How to Keep Fabric From Jamming Zippers

The pesky teeth of a zipper are less likely to become jammed with proper maintenance.

Zippers are novel inventions that are supposed to make people's lives easier, but when a zipper becomes jammed with fabric, frustration can reach an all-time high. Jammed zippers are a boon to people everywhere. Taking preventative steps to stop fabric from becoming jammed in zippers will extend the life of clothing and other items.

Things You'll Need

• Candle or Soap
• Tape
• Alcohol

Instructions

1. Unzip and zip the zipper slowly. This will stop fabric from jamming zippers much of the time. Pull the zipper by the body of the slider, rather than the small handle. Look at the zipper as it is being zipped and unzipped. This way, jams will be noticed before a lot of fabric has been jammed in the teeth of the zipper.

2. Stick a piece of tape along each side of the zipper. This is most effective on items such as sleeping bags, whose function will not be impaired by the presence of tape. The tape will stop the teeth from jamming on the fabric adjacent to the zipper.

3. Use a zipper with large teeth. Larger teeth do not catch on fabric as easily as zippers with small teeth.

4. Lubricate the teeth of the zipper with soap or a wax candle. To do this, rub the candle or the soap on the inside and outside of the zipper. Lubricate the zipper regularly as part of the maintenance of the product.

5. Don't pull the zipper by the small handle that is attached to it. Instead, place a thumb on the inside of the zipper at the bottom of the zipping mechanism and place an index finger on the front of the zipping mechanism. This way, the thumb and index finger will hold the teeth together while preventing fabric from entering the teeth and becoming jammed.

6. Clean the zipper with alcohol. Sticky items, dust and dirt can become lodged in the zipping mechanism. These will cause the zipper to jam, which can cause fabric to become stuck in the teeth.

7. Look at the zipper prior to use to make sure that the teeth are lined up. Improperly aligned teeth or an improperly aligned zipping mechanism will cause fabric to jam inside of the zipper.

References

• "The Daily Green"; How to Care For, and Repair any Zipper; Michael de Jong; April 2008.
• White Mountain Precision Backpacks-Zipper Maintenance

Resources

• Do It Different -- How to Unstick a Zipper