We all have a favorite pair of jeans in our closet, and there's nothing more devastating than when the zipper on those jeans breaks, rendering them unwearable. Luckily, one savvy TikToker has a hack to save our beloved jeans from the clutches of the landfill when this happens.
The scoop
Marissa (@sinistra.marissa) starts her instructional video with a flathead screwdriver, which she gently uses to twist open the part of the zipper that's fallen off track. Next, she threads the teeth on the other side through that newly opened portion of the zipper. This might take a few attempts, she says, but the teeth need to align perfectly in order for this hack to work.
@sinistra.marissa Knowing how to fix a broken zipper has made me feel unstoppable, and I want to share that feeling with you all! #clothingrepair #mending #repairjeans #zipperrepair #sustainablefashion #denimrepair #repairdontreplace #howto #sewingtutorial #howtotiktok ♬ lovers' carvings - Bibio
Then, she uses pliers to press on either side of the zipper and close it around the teeth.
"And voilà!" she says. "Now you have a working zipper again."
If the stopping point at the top of the zipper is also broken, you can use a little bit of thread to create a new, makeshift stopping point, she adds.
How it's helping
In addition to saving you the money it would cost to pay to have the zipper replaced or buy a new pair of jeans, this hack is also environmentally friendly.
According to Earth.org, the apparel industry produces over 100 billion garments per year, and 101 million tons of them end up in landfills. This means that a garbage truck full of clothes ends up in the landfill every single second. In the United States, says Earth.org, the average consumer throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes each year, and on our current trajectory, the industry's global pollution level is expected to increase by 50% by the end of 2030.
That's why, wherever possible, it's great to find ways to repair our damaged clothes so we can continue to wear them for a long time to come.
What everyone's saying
Many TikTok users took to the comment section of Marissa's video to express their gratitude for the hack.
"Thank you!" one user said. "You have saved me $100!"
"I just fixed my favorite fleece jumper that has been broken for months!" commented another. "Thank you so much for the help!!!"
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