I carelessly allowed the zipper on my Sealine fanny pack to become frozen from repeated exposure to salt water without rinsing in fresh water. Stupid, I know. And I know better, but there I am. So now I’m looking for a way to unfreeze the zipper. I have soaked it in fresh water and applied liberal amounts of WD-40, silicone spray and elbow grease all to no avail. Does anyone have another idea or do I need to just chalk this one up to another lesson learned in the school of life? FYI, it’s a plastic zipper and a metal slide. Thanks.
Happened to me once on a date…
…back in HS.
She thought it was funny.
Maybe boil it?
Hot water disolves more salt than cold. If you’re at the end of the rope, try that.
Nope…Steam it
boiling risks the plastic teeth and the waterproofing…even then no promises…Salt water corrodes metal, so the slide surface INTERIOR is now like sandpaper gripping the plastic teeth.
Steam it with a household steamer concentrated on the zipper pull where the teeth enter the pull…
IMPORTANT: after HEATING the slide, dunk the whole slide/zipper in prepared ICE WATER.
HEAT and COLD, (rapid expansion/contraction) Work the zipper pull after you dunk it in the ICE WATER.
Try Break-Free
It’s a lubricant used for cleaning guns. You can probably find it at a quality sporting goods store.
http://www.break-free.com/
If that doesn’t work --try this
Put some silicone grease on it and let it set a couple of days then try to work the zipper back and forth gently. I use an old tooth brush to work the silicone in and around the pull. I keep the tooth brush and silicone in a heavy duty zip lock bag in my gear bag for regular use, If you take the tooth brush and apply silicone to the zipper even when you get ready to use whatever has a zipper it will help. Unfortunately I don’t heed my advice. Patience is cheaper than gear replacement
Wait a minute. Salt water will not hard
freeze a plastic zipper. Plastic does not corrode like metal. Tell us, isn’t the plastic zipper itself still flexible?? You need to be looking hard at that metal slider, and considering whether something in that slider is making it ineffective at opening and closing the plastic zipper teeth. It is also unlikely that a metal slider would become frozen to plastic teeth.
There is a mechanism in many sliders to lock the zipper in the “up” or closed position so it does not just back down under random tension. This gadget may have become corroded into the locked position. You may have to put on some magnifiers and look for the lock mechanism, and then gronk it until it lets go.
could be sand or grit
I like GK’s advice, sounds like it might work with a bit of patience.
Get serious…
…what guy is going to get a magnifying glass
so he can look at his half unzippered crotch?
As Patsy Kline sang, “I know one.”
Obviously you don’t dive
– Last Updated: Jun-20-07 9:42 PM EST –
Most dive wet suits, bags and gear have plastic zippers. You would think putting the what ever in water would solve the problem, I did too. But it doesn't work. I have cursed myself many times for not applying the silicone. The salt hardens inside the zipper...rock hard. Home Depot and Lowes (too I think0 have small round 1/2 dollar size containers of silicone in the plumbing department around the faucet parts. If you are going to use a lot (as I do) you can buy it in a tube w/ a screw on/off cap at a swimming pool suppy store.
BTW the way this is used on the seals of dry boxes, any o'ring and on break down paddles (amazing how easy it makes them come apart).
You will be more upset the next time you do it etc..
DO NOT use WD-40 some rubber and thread degenetate
and Michael Jachson sang “Beat it”
don’t laugh
or do and try it anyway:
submerge the zip in ordinary Coke for 24 hours.
You’ll be surprised about the result and think twice before you drink that stuff next time…
MMW