How to Untangle a Slinky

Last Updated: September 3, 2021 References

Slinkies seem prone to developing tangles. If you ever find yourself confronted with a horribly tangled Slinky, you can usually salvage it with less time and effort than it would take to go buy a new one.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Ruler to Untangle a Slinky

1
Stretch out the slinky. In order to untangle a Slinky, you need to find the place where it is tangled. Identify the problem area by stretching the Slinky out.
- Don’t pull so hard that the Slinky bends or warps.
- You might need to arrange the Slinky in a circle if one end has tangled with the other end. Spread it out as much as you can.
2
Identify what the tangle looks like. Once you’ve stretched out the Slinky, you will see where the tangle has happened. Then you will be able to identify what the tangle looks like. Has one end meshed into another end? Has it been tied in a knot?
- Most tangles look like a U-shaped section. It usually sticks out from the rest of the coils.
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3
Try undoing the knot. If the tangle is the result of a knot, carefully try to pull apart the knot. You can also try looping the Slinky back through itself.
4
Start with the easiest tangles first. Your Slinky might have multiple tangles in it. Start with the tangle that is smallest and closest to one end.
5
Hold onto one end of the Slinky. Stretch out the end until you get to the first tangle. Hold the coils on this end in one hand.^{[1]
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- You may need someone to help you by holding one end of the Slinky while you work on the tangle.
6
Use a ruler to keep this set of coils aligned. As you work on undoing one Slinky tangle, you can risk making the Slinky get more tangled. Use a ruler or another straight, hard object to make sure that the Slinky doesn’t wrap back around itself.^{[2]
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- You can also use your hands by holding the coiled end firmly in one hand.
7
Twist the Slinky around the ruler. Rotate the Slinky around and around so that more coils move from the tangled side to the untangled side.^{[3]
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- Essentially, you’re moving the tangle further along the Slinky until you have moved it to the end of the Slinky.
- The Slinky should correct its spiral as you twist the Slinky around the ruler.
8
Repeat the process to get other tangles out. Once you get one tangle out, you’ll have more of the Slinky with untangled coils. Use the ruler to hold these coils straight. Twist the Slinky to move the next tangle past the ruler.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Untangling Two Intertwined Slinkies

1
Locate the ends of both Slinkies. Examine the Slinky mess you have. Figure out where one Slinky begins and ends.
2
Take stock of the tangles. Try to figure out how the two Slinkies are attached. Look for U-shaped tangles and knots.
3
Start with the tangles closest to the ends. Start your untangling job on the Slinky by tackling the tangle that is closest to one end of one of the Slinkies.
4
Hold the coils of one end in your hand. Using one hand, keep the untangled end together so that it doesn’t end up tangling back into the rest of the Slinky mess.^{[4]
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- You can also use a ruler or another straight, hard object, to keep the Slinky aligned.
5
Twist the coils into the untangled end. Rotate the Slinky around and around so that more coils move from the tangled side to the untangled side.^{[5]
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- You might need to carefully hang onto the tangled end with the other Slinky so that you don’t introduce more tangles into the mess.
6
Try to get all the tangles out of one Slinky first. If possible, focus just on one Slinky that seems easiest to untangle.
- If you can extract one Slinky from the other, then you can work on each Slinky separately to untangle them. There may be a point when one Slinky will become unknotted from the other Slinky.
7
Work from the ends of the Slinkies to the middles. If your Slinkies are not coming apart, start working on another end of the Slinky. Twist the coils around and around to work out another tangle from another end.
8
Keep trying this approach so that you have fewer tangles to work with.
9
Take another look at the two Slinkies. It’s likely that once you’ve gotten most of the tangles out, you’ll be able to see how the Slinkies are attached.
10
Untwist or untangle the two Slinkies carefully. Once you’ve identified the nature of the tangles, you can untwist them. Or, you can do a final rotation of the coils on one of the Slinkies to separate it from the other one.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping Your Slinky from Tangling

1
Don’t toss your slinky into a toy bin.^{[6]
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Research source} Once the slinky is in a toy bin, one end of it will start to slip down between toys while the other end will stay on top of the toys. This is a good way for it to start tangling up. Instead, store your slinky on a shelf or in its original box.
2
Don’t throw your slinky around. When you throw your slinky onto the ground, it can land with one end meshing into the other end. This will create a tangle. More often than not, it’s very difficult to pull it apart and you’ll need to spend time untangling it.
3
Store a ruler inside the slinky. When you are not using the slinky, put a ruler or another long, straight object through the middle. This will prevent one end from tangling with the other end.
4
Keep the slinky away from young children. Young children are great at tangling up a slinky immediately. Keep the toy out of little hands for optimum slinky performance.