A simple two-step demonstration showed the wrong way and the right way to use the lighter.
The handy TikTok public service announcement came from TikTok creator Sage (@sage.is.fruity), getting more than 5.4 million views for the demo video since putting it up last Tuesday. The on-screen caption sets the stage: “I’ll never forget the person who taught me to light correctly without the fear of burning yourself.”
It starts with Sage, holding up a lighter, flicking it, and then turning it 90 degrees, showing the flame coming perilously close to their thumb.
Then, they wag a finger, indicating that’s the wrong way to do it, and flip the direction of the lighter.
They then light it, rotate it 90 degrees and beyond, and suddenly, the flame is angled away from their thumb, resulting in a much safer experience.
Sage wondered in the comments, “How many people are just now finding this out,” adding, “just curious lmao.”
@sage.is.fruity ♬ suara asli – kimiraikonenπ
A number of people confirmed they learned about it, thanks to Sage’s TikTok.
“Well now I’ll never forget YOU,” one person noted, riffing on the song choice Sage used for their video, “Never Forget You” by Zara Larsson and MNEK. “Thank you!! My manicures will be saved from now on!!”
“This is life changing information,” someone else declared.
However, there were others who had known about this for a while. “You mean this isn’t common knowledge?” one viewer questioned.
“How do people not know this seriously,” another said.
“I mean it’s not rocket science,” another groused. “Flame burn finger so don’t put flame on finger.”
There’s actually a wikiHow video and a how-to page detailing how to use these pocket lighters, indicating this is a common struggle. “It can be hard to use a lighter until you figure out the knack,” the page counsels. “Don’t worry: many people have shared your struggle, and many of these people have grown into expert fire-starters.” While wikiHow doesn’t share how to flip over the lighter, as Sage demonstrates, it does offer some other safety tips, like not allowing the “lighter to burn continuously for more than two minutes.”
One, who has been doing it Sage’s way, was happy to stumble across this TikTok video.
“I’ve used lighters that way my whole life and always got made fun of for it,” that person shared. “This is lowkey so validating lol.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via Instagram direct message.
