Dive bag zippers.

[cappyjon431]

Just took several of my old dive bags out of storage. Two of them had stuck zippers. I am thinking it is probably salt but I am not 100% certain. I tried blasting them with fresh water with no luck. I tried silicone lubricant with no luck. Any suggestions?

 

[Damselfish]

If it's just salt an actual long soaking may work better than a blast. Especially if it's plastic or nylon.

If it's a metal zipper that's salty for awhile, getting rid of the salt may still leave you with a corroded zipper.

I've heard of using vinegar or other things in a solution to help remove salt, and maybe even some corrosion.

 

[diverrex]

I regularly clean my metal zipper pulls with vinegar when they start sticking and that works. If they are really stuck soak the vinegar on overnight.

 

[divinh]

Probably more so for metal zippers... my mother had taught me when I was a little kid to use wax to keep zippers working well. The simple way to get the wax was to use a candle and rub it over the threads.

 

[mcohen1021]

WD40 or candle wax

 

[Manneca]

I had salt water corroded zippers on several jackets. I sprayed them with WD-40 and worked a bit and they all started working again. A bit surprised. I started with a minimally corroded rain jacket and when that worked, I went to work on zippers I had given up on. There is also a product for divers which is a lubricant/cleaner for zippers. I've started using that when I return from an overseas dive trip. (These were plastic zippers with metal slides and pulls.)