How to fix a stuck zip without breaking it

5 minutes. Costs nothing.

Try this first (costs nothing): stop pulling. Pulling harder bends the teeth. Look for fabric or thread caught in the slider, which is the little metal or plastic pull. Ease the fabric back out with your fingernail or the tip of a pin while moving the slider back a few millimetres.

Free it

1. Move the slider back down a little. Do not force it forward.
2. Pull the caught fabric clear. A pin or a needle helps.
3. Rub a graphite pencil along both rows of teeth. A dry bar of soap or a candle also works.
4. Wiggle the slider up and down in short moves.
5. Wipe off the residue.

Keep wax and soap light on pale fabric. They can leave a mark.

If that does not work

The zip is likely a mechanical fault, not a sticky one.

• Teeth that do not meet behind the slider. The slider has opened up with wear. Squeeze the back of the slider gently with pliers, a little at a time, so the gap narrows. Go slowly. You cannot un-squeeze it.
• Missing or bent teeth. Bend back a bent tooth with pliers. A missing tooth means the zip needs replacing.
• Zip separates after closing. Same cause as the first point. A replacement slider kit costs far less than a new coat.
• Stuck on thick fabric, like a duffle bag. Look for a hidden fold of lining. Cut it free carefully.

If you want a tool, a zip lubricant stick or a replacement slider kit. Skip them if a pencil freed it.

Fix it, replace it or live with it

• Fix it: caught fabric, dry zips, a slider that is slightly loose.
• Replace it: missing teeth, a snapped zip tape or a metal slider worn to a thin shell. A tailor or a shoe repair shop can swap a zip.
• Live with it: nothing. A zip that opens on its own is only getting worse.

Jeans zips that slide down are worth treating the same way. If a worn zip is ruining a pair of boots, the fix, replace or live with it rules for shoes apply here too.

If a stain is also the problem on the same jacket, see how to get sweat stains out of white shirts for the washing method.