How to Prevent your Zipper from Sticking

How to prevent your zipper from sticking? If you follow my suggestions, it is quite simple. No, do not wait until you are in the embarrassing position of having your zip stuck.

What’s the saying “don’t get caught with your pants down?” Yes, it could happen and often does at the most inconvenient times.

How many times have you been out at night wearing your sleek black pants? A quick visit to the toot and you pull on the zip and it is stuck. It will not go up or down.

What can you do? Well there are a few tricks to try but first of all we need to prevent this from happening. That is right, remove the problem before it happens.

Here are a few things you can do:

• After your washing has dried and as you fold it up, look at the zips. Check to see if there are any loose threads, or frayed edges that could become caught in it at the most inopportune time. Cut these off of if frayed spend a couple of minutes and top sew the frayed edges down. This will prevent it happening again.
• Check that the zip does not go too far down into the bottom opening. This can also happen at any time, preventing you from being able to pull the zip up. If this happens, stitch that part of the opening across so it cannot go too far down. Or put a few stitches across the teeth themselves to prevent zip going right down to the base.
• Check that the zip still has the movable part which you use to pull the zip up. Also make sure it slides up and down easily.

Yes this can also be embarrassing. How many times have you seen someone walking down the street with their zip undone? I know sometimes they may forget to do it up, although it could be one of those zips that just keep sliding back down again.

Try doing this to test for safety:

• Do the zip up properly, making sure to push the lever down. Some of these lock into place, while others just lock automatically.
• Pull the two sides of waist band apart. If the zip hold then all ok. If it starts to slide then either replace the zip, or send for alterations department for replacement or throw garment out. The choice is up to you.

If you have done all this to prevent a problem then you should be okay. Then again if you do happen to still get caught out then try one of these ideas:

• Check inside where the zip is caught. Look for loose threads that may have caught in the zip. If you can remove these you should be able to zip it up or down.
• If you are lucky enough to have some soap in your rest room then rub this along the metal part of the zip. This should act as though oiling the zip. (This also works on sliding doors that stick).
• If you are still in trouble, you could find a lead pencil (if you are lucky) and rub this along the metal part of the zip.
• I would advise against using oil on your zips as this may stain your outfit.

If these all fail, then I am sorry. You are now on your own, unless you can find some extra clothes somewhere, or live with it and find someone to repair or replace the zip for you.

Good luck, hope these tips will help prevent you from this embarrassing problem.