One Zipper Away from the Landfill

I am just old enough that most of my stuff as a kid had sturdy metal tooth zippers, but those are a rare site these days. Now they all have smaller plastic teeth, and it sure seems like they give up long before the rest of the garment or bag they are attached to. But I want to let you in on a little secret. You can FIX most common zipper issues yourself. Yup, you read that right.

Common zipper fault #1: You zip it up – and it starts to split, or ‘un-zip’ from the bottom or middle. What’s really happening is that with wear, the zipper slide (which IS usually still metal) can start to splay out a little too wide and doesn't lock the teeth together properly any more.

My father, king of all things repair, taught me a little trick. Undo the zipper so you can get at the zipper slide. Take a pair of pliers and gently but firmly squeeze the two sides of the zipper closer together. Too hard and you’ll snap the metal, so take it easy, try your zipper, and apply pressure again if the zipper is still splitting. I’ve saved many a jacket this way!

Common zipper fault #2: The zipper tab comes off (leaving you with nothing to grab onto to do it up). Zipper tabs can be replaced on some styles of zippers – look for new ones at sewing and fabric stores or repair shops. In a pinch, try threading through a paper clip or small keychain to use as a pull tab.

If you can’t replace just the tab you can replace the whole slider.  We received a very cute hand-me-down jacket for Holden, but the tab was missing. I brought it in to a local sewing shop, and she helped me replace the zipper slider (pictured in the photo above).

Common Zipper fault #3: The Zipper slider breaks. There are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating how easy these are to replace. Here’s one I found useful. Zippers come in standard sizes (bet you didn’t know that). Look for a number and/or letter stamped into the metal on the backside of the slide. Fabric shops often sell those too (You may have to buy it on a piece of zipper). Honestly zippers aren’t very sophisticated so you may not even need the EXACT same one. 

So next time you’ve got a zipper issue – try fixing it yourself! In my experience, you’ve got nothing to lose. If the zipper being broken renders the item useless, then you might as well give it a shot before you decide to get rid of it! And if the issue is beyond your skill level, ask a friend or try a repair shop.

Come to think of it, I have some boots that need me to do something about their zipper….

Update Dec 2014

At the end of my last post, I mentioned some boots that needed a little zipper help. These aren’t just any boots (as many women will understand). These were staple boots in my wardrobe. They are comfortable, functional, and I had spent a lot of money on them! I don’t fit generic boots all that well, so I had hunted down this pair of black leather boots and paid a pretty penny for them. One of the main reasons I had picked this particular pair is that they are made with smooth leather – which I know how to care for so that it will last a long time. When the zippers started to split open while I was wearing them, I started to panic a little. I reeeaallly didn’t want to go hunting again.

When winter came, I finally make the trek to the Awl Shop in Saskatoon. I wandered in clutching my failing boots and looking apprehensive. The cashier smiled and assured me he could help. I discussed the issue (the zippers splitting open) and showed him another trouble spot where the plastic zipper teeth had come loose from the cotton stitching that holds it to the boot. They were able to replace the zipper heads (this solves the common issue of zipper splitting) and they hand-stitched the plastic zipper teeth back down using tougher nylon thread instead of cotton.

The most important part of my story isn’t necessarily that I went ahead and had them fixed. I do that with a lot of things. I think the important part is why. I fixed them because I had a lot invested in them initially. The price I paid to have them fixed was close to what a cheap new synthetic pair would have cost me (assuming I could have found any to fit!). However, because I had invested in smooth leather boots and regularly cleaned and waterproofed them they were still in excellent shape and worth repairing. (As a side note I have found leather suede to be somewhat of a lost cause on winter boots. It is very hard to keep clean and waterproof, and it easily damaged by salt.) This will be their fourth winter in service. And I am looking forward to a few more!