ᐅ The Malm dresser only squeaks occasionally – how can I reproduce the issue?

Hello everyone, I have a Malm chest of drawers from IKEA that sometimes squeaks when pulling out or pushing in the drawers. The squeaking only occurs occasionally, not consistently, and I can’t exactly say under which conditions it happens. Does anyone have an idea how I could systematically reproduce this sporadic squeaking? I want to narrow down the problem to search for a targeted solution. Are there specific factors like load, speed, temperature, or similar that I should test? I would really appreciate any helpful tips!

Try opening and closing the drawer under different loads. Sometimes the squeaking only occurs when the drawer is heavier.

Hello Stephenix, your problem sounds like a typical case where the slide rails or rollers are slightly stiff. To reproduce the squeaking, you should deliberately test different factors: for example, close the drawer with varying pressure, change the speed when pulling it out, and observe if temperature differences (e.g., cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon) have any effect. It’s best to document when the squeaking occurs and under what conditions—this way you can at least narrow down the cause.

It's great that you want to tackle the problem so thoroughly! 🙂 I had a similar issue with my dresser, and cleaning the track followed by spraying a bit of WD-40 or a similar lubricant helped. The squeaking might just be caused by dust or dirt inside. Try this in different conditions—the squeaking only occurred occasionally for me.

The sporadic nature of the squeaking suggests that the cause might be changing loads or slight sticking on the sliding rails. I would recommend varying not only the weight of the drawer but also the speed of movement precisely, for example slow, medium, and fast. If possible, check whether jamming or misalignment occurs, as this selectively increases friction. A controlled record including the time, the drawer’s position, and the temperature can be very helpful.

Hello Stephenix, sometimes sliding rails squeak only at certain points because they are slightly damaged or dry. To reproduce the squeaking, also check whether the noise occurs only when the drawer is fully extended or in the middle of opening. Test this with different loads and possibly small changes in movement: for example, pull the drawer at an angle, if possible, and see if it sounds different.