What makes zippers slide easier

Apply vinegar. The issue could be caused by tiny pieces of debris getting in the zipper. That debris can cause the zipper to not zip as easily.

Applying vinegar can help take care of the problem by cleaning it out, allowing it to zip more readily. Soak a cotton ball with vinegar. With the garment flat, run the cotton ball up and down the zipper. Make sure not to get it on the fabric if you think it may bleed. Apply it to both sides of the zipper, as well as the inside of the teeth. Try dish detergent. Dish detergent can be used to clean out your zippers. However, be sure to test the detergent on an inconspicuous place first.

If it doesn't affect the color of the garment, scrub the detergent into the zipper, using a brush. Wash it out, and see if it helps your zipper be less sluggish. Method 3. Try a bar of soap. One simple solution for a zipper that's hard to close is a bar of soap. It doesn't really matter what kind you use. Anything you have on hand is fine. Rub the soap on the teeth of the zipper with the zipper open. Once you've rubbed some in, zip it up and down to get it lubricated well.

Another easy option is petroleum jelly. You can also use a bit olive oil, but be careful, as it could stain your clothes. Use a graphite pencil. Graphite works as a lubricant, making it easier to zip up stubborn zippers. Rub a graphite pencil along the inside of the zipper and the teeth. Make sure to hit all of the zipper, trying to get into the teeth as much as possible, as well as the back of the zipper. Move the zipper up and down a few times to help get the graphite in place.

Try powder. Powders can also act as lubricants for zippers. You can use most common household powders, such as talcum powder or baby powder. You can even use cornstarch. Just sprinkle a little on the zipper, and move it up and down to lubricate it. Rub the zipper with wax. You can use wax paper, paraffin wax, or even candle or crayon wax. Basically, the wax will lubricate the zipper, making it easier to pull up and down.

You'll need to lubricate both sides for this step to work. Sooner or later you're going to have to deal with a stuck zipper, whether it's on your favorite jacket, backpack, or pair of pants. Simply tugging hard on the zipper tab hardly ever works, but a few things lying around your house might do the trick. To help unstick your zipper, you can add lubrication to the zipper teeth using chapstick , crayon wax, the end of a graphite pencil, petroleum jelly , and other waxy products or lubricants.

For all of these uses, make sure to do a spot test to ensure that the material you're using won't permanently stain the fabric. After unsticking your zipper, it's advisable to wash the garment or item afterwards. As long as the zipper isn't broken though, you probably don't need a tailor to fix it.

Soap, pencils and other basic household items lubricate stiff zippers, making it much easier to pull them up and down.

Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar. Rub the front of the zipper from top to bottom with the cotton ball, then repeat on the other side. The vinegar dissolves small pieces of debris that can cause the zipper to lock up. If the garment isn't colorfast, try not to get vinegar on the fabric itself. Sharpen a graphite pencil, then rub the tip of the pencil up and down the length of the zipper. Repeat this process on the back side of the zipper.

Graphite is a dry lubricant that allows zippers to slide more easily. This causes tiny gaps in the tracks and the slider, which creates common zipper problems, such as a sticky zipper or a zipper that does not fasten the tracks together. The most common and easiest remedy to sticky zipper is to rub a graphite pencil on the zipper's tracks while it is open.

After rubbing the pencil across the zipper tracks, open and close the zipper to see if it has made the zipping action smoother and easier.