When your zipper gets stuck, you are inadvertently stuck too Lol! No jokes though but, it might seem to be sort of a herculean task to get into or worse still, get out of jeans with a stuck zipper. The experience is nothing close to pleasant.
What do you do when your jean zipper gets stuck at the bottom? Do you forcefully try to get them “unstuck?” Now, the problem with doing this is that you might just end up rendering the entire zip useless due to the force applied.
Before we get down to finding out how to fix a stuck zipper, let us first acquaint ourselves with the possible causes of it happening in the first place.
Your jean zipper may get stuck and simply refuse to move no matter how well you tug at it if, something like a thread or piece of fabric gets caught in between it.
Most times, it is usually the fabric closest to it that gets entangled with the zipper. If there is something caught in between the teeth of the zipper, you would find it difficult to move the zip upwards or downwards because the zip track is not clear.
So, the next time you experience your zipper stuck at the bottom or anywhere, carefully observe it for threads, fabric, or any other thing capable of causing a blockage.
How to fix a zipper stuck at the bottom
Items you would need for this task would be;
- lubricants
- A pencil
- A pair of tweezers
- A safety pin.
Steps
The first step in trying to fix a stuck zipper is to, first of all, check the zipper well for any form of obstruction. We have established the fact that most times, threads or surrounding fabrics can be the likely causes of jean zippers getting stuck. So, when you check and find the culprit, lift the surrounding fabric and try to pull it out.
The pair of tweezers comes into play if the obstruction is really small. They come in handy in these situations and help you get a better grip of the object in question. Alternatively, you can also employ the use of the pointed front of a safety pin in getting the fabric out.
While doing this, you need to be extra careful and avoid pulling forcefully on the zipper or the fabric you are attempting to pull out lest you risk tearing it or permanently destroying the zipper.
Once you’re able to get a tiny portion but not all of the obstruction out, rejoice, for you are getting there. Have the zipper slide up and down continuously.
As you do so, use the other hand to hold the fabric caught in between. The more you slide up and down, the less hold the fabric has on it. If you are patient enough, you will have the obstruction successfully dislodged while doing this.
Using a pencil
Best to use a lead pencil for this purpose. The reason is that it has enough graphite that luckily doubles as a powerful dry lubricant.
Proceed to make some pencil marks on both sides of the zipper. Do that and continue until you can get a sufficient amount of graphite visible on the teeth. You get a better chance of removing the obstruction if you focus on the exact point where the zipper is stuck and cannot go past.
Once you have a nice thick coat of the pencil on the sides of the zipper teeth, it will then be very easy for you to slide them upwards and downwards.
Do a simple test run by sliding the zippers up and down; do so continuously as slowly and gentle as you can because you are yet to know if you still have tiny particles capable of ruining the zipper.
Once the mission is successfully accomplished and the obstruction cleared away, wipe off every trace of pencil coating to prevent it from staining the other parts of the fabric.
Using a lubricant
Anything can be used as a lubricant. You can get wax from candles, soap, Vaseline; any form of smooth, slimy substance will work just fine.
I will recommend Vaseline or any other petroleum jelly you can find though because; they are actually easy to come by. Once you have your own version of lubricant, apply it straight unto the teeth of the zipper.
It is usually easier to apply using a cotton bud to prevent it from spilling into areas it has no business with. Concentrate more on the part that is stuck and apply a sufficient amount of the lubricant there.
As you massage the lubricant further into the teeth, the hold of the snag weakens and by now, the zipper should be able to move better.
Take caution when applying the lubricant to avoid staining or in extreme cases, a discoloration on the jean fabric itself.
When using a spray lubricant, have them sufficiently sprayed unto the affected areas only, and wait a few seconds before attempting to move zippers up and down.
The good thing about using a lubricant is that asides from taking care of the particular obstruction, it takes care of dust and other dirt that may be trapped within it.
You can, however, have the zipper area cleaned further to be sure every form of dirt is out. If you do not want to wash the entire jean, simply dip a piece of cloth in soapy water and work it up and down the zipper to get them all cleaned.
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What to do if the stuck zipper refuses to work again
If you have tried all the aforementioned steps and the zipper still does not bulge, the next best thing to do would be to take it down to a professional tailor to either get them fixed or have them out rightly changed.
How to prevent subsequent cases of your zipper getting stuck
Dislodging a zipper with something stuck in-between is not the most pleasant task to do right? Not to worry, you might not have to do it again if you keep to the following guidelines.
Some precaution measures that you can obey to reduce the frequency of this happening is to have the material surrounding the zipper smoothened out.
It is important you do this because, the more wrinkled they are, the more chance it has of getting stuck in the teeth of the zipper. You can easily remove the wrinkles using an iron.
Now, you see those loose threads dangling there? Get them cut off else they will pose as a problem to your zipper later on. Do you also have tiny holes around the zipper area? Have them stitched up properly too.
FAQs
How to fix broken zippers
There are cases where the zipper pull (the part you hold in pulling the zipper up/down) breaks. This can happen due to excessive use of force. When handling the zipper, you should be as gentle as ever because some zippers are more fragile than others.
You find it very difficult to pull the zipper up and down when the pull is broken. A lot of people have had to get the zip replaced altogether but, you can follow the step below instead of going that far.
A very easy trick to remedying a broken zipper is to get a paper clip if you can. You can just easily have it attached to the part of the zip called the slider and voila! You have a new handle. Other items that can be of use too are bands made of rubber or a key ring.
Jeans Zipper Stuck At Bottom – Conclusion
Jean zipper problems or zip issues in general is one of the least liked clothing problems ever. Ever had your zipper getting stuck at the bottom in a public place? That is the most embarrassing thing ever.
This is so because remedying the situation is not something you want to do in the full glare of people. You need all the privacy you can get plus, tools to make the zip function optimally again.
Asides from the aforementioned causes, the quality of our jeans has a huge role to play also. If you get a low quality jean, chances are that they will be made with low quality materials with zipper inclusive.
You cannot afford to keep having a repeat of these issues so, save up and get a few pairs of high quality jean that would strictly be used for outings. This would help you stay at ease while you are out and have no fear whatsoever of your zipper getting stuck or falling down.
Asides from getting quality jeans, you should also make a conscious effort to treat the zips gently. No forceful tugging, no constant ironing if the material does not tolerate heat and also, a strict adherence to the washing and drying principle which states that you keep zips securely closed when washing and drying to avoid having any unwanted materials attracted to it.
