CLOTHING TIPS
Broken Zipper? Don't Write Off That Piece Of Clothing Just Yet
By ALIA HOYT
To prevent zipper damage, don’t yank on the slider if it won’t move, and zip up the garment and turn it inside out before washing. That said, sometimes a zipper still manages to get messed up. We have 5 pro tips for solving the problem.
Fix The Slider
When the teeth open up again after the zipper is closed, it’s a problem with the slider rather than the teeth. The slider can easily be fixed with only a pair of pliers by pinching the top and bottom plates closer together to make it more effective at closing the teeth tightly.
Free Stuck Material
Most common with lined garments like jackets or coats, this is almost always fixable by gently tugging the affected fabric away from the zipper. If tugging doesn’t work, you can use a number of household items, such as clear lip balm, a pencil point, or a bar of soap, as a lubricant so that hopefully the fabric slips right out.