A small home repair job can quickly turn frustrating. You remove a screw from the wall, only to find a stubborn plastic anchor stuck inside the drywall. It sits there like a tiny plug that refuses to budge, leaving you with an ugly hole or a patch job that never quite looks right.
Now, a clever trick has taken social media by storm, and the tool involved might already sit in your kitchen drawer. A woman demonstrated that a simple wine opener can pull plastic wall anchors out cleanly and easily. The hack looks almost too simple, yet millions of viewers now swear by it.
The Viral DIY Trick Everyone Is Talking About
The idea exploded after a TikTok video from creator Tasha, who posts under the name @tashalouise92. Her short clip shows how a corkscrew can grip a wall anchor and pull it out without damaging the surrounding drywall. The video quickly racked up more than 405,000 views and thousands of likes.
@tashalouise92 Little bit of diy going on….well I’m just watching lol. #diy #homerenovation #trusttheprocess ♬ Trust the process - Madison
The reaction from viewers tells the real story. Many people admitted they usually give up and push anchors deeper into the wall before patching over the hole. Others said they struggled with pliers or drills and ended up damaging the wall even more. Seeing a corkscrew solve the problem felt almost magical.
The trick did not stop with one viral clip. Another DIY creator, Megan from @megank_home, shared a similar video showing the same method. Her post drew more than 1.2 million views as people shared the clip across platforms. The response made it clear that this small hack solves a very common problem.
Instagram also joined the trend after creator Orima Kamalu posted a reel demonstrating the technique. The video exploded with more than 15.9 million views. Comment sections quickly filled with reactions from people who rushed to test the method at home.
Why a Corkscrew Works So Well
Dan / Pexels / At first glance, a wine opener seems like an odd tool for home repair. In reality, the corkscrew design makes it perfect for grabbing the inside of a plastic anchor.
The spiral tip digs into soft material the same way it grips a cork.
Plastic wall anchors sit loosely inside drywall once the screw is removed. That small center hole provides the perfect entry point for the corkscrew. Once the spiral threads bite into the plastic, the anchor becomes easy to pull out.
This method works best with basic plastic drywall anchors that do not have threading on the outside. These anchors are commonly used to hang shelves, picture frames, mirrors, or lightweight fixtures. When the screw comes out, the anchor usually remains stuck inside the wall.
The corkscrew provides controlled grip and pulling power without tearing the drywall. Many tools can remove anchors, but they often damage the hole around them. The wine opener slides the anchor out in one clean motion.
How the Wine Opener Hack Works
Hab / Unsplash / Start by checking that the anchor is made of plastic and has a visible center hole. Threaded anchors or metal bolts will not work with this method.
Take the corkscrew and place the sharp tip into the center of the anchor. Push it gently inside so the spiral begins to catch the plastic. Then twist the corkscrew clockwise just like you would when opening a bottle of wine.
As the spiral digs deeper into the anchor, you will feel resistance build. That resistance means the corkscrew has grabbed the inside of the plastic. At this point, the anchor becomes attached to the spiral tip.
While the corkscrew trick works great for many anchors, it is not a universal fix. Some anchors use metal hardware that will not grip the spiral of a wine opener. Toggle bolts are a common example that requires a different approach.
