Hinges always seem to break on purpose at the worst times! Your zipper may no longer work for various reasons: it may have lost some teeth or an end stop, be poorly lubricated, or have some bent teeth. You can still try to fix it before replacing it or throwing your garment away!
Steps
Method 1 of 7: Repair a Stuck Zipper
Step 1. Lubricate the zip with graphite
If your zipper just doesn't want to move, the application of a lubricant could unblock it. The graphite from B-grade pencils is a great release agent, so rubbing it on the hinge teeth will help get it back into operation.
- Pass the pencil several times along both dentures, or only on the blocked area.
- Move the cart up and down until it runs smoothly.
Step 2. Apply laundry soap as needed
If the graphite didn't work well, you could use a little laundry soap for better results. Pour a small amount into a small bowl, pour a little water into another and prepare some cotton balls.
- Dip a swab in the soap and then in the water, so as to slightly dilute the detergent.
- Use the soaked cotton wool to wet the zipper teeth with the lubricant solution.
- Try to open the zipper gently: it may only move a little! In this case, return the carriage to its original position and repeat the process until you are able to fully unlock the hinge.
Step 3. Wash the garment and re-lubricate the zip, if necessary
When you have finished applying the lubricant, close the zipper up to the top and then wash the dress normally. If the lightning still doesn't work well, you'll need to repeat these steps until you get the results you want.
Method 2 of 7: Repair a Zipper that Reopens
Step 1. Decrease the strain on the zip
When a handbag, backpack or duffel is filled to the extreme, the tension that is discharged on the zipper could cause it to reopen. If this happens to a garment or a pair of shoes, it is probably because the size is too small.
- Free up some space: tidy up your handbag, leave some books at home or carry them by hand, move some items to another bag. Once you have relieved the stress on the zip, it should work properly again.
- If this problem occurs on clothes you are trying on in a store, buy a larger size. If, on the other hand, the item was already yours, avoid wearing it.
Step 2. Remove the dirt accumulated between the zipper teeth
When there are residues around the joints, the closure is less solid. Pour the soap and water into a small bowl and mix until foam forms; dip a clean cloth into the solution and rub the teeth of the zipper with it; then take a new sponge and wet it with tap water, then use it to rinse the soapy part; finally try to open and close the zip as usual.
Step 3. Straighten bent teeth
Often these are what cause the hinges to reopen, and luckily you only need a pair of tweezers or tapered pliers to return one to its original position. Find the bent tooth and use the tool of your choice to straighten it; repeat if necessary, being careful not to tear the tooth from the rest of the zip. At the end of the procedure, check the outcome of the repair by opening and closing the zip completely.
Method 3 of 7: Repair a Coat Zipper
Step 1. Identify the problem
When your favorite coat zipper isn't working as it should, start by examining it thoroughly to see what the damage is. You can easily fix it if there are no teeth near the top of the zip, if the trolley is bent or if it does not lock properly at the bottom of the top; if, on the other hand, the missing teeth are near the bottom or in the center, or if the initial stops are broken, there is no other solution than to replace the entire zip.
Step 2. Remove the top stops
Detach the fasteners from the coat with a pair of tweezers, pulling hard. It is usually preferable to replace both, but if you do not care that they are the same you can simply limit yourself to the one positioned on the side of the zip that has a square catch at the bottom.
Step 3. Repair or replace the carriage
Pull it out from the top of the zipper, then examine it looking at it in profile; check that the opening between the top and bottom is regular: an irregular distance prevents the teeth from engaging correctly, ensuring that the zip does not fit completely and reopens. You can replace the slider with a new one, or straighten the old one using (gently) a pair of pliers.
If you have decided to fit a new trolley, look for the size on the back; if it is not indicated, measure the cursor, remembering that the sizes of the hinge components are their dimensions in millimeters: for example, a trolley number 5 is 5 mm wide. You can buy a new slider at your trusted haberdashery
Step 4. Assemble the cart
Take the side of the zip in your hand with the square stop at the bottom and insert the upper tooth into the carriage (if necessary, use a flat screwdriver); move sideways and pull the slider down until it reaches the bottom of the zip, and finally try to close the jacket.
- If the zipper keeps reopening even though you have replaced the trolley, you may have bought one of the wrong size; try one of a different size.
- If you have tried to straighten the old cursor, the opening may not yet be smooth enough. Pull it out and try to straighten it better, until you get a firm seal.
Step 5. Replace the upper limit switches
Place the new stop immediately after the last pair of teeth, then fix it in place by tightening it 4-5 times with pliers to lock it, then doing the same for the other side. If you want to replace only one, make sure it is the one on the side with the square stop at the bottom.
The trolley always slides along this part of the zipper and the bottom run is to prevent it from coming out of the top of the zip
Method 4 of 7: Repair a Trouser Zipper with a Missing Tooth at the Bottom
Step 1. Straighten your teeth and close the zipper
When some teeth are missing it is easy for the zipper not to remain closed; if the problem is near the bottom of the zip, you can still perform a temporary repair.
