How To Stop A Squeaky Door Hinge In 4 Steps

The irritation caused by a squeaky door hinge is familiar to most people. There are very few things that are more annoying and almost every household has had that door that wakes up the entire neighbourhood every time it is opened. It is so easy to forget to deal with this issue with the distractions of everyday life but then the same stab of frustration hits every time you open that door and you wonder why you never got around to fixing it.

This inconvenience is totally unnecessary to endure and very easy to fix! Life is hard enough without having to worry about a complex solution to a simple problem like how to stop a door from creaking. WD-40 provides the answer to the question of how to stop a squeaky door in its multiple, easy to use products which can silence even the noisiest of doors.

Why Is My Door Hinge Creaking?

Before discussing the remedy for squeaky door hinges, it is important to understand why a door creaks in the first place. The normal wear and tear of consistent use can result in any of the following issues.

A squeaky door hinge is usually a result of a lack of lubrication in the hinge or build-up of dirt and dust. The high-pitched squeaking is the rubbing of metal surfaces of the hinge and hinge pin which creates friction and the all too familiar, aggravating sound. Rust, grit and grime in the hinges can also create the noise.

There are other causes of a squeaky door hinge which include a hinge that is bent out of shape or a loose screw so it is important to check that they are sufficiently tight.

A door that is not in perfect alignment with the door frame can also cause it to squeak when opened. This is due to an uneven distribution of the door’s weight which effects the door’s hinges. For example, if the lower hinge is out of place, the upper hinge takes on most of the weight which can result in it creaking under the pressure.

How To Stop Door from Creaking?

Just as there are multiple reasons as to why a door hinge is creaking, there is more than one remedy for on how to stop door from creaking.

As mentioned, checking the hinge is sufficiently tight is an important first step to solving the problem of how to stop door from creaking.

If the hinge is sufficiently tight, the next step is lubricating the door’s hinges with WD-40. A drop of lubrication onto the problematic hinge will be the solution to most causes of a squeaking door, even if it is just in the short-term.

If the squeaky door hinge is a result of rust or grime, steel wool is the best way to effectively clean the hinge pin. This involves removing the pins, cleaning them with steel wool, applying lubricant and replacing them.

What to use for Squeaky Doors

WD-40 offers a wide range of general and specialist lubricants to fix all sorts of problems including what to use for squeaky doors.

WD-40® Multi-Use Product will be adequate to solve most causes of a squeaky door hinge. This formula is designed to lubricate moving metal parts, clean dirt, oil and grime and protect against corrosion and moisture. Simply put, the Multi-Use Product is ideal for attacking any issue present in the hinge of your door.

The Multi-Use Product is available in different sizes and packaging including the WD-40® Classic Spray, WD-40 Smart Straw for a more precise application and WD-40® EZ-REACH which has a 20cm flexible straw for the more hard-to-reach hinges.

If you are searching for a more specialised product, WD-40® offers No Drip Formula Spray & Stay which is ideal for lubrication of vertical surfaces, like squeaky door hinges, with little mess.

WD-40® Specialist Anti-Friction Dry PTFE Lubricant is a high-performance lubricant which uses Teflon in its formula to leave a non-stick, dry film on the hinges which is resistant to dirt and dust and perfect to maintain a clean, silent hinge.

How To Stop a Squeaky Door Hinge in 4 Steps

In most cases, application of one of the above mentioned WD-40 lubricants is enough to solve the problem of how to stop a squeaky door. If this does not solve the problem, you may need to remove the door from its hinges to clean the hinge pin by following these steps.

Step 1: Removing the pins

You may require another person to assist with this step as once you remove the hinge pins, the door is not attached to the doorframe. Close the door and place a nail at the base of the hinge and hit the tip of the nail with a hammer. This will loosen the pin and, using the gripping end of the hammer you can then pull it out and remove the door from the frame and prop it against a wall.

Step 2: Clean and lubricate the pins

If the pins are particularly rusty or grimy, take some steel wool and clean them thoroughly. Using circular motions and any household cleaner in conjunction with the steel wool will remove the more stubborn spots. Once clean, spray the pins with your choice of WD-40 Lubricant, wiping the excess.

Step 3: Replace the pins and door

Replace the door in its frame and put the pins back in their position so that they will not slide out. Knock the pins in place with the nail and hammer and your door will be in place again. You can open and close the door a few times to check that the squeaking has stopped and that the door is correctly in place. Wipe away any excess WD-40 to avoid any staining of the door.

Step 4: Repeat if necessary

If the squeaking persists, repeat the above steps until the door is silent. If the squeaking persists after multiple attempts, try dipping the pins into melted raw wax and replacing them in the hinges once the wax is dry which takes 5-10 minutes. One coat of wax is potentially not enough to solve the problem so you repeat the process until the squeaking is gone.

Fix Your Squeaky Door Hinge with WD-40

WD-40® Multi-Use Products are widely available at supermarkets including Woolworths and Coles, hardware stores such as Bunnings, Autobarn and other automobile accessory retailers and other general stores including Big W and K-Mart. An extensive list of stockists is available on WD-40’s website. The No Drip Formula Spray & Stay is exclusively available at Bunnings and WD-40® Specialist Anti-Friction Dry PTFE Lubricant is only available at hardware stores.

WD-40’s range of products make fixing a squeaky door fast and doable for anyone. Having a bottle of WD-40 lubricant handy makes it inexcusable not to deal with that door that has been annoying you for months. So rather than having squeaky sounding doors, have squeaky clean door hinges!