Make Sure You're Choosing The Right Lubricant To Unstick Your Drawers

A stuck drawer can drive you to distraction. Your pull becomes a tug, the tug becomes a yank, and then it comes free and flings the drawer's contents all about. And when you try to push it back in, you push yourself backward or slide the whole cabinet away from you. But it's not the end of the world, so you make a mental note to deal with it later.

A month later, you fling the drawer's contents all about again, and finally decide to deal with the problem. You can keep things in the drawer from flying everywhere with an inexpensive Dollar Tree solution that keeps drawer organizers in place, but lubricating the sticking drawer is trickier. We spoke exclusively with House Digest's expert carpenter and remodeler, Bob Beacham, about how to choose the right lubricant to get things moving smoothly again. The first step, he told us, is to make sure lack of lubrication is the real problem. "If a metal slide has gotten damaged, it may be that no amount of lubricant will work," Beacham said. "It will need to be replaced." Fortunately, replacement slides are widely available from many sources, like Amazon, Home Depot, and other large hardware stores.

Drawers sliding poorly on wood mechanisms can also experience non-lubricant-related ills. "Before you try lubricant on wood slides," he said, "you might want to check that the cabinet/cupboard is level. If it's not, it can twist the carcass, and that can cause drawers to stick. Also, if the furniture has been in a humid atmosphere, it might expand and stick. You could try running a dehumidifier to dry it out."

Once you've determined that there's nothing structurally amiss, you're ready to choose a lubricant. Metal and wood slides are best served by completely different lubricants. When House Digest spoke exclusively with our in-house expert carpenter, Bob Beacham, he told us that he prefers lithium grease for metal slides, pointing out that it's light and does a good job of keeping out moisture and, therefore, reduces chances of rust. Lithium grease comes in sprays and tubes, like this Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease. But, Beacham added, you should use whatever you have handy for metal slides, as long as it's a proper lubricant. "If you have a can of silicone spray or 3-in-1 lying around the place, they are perfectly good alternatives," Beacham said, noting that 3-in-1 is a little trickier to apply. But avoid traditional WD-40, he added, which is not a proper lubricant and will only address the problem temporarily.

Wood slides, on the other hand, are best lubricated with waxes like beeswax, furniture wax, and paraffin wax, Beacham said, as well as candles and Vaseline, which are made from paraffin wax. Vaseline is a surprising bathroom staple that'll help you quickly fix a stuck drawer. "Personally I prefer the harder substances, candle wax or beeswax, because they stay on the surface longer whereas furniture and paraffin waxes are absorbed," Beacham said. "They are all easy to apply and effective," he added, though they can all accumulate dust and dirt particles, which might cause the sticking to return. You can even use an old wax melt that's lost its scent.

The process for applying your lubricant of choice starts with completely removing the drawers. "Don't try to do the job with the drawers in situ," Bob Beacham said when he spoke exclusively with House Digest. "Check for damage, or loose screws with metal slides." This is the time to look for bent metal, a cabinet out of level, and wood slides that don't fit together because of swelling from humidity.

Assuming everything looks good, it's time to lubricate. Almost. First, Beacham said, "clean the slides with a cloth: a little mineral spirit for metal, spray polish for wood. Then apply lubricant. Spray rollers/bearings on metal slides. Have some kitchen paper handy to wipe off excess," Beacham added. "Use a fine nozzle so it doesn't go everywhere."

Lubricant for wood slides is usually applied by rubbing the paste, wax, or even a candle onto the slide parts. "Just a thin layer," Beacham said. "Don't build up a sticky mess, it will only attract dirt." Once you're done, slide the drawer back in to place. If it just needed a bit of grease, your sticking problem should have been resolved.