Quick fix for rips

One bright side of the lousy economy is that we’re all a little less wasteful and more apt to fix, rather than replace, damaged goods.

During the 1930s, Val “the Bish” Cismoski came up with a way to quickly repair canvas belts on steam-powered machinery, so farmers wouldn’t have to lose precious harvesting time to replace a torn belt. Fast-forward 75 years, and we’re putting the same formula to use mending ripped clothes, torn seat cushions and frayed shoelaces.

Jerry Cismoski (on the left)

Tear Mender is a natural and non-toxic liquid adhesive that bonds fabric upon contact. You can apply it like glue on a tear, or spread it on a fabric patch, and it bonds in minutes. Repaired fabrics stay flexible and soft even after washing, says Jerry Cismoski, who is the Bish’s son and runs the third-generation company.

So if you’ve got a dropped hem,  a broken belt loop, or a run in the carpet, give Tear Mender a try. It also works great on tears in the seat of your car, damaged sports gear, or rips in a tent (it’s waterproof and UV-resistant).

Buy Tear Mender to repair clothes and more here.

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