Organize & Clean

How to Silence a Squeaky Door With Three Household Items

published Feb 2, 2010
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Got a squeaky door that’s driving you nuts? The acoustic range of a squeaky door is right up there with a Mariah Carey high note on the annoyance scale. But don’t fret, there are three common household items that can provide a temporary respite from the high pitch annoyance, which will give you some peace and quiet between the quick fix and when you get around to replacing the door hardware.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

For a temporary squeaky clean solution, directly rub a bit of soap on the hinges for some instant noise relief. We recommend using a soap that’s been well used already, since you want to rub it across all the hinges and get into the offending parts. Some have noted success with liquid soaps, but a dry hand soap will quell the noise a lot longer.

In a similar fashion, petroleum jelly (not KY Jelly…much different application) will do an even better job of lubricating those hinges into silences. Using a hammer and a larger size nail, tap out the hinge pin from underneath. Coat the hinge pin and repeat with each hinge on door.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

If you happen to have some paraffin candles around, metal hinges quiet when rubbed across with this wax. It’s recommended you disassemble the hinges and apply the wax directly onto the pins to limit excess residue; unlike the soap solution, oil or even lubricant, the paraffin leaves little dust-accumulating residue. A smooth move indeed.