If your suitcase has a metal latch that attaches to the zipper, it is unlikely that you can fix it without taking apart the rest of the luggage. The latch is usually a one-piece mechanism, and trying to glue it back together will probably damage the rest of the luggage – plus getting superglue on fabric is a nightmare. However, there are a couple of tricks you can try to fix the zipper latch. First, rub the teeth of the zipper with a graphite pencil. This will lubricate the zipper and help it work properly. If that doesn’t work, then try using some bar soap or glass cleaner on the latch. Both of these are gentle enough to use on leather, but you’ll need to be careful as they can stain it.
If the zipper is still stuck, then it may be that the zipper teeth are crooked. You can usually tell if this is the case because the zipper will catch the fabric, but it won’t close. Simply rubbing the teeth with a pencil should get them re-aligned. If this doesn’t work, then the slider might have come apart a bit and is too wide for the zipper teeth.
If this is the case, then you can replace the slider with a new one. There are a lot of different luggage repair kits available on the market, and they can usually be found at hardware stores or online. Just be sure to get the right size zipper slider for your luggage. Also, be sure to get the right type of zipper – there are coil, molded tooth, and metal chain zippers available.
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