I have a pair of jeans which are great except the fly zip is really loose and won't stay up/closed. Is there any way of fixing this as it's annoying having to keep checking!

Zippy, August 2006

Kate, your a gem :) I'm off to try the pliers. i know it will work as it makes sense once pointed out.

Bella, April 2012

I hate broken zippers, this always did the trick though http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-fix-broken-zipper.html although you do have to be somewhat good with your hands

Julkoa, December 2011

I’ve had the same problem. I found a product called ZipperAde that works great. It is an inexpensive, undetectable, and washer/dryer safe solution that keeps your zipper from falling down. Check it out at www.zipperade.com.

Stay Fly, June 2011

key ring - genius idea

Kevin, May 2011

Thanks so much for the pliers tip, you just saved a great pair of jeans.

sl_island, April 2011

Yea! The clamping worked! Thanks so much!

Chrissy, January 2011

the keyring solution is brilliant, i was able to wear jeans that have been broken for months, you cant see the keyring at all, and it keeps the zipper up perfectly

Bri, December 2010

The keyring solution is also great. Thanks. I no longer have to wear long jumpers.

Vicky, November 2010

Kate's pliers tip was working well but then I gave it one last go and used too much pressure and the zipper pull snapped! So make sure you don't apply too much pressure!

Bex, June 2010

Get a keyring (just the plain, small metal ring part).

Thread it through the hole in the top of the zipper puller.

Zip your jeans up, and hook the keyring over the button.
Then button the jeans.

The keyring is hidden behind the material, and the zip can't fall down.

Isaac, June 2010

clamp it.

linnie, January 2010

Wow Kate. You just saved a FABULOUS pair of pants from being relegated to private-wear only. Thanks.

Laura, March 2009

Kate's pliers trick really worked. I had two pairs of my teenager's jeans with zippers that just wouldn't stay up. On the first pair, I blew it and clamped down too hard. Woops! I took it easier on the second pair and it worked! Again.... take it easy and it works!

Lisa, October 2008

That tip about using pliers is BRILLIANT!

Take care and squeeze gently, bit by bit. I did a few squeezes and it seemed to have no effect, so I gave it a hard squeeze - and the zipper stuck solid. Ooops! I managed to work the zipper very gradually up and down with the pliers, and after about 20 up-and-downs it was free enough to use. Whew!! Excellent answer.

Jinx, October 2008

I just want to say THANK YOU for this tip! I have a favorite pair of shorts with this exact problem & I took a pair of plyers to the zipper pull & they were fixed immediately!!!!!

NancyPG, September 2008

Basically, the zipper pull has become loose over the teeth and is sliding down over the teeth too easily. There's nothing wrong with the teeth, it's all with the zipper pull.

Take a clamping tool (pliers work well) and apply it to one side of the zipper pull, while the zipper is open (on either side of the pull tab) that actually goes over the teeth and clamp down a little bit. Then do the same to the other side. It doesn't really take a lot of pressure. Then test. If it holds better, then you are done. If it doesn't hold, apply a little bit more pressure. Don't do too much or you'll never get the pull to zip and unzip. Then you're screwed.

Kate, August 2006