Have we been closing cereal boxes wrong this whole time? 'Life-changing' technique goes viral

Facebook users think the new way will keep the breakfast food fresher for longer

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  Wave goodbye to the old way of closing cereal boxes. All photos Farah Andrews / The National

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  In favour of a 'neater' fold that Facebook users claim keeps the cereal fresh.

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  Start with an open cereal box.

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  Tuck the inside flaps into the box, apart from the front one with the protruding tag.

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  Fold the sides of the box in.

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  Slot the front flap into the box, then fold it all the way in. The sides will keep it securely closed.

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  Your securely closed cereal box.

Few things in life are certain, that is for sure. But something we were pretty confident we were doing right was closing a cereal box. As it turns out, we might not be.

When you try and keep the cereal shut with the tag and folds at the top of the box, the flaps tend to push open before long.

Well, there is a solution in the shape of an envelope close, as demonstrated by British Facebook user, Becky Holden McGhee.

Rather than just propping the box shut, a quick double fold ensures it stays closed while tucked away in the cupboard.

Click though the gallery above for a step-by-step guide to the new way of folding a cereal box shut. 

Before and after: the traditional versus the new creative way to close cereal boxes. Farah Andrews / The National

It has clearly struck a chord among the cereal-eating community online. At the time of writing, the post had 306 comments and more than 101,000 shares.

"Had to share this!" Holden McGhee wrote in the caption accompanying her post. "It's only taken me 40 years, but I now know the correct way to close a cereal box. Genius. It takes seconds, no more dried-up cereal and ugly torn boxes to greet me every morning".

Some think that the new folding technique means their cereal will stay fresher for longer, while another lamented: "That’s so funny. I was so fed up of this and went and bought containers for them all last week!"

The majority of comments on the post are from people who are about to try it, with many describing it as "brilliant" and "life changing".

Since Holden McGhee's post went live on Sunday, May 10, people have been sharing videos of their cereal boxes on Instagram and TikTok, so this may explain why you're seeing inside more people's breakfast cupboards at the moment.

But does it keep the cereal fresher for longer? We'll get back to you with our findings in a week or so ...