- First, bring the cart down; turn it towards the other side of the zip and use a small slotted screwdriver to insert a tooth of the other half of the zip into it.
- Alternately move the slider left and right and pull it up to close the zipper, checking that the teeth fit together properly, then position the trolley tie down to lock it in place.
Step 2. Remove the seam at the base of the zip
Turn the pants over and find the seams between the various layers of fabric (at the bottom of the internal flap that covers the zipper), then open the stitches with an unstitcher.
Step 3. Insert the new retainer
Turn the pants in the correct direction and insert the new staple into the fabric just above the old block, thus covering the missing teeth. Turn the garment again and check that the limit switch is perpendicular to the zipper, then close the fastening clip using the pliers.
The stops also have measurements expressed in millimeters. To determine the correct size of the new piece you will need to measure the width of the zipper when it is closed
Step 4. Sew up the stitches you cut earlier
Use a sewing machine or needle and thread, replacing the part of the seam that was opened earlier. Now straighten your pants and try opening and closing the zipper to make sure the repair was effective.
Method 5 of 7: Repair a Toothless Trouser Zipper or Retainer at the Top
Step 1. Prepare the zipper for repair
When the end teeth or the top stop are missing, it is easy for the trolley to get out of the zip. Bring it to the top and unhook it, then turn your pants over and look for the seam that secures the flaps (the insides that cover the zip). Remove the stitches with a stapler, then pull hard on the bottom latch with pliers until you can detach it.
Step 2. Replace the cursor
Keeping the pants upside down, bring the left row of teeth into the corresponding side of the trolley, then do the same for the other side. Bring the trolley to the center of the zip using one hand, while holding the bottom of the zip firmly with the other. Lock the slider by placing the tab down.
Step 3. Replace the bottom end stop
Turn the pants in the correct direction and insert the new staple clip into the fabric just above the old block, thus covering the missing teeth. Turn the garment again and check that the limit switch is perpendicular to the zipper, then close the fastening clip using the pliers.
The measures of the lower blocks are expressed in millimeters. To determine the correct size you will need to measure the width of the closed zipper
Step 4. Install new top stops
Turn the pants over, then place the new piece immediately after the last pair of teeth, then fix it in place by tightening it 4-5 times with pliers to lock it, then doing the same for the other side.
Step 5. Sew up the stitches you cut earlier
Use a sewing machine or needle and thread, replacing the open seam first, then the pants and try opening and closing the zipper to make sure the repair was effective.
Method 6 of 7: Replace a Broken Hinge
Step 1. Remove the old zipper
If any teeth are missing in the center of the zip, you will need to replace it and fit a new one. Use a stripper to open the fastening points on the garment and then cut the tape at the top and bottom of the zipper.
Calmly open the seam, and be careful not to cut any wrong stitches at the top of the zipper
Step 2. Secure the new hinge
Open it and hold it in place using pins and safety pins; bring the slider to the top and secure the right side with a few pins, then unzip and finish applying the pins and pins. After positioning both halves, close the zip to make sure the teeth are well aligned and make any necessary corrections before proceeding further.
Step 3. Sew the zipper
Mount a foot for zip fasteners in your sewing machine, then stitch along the original seam; you can double the seams on both sides, if you don't trust the tightness of a single step. When you're done try the new zipper, making sure it opens and closes properly.
Method 7 of 7: Repair a Broken Tongue, a Self-Falling Cursor or Misaligned Teeth
Step 1. Replace the broken tie rod
Get round nose pliers and a new tab; remove the old one with the pliers, then use them to open the metal ring of the new one and let it enter the slider slot; finally fix the tab by tightening the ring well with the pliers.
Step 2. Repair the slide that is sliding down
You can always keep the zipper tightly closed with a very simple trick: insert a key ring into the hole at the end of the tab, then close the zipper and hook the ring to the button of your pants.
Step 3. Realign the zipper teeth
Remove the lower stop with pliers, then bring the trolley to the bottom of the zip (without removing it); now you can realign the zipper using your hands. Slowly bring the cursor back to the top and, in the meantime, observe that the coupling of the two sides is correct; thread a needle with some thread for buttons and sew 6 to 10 overlapping stitches in the place where the bottom was previously; tie a fastening knot inside the garment and cut the excess thread. Now you can try the fresh repair zipper! If the alignment is still imperfect, cut the stitches you sewed and repeat the process.
Advice
- Be patient and try more than one method.
- Go to your trusted haberdashery for assistance or further suggestions.
- Do not use graphite to lubricate white or light colored zips.
- The laundry soap will also help you to soften any pieces of fabric that are stuck in the trolley or between your teeth.
- You can use many other lubricants if you don't have graphite or soap handy - try using cocoa butter, glass cleaner, candle wax, or petroleum jelly. Before using one of these products, test somewhere hidden in the garment, to make sure it does not stain and does not damage the dress.
- You can also use your favorite keychain instead of a regular tab!
