking sound of the tab popping which is usually not as loud and can also be muffled as noted above.
Freeze It
You often hear advice not to put a soda can in the freezer for too long because it will eventually pop. While this is true, if you put your soda in the freezer for just a few minutes (ideally, 10-15 minutes or so), it will actually help you open your can more quietly.
Putting your can of soda in the freezer for a few minutes before opening will help lower the air pressure inside the can from carbonation. When it is much cooler, the air pressure inside the can will be closer to the pressure outside the can. This will help reduce that hissing sound as the air escapes.
Go Slowly
If you don’t have the time or patience to wait out one of the above methods, you can always just open the can very slowly. As tempting as it may be to snap open the top of your soda can quickly just to get the noise over with, sometimes this can result in the biggest noise.
If you crack the top ever so slightly and slowly increase the amount of even pressure that you put on the tab, you can release the pressure inside slowly and quietly. Also, this should minimize the loud snapping sound of the top as well as long as you maintain constant pressure and go very slow.
Final Thoughts
Soda cans are noisy thanks to the carbonation needed to make that bubbly drink so refreshing. The good thing is that there are ways to greatly reduce, and possibly even eliminate, any of the loud pops and hisses that are so common with opening a soda can.
Although the sound of a can being opened is iconic to many people (especially country music fans), it’s understandable that it’s not always a welcome sound. There are many times when you may want to disguise or hide the noise so you don’t wake or disturb someone at home or at the office.
Whether you try to muffle the sound with some towels, release the pressure by poking a hole in the can, chill the can, or just open it very slowly, you will barely make a peep (or pop). You’ll be enjoying your refreshing soda in minutes without anyone knowing what you’re up to.
