The Pantry Staple That Fixes a Squeaky Door Hinge in Seconds
- Lifestyle, Review
- Exienent
- · Updated
You can silence a squeaky door hinge with a few drops of olive oil from your kitchen. Dab it into the hinge seams, swing the door back and forth to work it in, and wipe off the excess. No trip to the hardware store for WD-40 or specialized silicone lubricant required.
There is nothing quite as jarring as trying to sneak out of your bedroom early in the morning, only to have the door announce your departure with a loud, drawn-out screech that sounds straight out of a horror movie. It is easy to keep putting off buying a proper lubricant, and that is exactly when this pantry fix comes in handy.
Why Does Olive Oil Work on Door Hinges?
Olive oil works because it lubricates the metal parts that cause the squeak. It feels a bit strange to use cooking oil on your home hardware, but the mechanics make perfect sense.
The annoying squeak in a door hinge happens when the metal parts (the pin and the knuckles of the hinge) lose their lubrication over time. The constant friction of metal scraping against metal causes the screeching sound and can actually wear down the hinge over the years.
Olive oil is a fantastic natural lubricant. It is highly viscous, meaning it's thick enough to cling to the metal and coat the moving parts without immediately dripping out. By introducing a few drops into the hinge, you are creating a smooth, slippery barrier between the metal components, eliminating the friction and the noise.
How Do You Fix a Squeaky Hinge With Olive Oil?
The whole fix can take less time than brewing a cup of coffee. Here are the steps.
- Prep the Area: Place a small rag or a piece of paper towel directly under the hinge on the floor. Olive oil can be a pain to clean out of the carpet if it drips.
- Grab a Q-Tip or Pipette: You don't want to pour the oil directly from the bottle. Dip a Q-tip generously into your bottle of olive oil. If you have an eye dropper or a small pipette, that works even better.
- Apply to the Seams: Dab the oil-soaked Q-tip along the horizontal seams of the hinge where the different metal sections meet. Make sure to let the oil seep into the tiny cracks.
- Work it In: This is the most satisfying part. Open and close the door back and forth several times. The squeak should slowly die down and fade away as the movement pulls the olive oil deep into the hinge mechanism.
- Wipe Away the Excess: Take a dry paper towel and wipe the outside of the hinge to remove any oil that didn't seep in. This prevents dust and pet hair from sticking to the outside of your door hardware.
That's it. If the squeak was caused by a dry hinge, the door can go quiet right away and glide open smoothly.
What Should You Keep in Mind When Using Olive Oil?
Olive oil is a quick fix rather than a perfect one, because it is a natural product. Over a very long period, organic oils can become slightly sticky or attract dust. Even so, a single application can keep a door quiet for quite a while before you need to think about it again.
Also, be careful not to over-apply. You only need a few drops per hinge. Slathering it on will just result in a greasy doorframe.
The next time a screeching door drives you up the wall, don't put off fixing it just because you don't have industrial lubricant in the garage. Head to your kitchen, grab your favorite cooking oil, and enjoy the beautiful sound of absolute silence.
