Opening a bean bag often involves locating and operating its zipper. If the bean bag zipper lacks a visible handle, a common method is to use a simple tool like a paper clip to access and open it.
Accessing the Zipper
Many bean bags feature a child-safe zipper design where the visible pull tab or handle is intentionally removed to prevent accidental opening and spilling of the filling. This design requires a specific technique to operate the zipper.
Using a Paper Clip
According to the reference, if the visible handle is removed, you can just grab a paper clip to open the zipper. The process is straightforward:
- Obtain a Paper Clip: Find a standard paper clip.
- Unfold the Paper Clip: Straighten out one end of the paper clip.
- Insert into Zipper Head: Insert the straightened end of the paper clip into the zipper head where the handle would normally attach.
- Operate the Zipper: Use the paper clip as a temporary handle to pull the zipper tab, allowing the bean bag to be easily opened or closed.
Important Note: The reference explicitly states, "Don't ever try to force it as this might damage it." If the zipper is stuck, forcing it with the paper clip or any other object can break the zipper teeth or the pull mechanism itself.
This method allows you to bypass the safety feature temporarily to add or remove filling, or to access the inner liner of the bean bag. Once finished, you can remove the paper clip, restoring the child-safe feature.
Using a paper clip is a widely accepted method for operating these types of zippers on bean bags and other furniture items designed with similar safety mechanisms.
