ᐅ The Malm bed squeaks when moving at night – how can I reduce or eliminate this noise?

Hello everyone,

I have a Malm bed from IKEA that has been squeaking with every movement during the night for some time now. The noise seems to occur when the joints between the wooden panels shift slightly – especially when turning or getting up. The bed frame is placed on a hard laminate floor, and I have already tried tightening the screws, but without lasting success. I’m interested in what methods you would recommend to effectively reduce this squeaking. Are there any useful materials to insert between the joints, or special maintenance products? I’d prefer not to disassemble the bed or undertake complicated modifications. Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips!

zartan schrieb:
I have a Malm bed from IKEA that has been squeaking with every movement during the night for some time.

In general, squeaking occurs when wooden parts or screws rub slightly against each other. For the Malm bed, the typical problem areas are the connection screws on the side panels and the laminated wood boards that are not lying completely flat.

My recommendation is as follows:

1. Check the screws: Completely unscrew all screws and apply a thin layer of graphite or PTFE spray (a dry lubricant) before screwing them back in. Do not use oil, as it could damage the wood.

2. Use padding layers: Thin strips of felt or foam rubber work well as buffers at contact points—especially between the wooden side rails and cross slats.

3. Slightly roughen contact surfaces and treat them with wax (beeswax or furniture wax) to reduce friction.

4. Check the floor covering: Since the bed is on laminate flooring, placing special non-slip mats under the bed legs can also help to dampen vibrations.

This should significantly reduce the squeaking without the need for an extensive complete rebuild.

Maria35 schrieb:
Completely unscrew the screws and apply a thin layer of graphite or PTFE spray.

Wow, thanks for the tip! I once had a similar problem with my bed, and the PTFE spray really worked wonders :-) You can also use small felt pads designed for furniture – they’re easy to stick on and completely eliminate the friction!

What I also find great is that you can often get rid of the squeaking with some home remedies, like rubbing a few drops of candle wax onto the problem spots. That recently saved me from sleepless nights 🙂

Just keep at it, you can fix this quickly, don’t let such a small squeak bother you!

zartan schrieb:
The bed frame is standing on a hard laminate floor

I find it interesting that the problem only occurs for many people when the bed is on laminate or other smooth flooring. I would argue that the type and hardness of the floor surface are the main triggers for the squeaking in this case.

To take it a step further: wouldn’t it be better to use a soft foam mat instead of felt pads? A mat that also provides vibration damping.

And honestly – the IKEA Malm beds are not high-end pieces; they are basically designed to be replaced after a few years. So if someone really wants quietness, they might want to invest more or consider switching to a solid wood bed right away 😉

Don’t get me wrong, I think Maria35’s carpet trick is a good idea, but in the long run, it’s more of a temporary fix.