Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with zipper

How do you open a childproof zipper?

TurkeyMustard — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:14:37 -0800

How do you open a childproof zipper on an Ikea children's mattress cover? We want to take off the cloth mattress cover on my son's Ikea mattress. It has a zipper on one end that appears to be childproof. See photos. But we'll be jiggered if we can figure out how to release it. I've tried pulling it with needle-nose pliers, I've tried twisting, prying, bending, pushing, bumping, jerking, snapping, wrenching, and doing the Mashed Potato. You can see the marks in the photo where my needle-nosed pliers have soiled it a bit. I've tried a paper clip. I've also googled this question to great frustration, with this story about a product from a different company sounding tantalizingly close but still insufficient to solving our problem.

Can you help? How do we release that zipper without simply destroying it?

Zipper For My Lovesac

shew — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:31:29 -0800

I have a Lovesac (circa 2003) with a microsuede cover in the 'Ton-O-Love' size (now called MovieSac) that has a broken zipper. I've been to three alterations places trying to get the thing fixed with no help. Finally, I found someone who will replace it if I can find the zipper (she was unable to). It's 140" long and the color is white/gray. Is this something I can purchase online? I'd like to find one that won't break again. More questions:

1) It looks like it's going to cost about $50 for the labor alone. Does this sound reasonable?
2) I've researched buying a new cover but they are in the ballpark of $200-$300 (too much for my budget). Other creative options?

piz or how do we flip it and keep the zip?

@homer — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:06:22 -0800

What can I do with a plastic boot zipper that wont stay zipped? My friend got a pair of comfy winter boots last year for Christmas that were perfect. Back then the zippers would slowly unzip and it was a rarity. It happened a handful of times in the couple months that followed so it was no big deal. Ok so they were slightly less than perfect. This year the unzipping happens all the time. She'll zip up and have to zip up again after a few minutes. The zippers are plastic so the suggestions we found online dealing with pliers pinching the pull and such don't help. Rubbing with wax didn't do anything either. The zippers don't have locks which is really dumb. Is there anything else we can try before taking them to the friendly not so close to the neighborhood shoe repair place?

Complicated big (but not too big) multi-compartment zippered pouch. I wants it.

ostranenie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:59:11 -0800

I have an "MP3 Accessory" bag now I use for tools, but it's falling apart and nothing else I've seen online or in stores does quite what it does... My current 'accessory bag,' which I use for tools and change, has one large zippered pouch compartment, one smaller zippered compartment, a place to hold my Moleskine and pens/pencils/screwdrivers, a transparent window for the MP3 player (or whatever), a small cylindrical area to hold a mini-Sharpie, and it all closes very easily (with one large zipper that wraps the whole thing up) and fits in my pocket. I bought it at Target five years ago and it is literally falling apart at the seams. I've repaired it about six times with needle and thread, but this thing is pretty beat up and I'm wondering if there's even something better.

Something like this almost makes it, but it doesn't seem "complicated" enough for me, i.e. not enough compartments and possibly not large enough.

Is there anything that does this? The two requirements are: 1) "has as many separate compartments as possible" and 2) "be as large as possible while still being able to fit in a large man's pants pocket." I just know it exists!

Thanks!

(What is it with Target and discontinuing items that rule?

Where to fix my bag in NC?

greta simone — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:39:10 -0800

Where can I find a place that does leather repair in the NC Triangle area? I have a Hobo International handbag that I dearly love that needs the zipper repaired, and some cleaning/mending/conditioning. I have done some cleaning myself, but I am not satisfied with the results, so I would prefer a professional who could do that and fix the zipper. A few things:
1) My bag is older than a year old, so I cannot take advantage of the company's guarantee.
2) Also, Hobo does not do any repairs outside of the guarantee.
3) I called Nordstrom (where I purchased it) and they want to send it out for a fee. I would rather have a face-to-face transaction.
4) I called the Wilson's leather store, and they know nothing.
5) Florenza leather goods (in Chapel Hill), my best option, is closed for business.

I'm in Carrboro. So the closer, the better.
Thanks.

How do i convert a normal zipper into a two-way zipper?

meowzilla — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:23:25 -0800

Is it possible to convert a normal one-way zipper into a two-way separating zipper? I've got some jackets that would probably much better if they had two-way separating zippers - the ones that you can zip up fully, but then unzip the bottom so it doesn't become too long and restrictive. Is it possible to convert a normal zipper that only zips up into a two-way separating zipper?

My normal zippers have a tab on the bottom zipper side that, when the zipper is fully zipped up, holds the bottom together. I assume that I would need to remove this somehow to be replaced with the zipper slide that stays on the bottom. Are they removable in some way? Or does this involve resewing the entire zipper?

How do I fix a nylon backpack zipper?

catkins — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 07:50:00 -0800

How do I fix a nylon backpack zipper? The zipper parts seem fine -- the zipper "pull" has just popped out of one side. This isn't like a jacket, where there is a way to completely separate the two sides, with a metal tab to aid in joining them. Daughter #1 tends to overstuff her school backpack.

Aside from the upper body strength she seems to be amassing (I think she could bench the front end of a school bus), one compartment of the backpack literally burst open, with no visible way to re-join a (nylon) zippered compartment.

The two zippered sides seem undamaged.
The pull-tab seems fine too -- it's still joined on one side of the zipper.

Both sides are sewn in with no easily removable seams -- the ends of the zipper are well-protected (probably to keep out the elements).

Is there a way to re-join it, or is the backpack trashed? I can't believe this is the only time this has happened to a schoogirl's backpack...

Zipper Disease

killa62 — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:18:22 -0800

What is "zipper disease?" I came across this
http://www.jansport.com/js_faq.php?type=warranty
and it says

My zipper is broken and won't shut. Can I send it in?

While zipper failure is usually due to normal wear and tear, we will repair or replace any pack that has contracted "zipper disease". Please send your pack to our warranty service center.

I tried searching google, but I can't figure out what this "Zipper Disease" is.
Anyone know

unzipping zipper

philcliff — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 09:55:02 -0800

I have a pair of jeans and the zipper is always coming unzipped. Is there anyway to fix this?

How do you let someone know in public that their zipper is down?

megnut — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 07:02:14 -0800

What do you do if you see someone with their fly unzipped in public? I spotted a well-dressed man this morning on the subway with his fly down and I felt like I wanted to warn him before he headed into work. But what, if anything, should I say? XYZPDQ (examine your zipper pretty darn quick)? Something else?