ᐅ Malm nightstand handles are coming loose – how can I tighten them?

Naomige schrieb:
What about systematically tightening the screws a little more firmly with a torque wrench? That can prevent over-tightening.

Something like this for a nightstand... Really? Just handling the furniture with a bit more care should be enough. You don’t constantly juggle with your nightstand handles so that the screws need to be tightened again and again. The better question would be not how to keep tightening them, but why the use has to be so rough.

I take a practical approach: The Malm nightstand is a fairly lightweight piece of furniture made with relatively thin particleboard. The handles are attached using thin screws, which are sometimes anchored in hard plastic anchors or screwed directly into the wood. Simply tightening the screws is often not enough because the material around the screw can become stripped. Here are a few steps I would recommend:

1. Completely loosen the screws and check if the wood around the holes is still intact.
2. If the hole is stripped, fill it with some wood glue and an appropriate wood dowel (or a toothpick, carefully trimmed to fit) and let it dry.
3. Then screw the screw back in, using thread tape or Teflon tape to increase friction.
4. Use a medium-strength threadlocker—not too strong—to ensure the screws stay in place but can still be removed later if needed.

If that seems too complicated, switching to metal-reinforced anchors and slightly stronger screws is an alternative, although this will modify the furniture itself. A small tip: repeatedly tightening the screws can further damage the particleboard.

I’m curious how often the handles loosen on your model and whether it might be related to stress—like if the drawer is overfilled or too heavy?

LIELCHEN schrieb:
Really? A bit more careful handling of the furniture should be enough.

I partly agree with you, but in our household we use the bedside tables several times a day – especially with small children, where the handles are not treated gently. So it’s not extreme abuse, just normal use.

Palenar schrieb:
I’m still wondering... could it also be due to the load – for example if the drawer is too full or too heavy?

I can confirm that as well – for example, I often put books and other heavy items inside, but the handles should still withstand that without constantly loosening.

Hello everyone 🙂

I’m always amazed at how many small details in mass-produced furniture can make such a big difference—especially with handles that you use every day!

My tip: If possible, use medium-strength threadlocker when securing screws, and add small felt pads or rubber rings on the inside to reduce vibrations. It’s a bit like a shock absorber for your bedside table handles :-)

And if a handle ever becomes loose, don’t worry—a proper little maintenance routine takes less than 5 minutes and will keep it secure for six months or more. Good luck!

You can also apply a small drop of nail polish to the screw thread before screwing it in. This acts like a mild threadlocker and is often sufficient for bedside table handles. Just give it a try.