ᐅ Malm drawers are coming loose from the frame – how can I reattach them?

Hello everyone,

I have an issue with my Malm dressers from IKEA: the drawers are increasingly coming loose from the frame, causing them to wobble or in some cases not latch properly at all. The area most affected is the side connection between the drawer box and the front panel. Since I want to keep using the drawers and don’t want to buy replacement furniture right away, I would like to know the best way to securely and permanently fix these drawers again. Are there recommended methods, screws, or special adhesives, or should I consider completely rebuilding the drawers?

I would really appreciate any tips, instructions, or personal experiences with Malm drawers!

That’s great that you want to tackle the problem yourself! 🙂 I had the same issue with my Malm dresser a few months ago. My tip: First, take a close look at the connection points—usually, it’s the small cam locks that come loose. Just loosen them, apply wood glue, then tighten again—it will hold really well! And if needed, you can reinforce it with small screws. Get started; it will work out perfectly!

The standard Malm drawers are connected using dowels and cam locks. You can use screws if the holes are still intact. Wood glue adds extra stability.

So, a detailed approach would first involve dismantling the drawer to inspect the damaged connectors. If the dowels are dented or broken, they should be replaced with new wooden dowels. Before reassembling, I recommend applying a thin layer of wood glue to the dowels and into the holes. After putting everything back together, the cam locks should be tightened carefully and evenly to avoid cracking the wood. If the holes are too large or worn out, stabilizing with wood filler or small wooden wedges might be necessary. What exactly does your damage look like? Are the wooden parts broken or just loose?

Domau0 schrieb:
What exactly does your damage look like? Are the wooden parts broken or just loose?

Thank you, that’s a good point. Specifically, some of the drawer sides have swollen, and the connection to the front and back panels is no longer tight. The cam locks can still be tightened, but they don’t hold as well anymore because the holes seem to be worn out. There are no visible cracks, but the fit is no longer precise.

PATROKLO69 schrieb:
The cam locks can still be tightened, but they don’t hold as well anymore because the holes seem to be worn out.

This is exactly where the core of the problem lies. The usual fixes with wood glue and new dowels only work if the drilled holes maintain their integrity. Otherwise, the solution only stabilizes the issue superficially and it will reoccur later. Have you checked whether the affected parts could be reinforced with something like thin plywood or a similar material? Adding a cushioning spacer behind the side panels might help improve the grip.