Common Zipper Problems and What You Can Do About It

The zipper or fly is considered as a convenient invention made in the last century. Its design may be simple and others may normally take it for granted, but there’s no denying the benefits this basic item brings to your fabrics, bags or garments. A zipper can do a number of things based on the intended design- it can decrease or increase the size of a garment’s opening, join two sides, attach or detach sides of a garment or can be used as a decorative accent. Because of its many uses, some individuals tend to get stressed-out and frustrated once the zipper encounters a problem. So what will you do if your zipper starts to act up in the middle of a busy day?  Here are common problems, and some creative ways on you can wiggle out of the problem.

What if your zipper will not close?

Have you ever encountered a time when you are already running late and you can’t close the zipper’s teeth? This is an annoying problem that can surely take much of your time. One of the first things that you should do is to check if a piece of the garment is stuck in the zipper. If there’s one, slowly untangle the garment from the teeth and try closing the zipper once again.

You can also check the condition of the zipper’s teeth, and look for crooked or damaged teeth. If there are some, you can move them to their original places using a pair of pliers. Sometimes, the problem can be found on the zipper’s slider. The slider will deteriorate over time, and it will soon fail to clinch the teeth together. Again, use a pair of pliers to adjust the slider and bring it to its original position and condition.

Frustrated with a fly that’s stuck?

A stuck zipper is another problem worth checking out. You can start rubbing a graphite pencil on the teeth. For more serious problems, you can apply some lubricant to the teeth. The extra lubrication should help untangle the mess and pull the teeth down.

These are just two of the common zipper problems that you’ll encounter. Zippers may come in basic designs but these are highly functional items that can bring a lot of frustrations when it gets damaged. So learn how to repair basic problems, and know when to replace old and damaged zippers when necessary.