How To Open a Stuck Drawer

A light cleaning and lubrication makes an amazing difference

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Time

1 hour or less

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$0 - $20

Introduction

Dirt, dust and old lubricant (or lack of it) can make drawers hard to open and shut. Cleaning gummed-up guides will help; so does the right lubricant.

Tools Required

  • Rags

Materials Required

  • Hard wax or paraffin
  • Silicone lubricant

Loosening a Sticky Roller or Guide

Instead of fighting to open a stuck drawer, take about two minutes per drawer to clean and lubricate them so they’ll glide in and out with the touch of a finger. It might feel like a tedious chore, but in reality it’s a fairly quick fix that will make your day run much smoother. Simply check what kind of drawer you have and then grab the appropriate lubricant.

For drawers fitted with rollers and guides, wipe them clean and spray the rollers with a drying-type silicone lubricant that doesn’t attract dust. Look for the type that can be sprayed on plastic and rubber as well as metal.

Most dresser drawers don’t have rollers and guides. To renew their smooth action, use a rag to clean out old dust and wax. Then rub hard wax (candle or paraffin) along the drawer edges and center guide.

Project step-by-step (3)

Step 1

Pull the drawer out

Remove a kitchen drawer by pulling it fully out of the cabinet, lifting the front edge, and uncoupling the left and right drawer rollers from the cabinet-mounted guides.

Pull The Drawer OutTMB Studio

Step 2

Wipe and lubricate

Wipe old lubricant and dust from all drawer and cabinet rollers and guides. Squirt new lubricant into all four roller assemblies. Wipe the excess lubricant off with a rag and then reinstall the kitchen drawers by reversing the steps you followed to remove the drawers.

Wipe and lubricateTMB Studio

Step 3

Wax wooden drawers

If you’re working with wooden drawers and guides, wax is a better option to open a stuck drawer. Lubricate dresser drawers by rubbing a hard-wax candle or paraffin block along both drawer bottom edges and the center guide.

Wax wooden drawersTMB Studio