I Tried the “Best Hack Ever” for Removing Annoying Drywall Anchors, and I’m Sold
In the world of home maintenance, there can be tiny little to-dos that can feel like they’re more trouble than they’re worth. For me, that pesky little to-do is removing drywall anchors. I’ve found that generally, the best solution is to slice off the head and then poke them through the wall, leaving a hole behind that you can fill and paint over. But recently, I’ve been seeing a hack for removing drywall anchors with a corkscrew making the rounds on TikTok and Instagram that seemed like it could be a total game-changer. Obviously, I had to try it!
While this hack has been popping up from multiple creators, the video that inspired me to test it out comes from DIYer Megan Goedde (@megank_home). As she shows, this hack really is as simple as it looks — all you’ll need is a corkscrew. Yep, just like the one that you use to open wine! Multiple commenters on Megan’s post call this hack “genius,” and one even calls it the “best hack ever.”
As for how it’s done, just take your corkscrew, place it inside the anchor, and turn. When you’ve gotten a grip on the anchor, you can pull it out with a little tug. That’s it!
I tried this hack with my own corkscrew, and I have to say that it’s a winner. It took almost no time and was super easy to do — plus it worked on my drywall anchor that was pushed all the way flush with the wall and would have been difficult to pull out otherwise.
The only downside of this hack, as far as I can tell, is that you might wind up with some drywall dust on your corkscrew — but this isn’t anything dish soap and a sponge can’t fix. If it bothers you, though, you could always buy an inexpensive corkscrew at the thrift store to designate for your toolbox.
This is a hack I’d certainly use again, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a quick way to get rid of drywall anchors without any extra special tools. This would be especially useful for renters! After you pull the anchors out, you’ll just need to do a quick fill of the hole before sanding smooth and repainting. Your landlord will never be the wiser!