Zippers are inventions that make our life comfortable. It secures any clothing we wear and keeps us in and style. A defective zipper in our choice bags, pants, shoes, or jackets doesn’t mean we need to buy a new one. Even inducting a new zipper that won’t run on its track or have gone off is not the solution. There are a number of ways on how to repair a zipper.
Factors to Consider
In repairing a zipper, there are some factors to be considered. First, know its parts. The zipper must consist of the top end stop, the chain or the teeth, the slider, the zipper pull or the handle, and the bottom end stop. Knowing all this, you will know which part you should fix. The most common problems with zippers are the gap and the obstruction of foreign materials.
Required Materials
We can’t repair zippers without proper and complete materials. You will definitely need the following materials: scissors or a razor blade, a pair of pliers; wax for lubricating, needle, strong thin wire and nylon thread. These materials will prepare you to start fixing your busted zipper.
Steps on How to Repair a Zipper
Now we proceed with the actual task of repairing zippers. For repairing simple problems, we should first inspect what’s causing the problem. A common problem is that we can’t close or open the zipper. We can look for materials or possible threads snared within the teeth. We could then use a pair of scissors or even a razor to cut away the threads or other materials that’s causing the blockage. Pulling the slider forcefully without noticing these obstructions may cause bigger problems.
After cutting the threads, pull the slider in either side of top or bottom end stop. We can now apply some wax to lubricate the teeth. After doing this, slowly pull the slider from one end of the stops to another. Do it about a couple of times. This will spread the wax more fully on the teeth of the zipper so that the slider will run smoothly.
A gap within the teeth of the zipper is called a gaping zipper. In repairing a gaping zipper, we must first remove the metal stop at the end. You can use a pair of pliers to pull this piece of metal from the tape or the fabric. Cautiously realign the teeth after you move the slider down the zipper. Zip it again after you realign the teeth. Using a thread and a needle, make a thick stitch at the end of the zipper where you removed the metal stop.
The steps on how to repair a zipper are relatively easy. You don’t have to replace your favorite pair of pants or other articles when the zipper gets busted. You only need a few useful items to get things back the way they were.
