Is the zipper stuck on your favorite pair of jeans? While some jeans have a column of buttons for the fly, others have a zipper. The zipper consists of two rows of teeth and a fastener. You can pull the fastener up and down. Assuming it’s connected to the teeth, it should glide. Zippers, however, can get stuck.
It’s disheartening when you discover a stuck zipper on your favorite pair of jeans. Maybe you pulled the jeans out of the clothes dryer, only to realize that the zipper won’t pull up. How do you fix a stuck zipper such as this?
‘Reverse’ the Zipper and Try Again
Sometimes all it takes to fix a stuck zipper is reversing it. Assuming you’re unable to pull up the zipper, try pushing it down. Zippers can get stuck in different ways. Normally, though, they’ll only get stuck in a single direction. If you’re unable to push the zipper down, you should be able to pull it up. If you’re unable to pull the zipper up, on the other hand, you should be able to push it down.
Reversing the zipper may reset it on the tracks. You can pull the zipper down, after which you can try to pull it back up. Stuck zippers often get caught on the tracks. By reversing it, you may be able to fix it. Just remember to avoid tugging on the zipper. You should push, as well as pull, the zipper using minimal force to minimize the risk of damage.
Inspect the Tracks for Fabric
If the zipper is still stuck, take a minute to inspect the tracks. You should look at the tracks where the zipper’s fastener is connected. It’s not uncommon for fabric to get caught in the tracks. The lining of your jeans, for instance, may get caught between the zipper’s fasteners and the tracks. Even if it’s only a small piece of fabric, it may prevent the zipper from functioning as intended.
The good news is that you can usually pull out small pieces of fabric so that it doesn’t interfere with the zipper. Grab the fabric with your fingers — or you can use a pair of tweezers — while pulling the zipper. With the fabric no longer caught on the tracks, the zipper should pull up.
Rub With a Bar of Soap
It may sound unusual, but rubbing the zipper with a bar of soap may fix it. Stuck zippers often require a little lubrication. Of course, you probably don’t want to coat your jeans in oil. An alternative solution with which to lubricate the zipper is a bar of soap.
Rubbing a bar of soap over the stuck zipper will lubricate it. Small pieces of soap will break will coating the zipper’s fasteners and the tracks to which it’s connected. After running it with a bar of soap, you can try to pull the zipper up. Assuming it’s well-lubricated, it may pull it with little effort. You can then wash your jeans to remove any lingering soap.
Straighten the Fastener
You can’t expect to pull up the zipper if it’s bent. While jeans themselves are made of denim, zippers are made of metal. Most of them are made of either brass or aluminum. While brass and aluminum are resistant to corrosion — meaning they won’t rust when exposed to moisture — they aren’t particularly rigid. Zippers made of brass or aluminum may bend under shear force.
Even if the zipper is bent, you should be able to straighten it. The easiest way to straighten a bent zipper is to use a pair of pliers. With needle-nose pliers, grab the top of the zipper’s fastener and manipulate it in the appropriate direction. Zippers are thin, so you can manually reshape them with a pair of pliers.
Replace the Fastener
When all else fails, you can replace the zipper’s fastener. The fastener is the main pair of the zipper that’s connected to the tracks. While zippers can fail in different ways, it’s usually the fastener that fails and not the tracks. Therefore, you can keep the tracks and replace the fastener.
Replacing the fastener isn’t always easy, however. You’ll have to bend it so that it comes off the tracks. Next, you’ll need to reattach a new fastener in the same size. Zippers are relatively inexpensive. You can buy them for about a buck apiece. The hard part is replacing them. If you’re dealing with a severely stuck zipper, though, you may want to replace it.
Wrap a Piece of Thread Through It
Another way to fix a stuck zipper is to use a piece of thread. You can take a piece of thread and wrap it through the top of the zipper. Zippers, of course, have an opening at the top. With a piece of thread running through this opening, you’ll have more leverage to pull up the zipper.
Just take a piece of thread and wrap it through the top of the zipper. Next, pull directly up on the thread. The thread will give you more pulling leverage, and it will allow you to pull vertically rather than at an angle. As a result, you’ll have an easier time fixing the zipper. You should typically try this method before replacing the fasteners.
Consider Jeans With an All-Button Fly
If you’re tired of constantly dealing with a stuck zipper, you may want to choose jeans with an all-button fly. All jeans have a fly. As previously mentioned, though, some of them have a zipper fly, whereas others have an all-button fly.
With an all-button fly, you won’t have to worry about the zipper getting stuck. The jeans will only have buttons for the fly. Depending on the particular style, they may have two to four buttons for the fly. Regardless, the jeans won’t have a zipper, meaning there’s no risk of the zipper getting stuck.
