Zippers play an essential role in our life, and we don’t acknowledge that until it malfunctions while we are wearing that jacket whose zipper is stuck or stops working. Zippers can be found on multiple-piece of clothing, bags, etc. zippers are the thing who didn’t get an upgrade over time; since their invention, they are still the same. As the zippers haven’t changed, so are the problems that come with them and then we think “how to fix a zipper?” Sometimes out of the blue, they get stuck, and now you can’t unzip your pant to use the restroom. When a zipper on a suitcase stops working, it’s the biggest disaster to face during traveling. Long story short, zippers can ruin the mood, the trip, a meeting, or a date.
But a small thing like a zipper malfunctioned, there should be a solution around it. Let me give you hope by saying there are some small steps. If you follow precisely, you can fix the zipper quickly without any tools. These tricks are very useful in daily life. Let get to it,
What to do when it’s stuck?
When the zipper gets stuck, it feels like it has latched to something, and it won’t move anywhere from the stuck position. This is a very frustrating situation for anyone. But there’s a simple way around it. First of all, try rubbing the graphite pencil’s tip on the teeth of the zipper, after a few moments, it will start working again. If the graphite doesn’t do its magic, then its time to apply something slippery like bar soap, lip balm, or something of that sort. Keep doing it on the zipper and the teeth until it comes off all the way.
This solution also works with the zipper that is stuck in the fabric.
How to fix a zipper that won’t zip
The most annoying situation in the zipper malfunctions is when the zipper keeps on opening itself or doesn’t work at all. There are several reasons behind it, that could be a problem with the slider and or teeth, or there’s a piece of thread or fabric that is stuck in the zipper. So the first solution is to use the technique I mentioned above. If that doesn’t work, then check to see if there’s a problem with the slider. Overtime, sliders get to loosen up and fail to clinch zipper teeth together. But the question arises, how to fix the zipper slider? The answer is straightforward, grab a plier and try to close the slider until it starts working again.
Check for the teeth if they are in line and clean, if there’s a tooth that is sticking out of the line, use the same solution by putting it back to its place using the pair of the pliers.
How to fix a zipper on jeans without tools
Fixing the zipper on jeans is a bit tricky and complicated, as most of the time, you are required to replace the whole zipper altogether. You need to remove the iron piece in the bottom of the zipper, this only works with the jeans where you can get to the bottom bumper. Take the iron piece off, put the new slider in, and this time close the slider in with some stitches rather than the bumper.
How to fix a zipper on pants, well this is a very embarrassing situation when the zipper keeps on sliding down on its own. The quick fix for that is to put a little keyring in the tip of the zipper and close the ring on the pants button, if you feel stuck in this situation, then try using a rubber band, it’ll provide more flexibility. There is permanent fix is also present for this problem that is pinching the slider together to give it more grip on the teeth of the zipper.
How to fix a zipper that fell off
It is tough to use the zipper when the pull breaks of a zipper, but this problem has the easiest fix. You can use the pull from another old jacket or any other old piece of clothing. A keyring, paper clip, or wire connecter can be used as the pull of the zipper.
How to fix a zipper that came off one side of it is broken:
Slider replacement seems like a difficult task, but actually, it isn’t much of a deal. There should a number stamped at the back of your slider that tells you to, but the new one has the same number. If there isn’t a number, you should take the slider along with you when you go out to the sewing supplies store. Match the size with the available ones, and my recommendation is to buy the iron piece or bumper together with the slider. If you don’t know what you are looking for, then buy the universal kit available on every store. It will be a great fix to the problems. Like, how to fix a zipper on a dress and how to fix a zipper on a suitcase.
The steps to replace the slider are the same as we discussed earlier in the jeans section, but this time instead of stitching up, use the new bumpers.
Bonus Tip: Remove buildup from a zipper’s teeth
When different substances and particles buildup around the teeth of the zipper, they cause several problems and the zipper heavy to pull, and it gets stuck more time in a week. The simple solution is to clean the teeth by removing all the buildup that will prevent problems from happening altogether.
- Mix water and soap in a dish, keep on stirring until foams build up.
- Dip a clean piece of cloth and rub it over the teeth of the zipper, it will wipe out all the buildup on the teeth.
- Grab another piece of cloth and run it under the tap. Now wipe all the foam/material of the soap from the teeth.
- There you go, zip, and unzip smoothly.
Conclusion
You may think it is hard to do than to say, and I will say try fixing one or two zippers you will know how easy that is to do. A tailor requires times and $5 to $10 to fix these minor issues, and the amount of time and energy will be wasted in visiting the tailor shop waiting for them to fix it. Therefore, you will waste money and time on the things that can quickly be done anywhere. Especially when you are traveling these tricks comes very handy; otherwise, you will constantly be handling and worrying about your luggage. You trip will be ruined.
