Just fixed my bag zipper with a bit of wax after it seized up during a downpour

I was walking through downtown Portland last Tuesday when the sky just opened up and my backpack zipper totally locked up about halfway. I was soaked and trying to get to a meeting with a client, so I ducked into a coffee shop and grabbed a tea while I figured it out. A barista saw me struggling and handed me a little block of beeswax they use for sticky drawers. I rubbed it along the teeth of the zipper, worked it back and forth for maybe two minutes, and it slid smooth again. Finished the day with a damp shirt but my laptop and papers stayed bone dry. It was such a simple fix but it saved me from having to buy a new bag or miss that meeting. Has anyone else used household items to bail out their gear on the fly?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabetht5626d ago

That beeswax trick is actually meant for sticky drawers, not zippers, but hey, it worked out.

thomas_roberts25d ago

My old zipper on my winter coat has been acting up for about 8 years now. I tried butter once on a camping trip and it just made everything greasy and attracted ants. If beeswax works for a zipper I guess I owe that sticky drawer a thank you note.