How do I Dissolve Salt Bound Zips on Salon Cushions?

[Gypsy]

Need to remove cushion/seat covers but have found the zip heads are stuck due to salt and/or other gunge. Is their a magic solution without breaking the zip? I seem to recall something about using boiling water.

 

[steve28]

the engine descaler rydlyme works wonders.

 

[oceandrive]

Use De cal or sumascale or anything that will break down cal ask the SWIMBO what she uses to clean the iron or the kettle.

 

[JustMelfort]

Soaok in Malt vinegar for 5 mins, scape any crustiness off and rinse with fresh hot water. Repeat.

 

[ebbtide]

And spray regularly with a silicone aerosol when they're back in place.

 

[pampas]

Will second Steve28

 

[vyv_cox]

In extremis hydrochloric acid will dissolve the scale. Problem is it might dissolve other things as well. Check that the material to which the teeth are attached is synthetic, not cotton. Usually a few drops of acid will be enough.

 

[NormanS]

Try sponging with hot water.

 

[vyv_cox]

The usual deposits that form in seawater systems are various insoluble carbonates. Water, either hot or cold, will not dissolve them. There may be a possibility that heat will expand metal sliders but I doubt that a really heavily deposited one will be shifted.

 

[Ruffles]

Vinegar will dissolve the corrosion.

However in my experience if there's any visible corrosion the slider will have had it. Trying to free it is likely to damage the zip itself. The good news is that you can replace the sliders.

 

[Gypsy]

Thanks everybody for the input. I have a few options now.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Try vinegar last. Whether it works or not, you might find it difficult to get rid of the fish and chips-evoking smell.

 

[James_Calvert]

Yes, re boiling water, if you boil a kettle, get it steaming nicely from the spout and holding the zip fastener with say long nose pliers, poke it into the steam, you'll find after a minute or so you can wiggle it free.

Once that's done you may find that the fastener is badly corroded and won't work again as a fastener. It is possible to force it off, and replace it with a good one from a suitable trouser zip or whatever - but it's a bit of a lash up.

Long term solution - specify plastic zips and zip fasteners - these won't seize or corrode.

 

[Gypsy]

All 12 covers removed successfully using a mix of all suggestions - can't prove which was the best but only broke 2 zip heads out of about 20 in the process. Happily they were on double headed zips so I should be fine if I am careful in the refit. I will get a new can of silicon spray for the job.
Thanks to all.

 

[vyv_cox]

You can buy replacement zip sliders. We spoke to C&JMarine at LIBS, they do them but I expect others do as well. see their site here

 

[geoff3nebel]

Try WD40

 

[DaveS]

I've had this and a mixture of hot water and perseverence (repeated gentle wiggling) seemed to do the trick. I have also in extremis successfully used saliva on non-boaty stuck zips. I might try acid - vineger or other weak acid - but would be a bit worried about the effect on the fabric. I would be very reluctant to try WD40 or anything else oily since that would almost certainly stain.