Don’t throw out your tent or tool bag just yet if its zipper is starting to annoy you. Here are some tried-and-true tips to help you fix stuck or broken zippers.

Shortening Continuous Coil Zippers

Prior to getting your hands on fixing a zipper with continuous coil where the teeth are the continuous nylon coil, remember that you cannot pull the teeth out and you will need to cut these out. In order to do it, clip the coil’s front part coil in half just before the zipper tape. Grab the top stop then squeeze this on top of the final tooth until it is put in place on both sides of the zipper in order for the final piece of the coil gets crimped below the top stop. 

Repairing Zippers with Missing Bottom Teeth

If you need to repair your zipper’s missing bottom teeth, first, you should remove the bottom stop. Grab firmly the item the zipper is attached to and pull off the stops. Pliers might be needed to do this step. Next, take out the tack found at the zippers’ base. Flip the item or garment inside out, look for the tack then remove using a seam ripper. 

Insert the new and bigger bottom stop covering the missing teeth and push the bottom zipper stop’s prongs to the fabric right on top of the old zipper stop. Use the pliers for closing the prongs to secure this into place. Turn the item or garment right side out again then use needle and thread or a sewing machine for re-tacking the bottom part of the zipper. 

How to Deal with Broken Zipper Pull 

When the zipper pull gets broken off and it needs a quick fix, you can get a key ring or a paper clip. Slide this through the tab onto the slider to have a temporary makeshift zipper pull.

Fixing Stuck Zippers Using Laundry Detergent

For stuck zippers, put a dab of liquid laundry detergent to serve as a lubricant. Just pour a tiny amount of the detergent in a dish and mix it with a small amount of water. Dip a cotton ball to this mixture then coat the solution on the teeth. Gently try unzipping in order to test the zipper. If this budges just a bit, then you will need to put it back to its original position then repeat the whole process until the zipper can move freely. 

Using a Pencil for Fixing Stuck Zippers

For stuck zippers, get a graphite pencil then rub its tip on the teeth. Check the zipper to know if it will budge, and if not, you can bring this back to its original position then rub more graphite on the zipper teeth until the moves all the way downwards. 

Fixing Stuck Zippers in the Laundry

If the zipper remains stuck even after you lubricate it, you can try to putting the item or garment in the washing machine to remove any gunk or dirt that caused the zipper to stick. Apply more lubricant for the zipper to work properly again.