Unstick a Zipper with Liquid Soap

Written by Charlotte Wood (last updated April 24, 2023)

Soap can be used for many things but you probably never thought that it could be utilized to free your zipper from a sticky situation. It is true, though—the soap can act as a lubricant to help free up a stuck zipper in no time.

Zippers work because of interlocking teeth that grip onto each other. If the teeth won't slide easily into place, the zipper can stick. It is this type of sticky problem that you can fix by adding a small amount of lubricant to the zipper mechanism. (If your zipper is stuck because the teeth have latched onto a piece of fabric or some other foreign object, then you'll need to work that out patiently; lubrication generally won't help.)

The idea behind the soap approach is pretty self explanatory: the slippery texture of the soap will help the zipper wiggle free. The best way to go about this particular technique is to take a small amount of the liquid soap and rub it on the zipper's teeth, moving slowly and methodically so you can ease the zipper free, rather than forcing it. You don't want to yank or tug on the zipper because that won't do anything to make the zipper come loose. If you need to you can use more soap if your initial amount isn't doing much.

The biggest thing you'll need to remember is that you need to be patient in your working of the soap and zipper—you'll make no headway if you try and force the zipper. The purpose of the soap is to lubricate the zipper and make it move more smoothly—keep it smooth and all will be well!

Author Bio

Charlotte Wood

MORE FROM CHARLOTTE

What to Expect in a Facial

Facials are not too uncommon and can really help the skin on your face and your complexion. However, many of you may not ...

Discover More

Financing a Car

Many times when you either need (or often just want) a new car, you can't pay for it all in cash; you need to finance. ...

Discover More

Donating Stocks

It would be nice if we could all get to the point where we have too much money and in a manner of speaking, that's what ...

Discover More

Tough Tools for Tough Cleaning Jobs O-Cel-O sponges and Scotch Brite scrubbers are truly a fashion-meets-function success story. The highly absorbent and durable sponges in this handy six-pack make quick work of tough cleaning problems in any kitchen, bathroom, or garage. Check out Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges today!

More Cleaning Tips

Washing Black Clothes

You would think that washing black clothes would be a fairly simple prospect. After all, it's only logical that dirt or ...

Discover More

Save Money and Water When Doing the Laundry

Doing laundry can actually get kind of expensive. This is a pain to have to deal with, but fortunately there are ways to ...

Discover More

Cure Sticking Zippers with Lip Balm

Zippers get stuck and it's always a pain to try and wiggle them free. When your best wiggling efforts aren't working ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five less than 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.