ᐅ IKEA Malm drawers squeak despite maintenance – how to fix?

Hello everyone, I have a problem with my IKEA Malm drawers, which continue to squeak despite thorough care and lubrication when opening and closing them.

I have already treated the drawer slides with silicone spray and cleaned all visible parts. However, the unpleasant noise remains, especially when moving the drawers quickly.

I would be interested to know if anyone has had similar experiences and which solutions have proven effective. Are there perhaps special maintenance tips for these drawers or materials that work better than silicone?

I’m grateful for any advice, as the squeaking is really annoying and the drawers themselves are great.

hannes61 schrieb:
Despite thorough maintenance and lubrication, the Malm drawers remain squeaky

Oh dear, that sounds really frustrating! :-)

I had the same issue with a Malm dresser once – sometimes silicone spray isn’t the ultimate solution. Sometimes it helps to completely clean the tracks, first removing all the old lubricant and then treating them again with a Teflon or PTFE spray.

The key is that the tracks must be absolutely clean and free of any debris, otherwise the slider will still squeak.

Good luck, I’m sure it will be quiet again soon! 🙂

Completely remove old grease, then treat with Teflon spray. Silicone often only provides a short-term effect.

meGreg schrieb:
Sometimes it helps to completely clean the tracks and then re-treat them with a Teflon or PTFE spray

This is exactly the core of the problem. To effectively fix the squeaking, you need to proceed systematically:

1. First, remove all drawers and check the slides for any damage. Especially with Malm furniture, the rollers and plastic parts are prone to wear.

2. Then clean the slides with a degreasing cleaner—Isopropanol or a specialized mechanical cleaner is recommended. Important: Do not leave any oily or sticky residues.

3. Wipe dry and allow to dry completely.

4. After that, apply a thin layer of a dry lubricant spray or Teflon-PTFE spray.

5. Carefully reinsert the drawers and check if the movement has improved.

Regarding the choice of lubricant: Silicone spray can attract dust and may cause more damage over time. Dry lubricants are better in this case.

Have you checked whether the rollers or slides might be deformed? Even slight distortions can cause noise.

In addition to the previous post:

Dilen schrieb:
Silicone spray can attract dust and cause more damage over time

I completely agree. Especially with wooden furniture like Malm drawers, dust collects on the silicone layer, which increases friction and can cause the squeaking to return.

A very helpful tip from my side: clean the runners with isopropanol, then apply a PTFE-based lubricant sparingly. After that, test the drawers slowly at first to allow the lubricant to distribute evenly.

For persistent squeaking, I also recommend checking the drawers and their alignment. If they are installed crookedly or rub against the sides of the opening, that can also cause noise.

If the rollers are worn down, replacing them can often make a big difference. Just search for the part number online—there are suitable replacement parts available from IKEA and third-party suppliers.

Could you describe whether the squeaking seems to be coming more from the rollers or the side tracks?

bapar schrieb:
Could you describe whether the squeaking seems to come more from the rollers or the side guides?

Good question – I would say the noise mainly originates from the side plastic guides. The rollers themselves run quite smoothly and rotate freely, but when the drawer is pushed in or pulled out, there is a noticeable squeaking coming from the rail area, more or less at the level of the guides.

On closer inspection, the guides also seem a bit rough, possibly due to dust or slight wear. I will try the suggestion of using isopropanol and PTFE spray.

Could it be that applying too thick a layer of lubricant might also cause this? I have applied too much before, and the squeaking actually got worse.