Hello everyone,
I have a problem with my IKEA Malm nightstand: the drawers squeak quite loudly when I open or close them. This is quite annoying, especially when trying to sleep. It sounds like the rails or rollers are rubbing somewhere or not sliding properly.
I have already tried pulling the drawers out completely to check for dirt, but I couldn’t find anything. Does anyone have experience with this issue or know a good way to permanently eliminate the squeaking?
I would be grateful for any suggestions—whether it’s maintenance, lubrication, or maybe even a mechanical adjustment. Thanks in advance!
I have a problem with my IKEA Malm nightstand: the drawers squeak quite loudly when I open or close them. This is quite annoying, especially when trying to sleep. It sounds like the rails or rollers are rubbing somewhere or not sliding properly.
I have already tried pulling the drawers out completely to check for dirt, but I couldn’t find anything. Does anyone have experience with this issue or know a good way to permanently eliminate the squeaking?
I would be grateful for any suggestions—whether it’s maintenance, lubrication, or maybe even a mechanical adjustment. Thanks in advance!
Hey Sosuta!!!
That’s really frustrating, but don’t worry – it can usually be fixed quite easily 🙂!
What worked wonders for me was simply spraying a bit of silicone spray onto the runners. This makes the mechanism smoother and the annoying squeaking often disappears immediately. Important: Always open and close the drawer fully a few times so the spray spreads evenly.
Give it a try, it really helped with my MALM! Good luck, and let us know how it goes! 🙂
That’s really frustrating, but don’t worry – it can usually be fixed quite easily 🙂!
What worked wonders for me was simply spraying a bit of silicone spray onto the runners. This makes the mechanism smoother and the annoying squeaking often disappears immediately. Important: Always open and close the drawer fully a few times so the spray spreads evenly.
Give it a try, it really helped with my MALM! Good luck, and let us know how it goes! 🙂
Davidleo schrieb:
What worked wonders for me was simply spraying a little silicone spray on the sliding rails.Well, I think silicone spray isn’t always the best solution. Sometimes it can actually attract dust and make the problem worse over time.
It’s much better to first carefully investigate what’s causing the squeaking: Is it really dirt or maybe a material defect?
And honestly, shouldn’t we just accept that furniture sometimes makes noises? It’s not exactly a high-end drawer system. You could almost say that the squeaking is part of the IKEA experience ;-).
To address the issue properly, you should first identify the type of tracks used in the Malm nightstand. IKEA often uses drawer slides made of plastic or with ball bearings.
If it is a plastic sliding mechanism, the squeaking may actually come from friction between the sliding plastic parts and the wood or metal.
The steps I would recommend are:
1. Completely remove the drawers and thoroughly clean all the guide rails from dust and lint. A small brush or compressed air can help with this.
2. Check the guide rails for signs of wear, cracks, or damaged bearings.
3. If undamaged, apply an appropriate lubricant – silicone spray works well for plastic, while a light machine oil can help with purely metal parts.
4. Important: Remove any excess lubricant to avoid leaving greasy residues that attract dust.
Could you possibly describe whether the nightstand has ball-bearing slides or more of a plastic glide system? That would help determine the right course of action.
If it is a plastic sliding mechanism, the squeaking may actually come from friction between the sliding plastic parts and the wood or metal.
The steps I would recommend are:
1. Completely remove the drawers and thoroughly clean all the guide rails from dust and lint. A small brush or compressed air can help with this.
2. Check the guide rails for signs of wear, cracks, or damaged bearings.
3. If undamaged, apply an appropriate lubricant – silicone spray works well for plastic, while a light machine oil can help with purely metal parts.
4. Important: Remove any excess lubricant to avoid leaving greasy residues that attract dust.
Could you possibly describe whether the nightstand has ball-bearing slides or more of a plastic glide system? That would help determine the right course of action.
Filippo schrieb:
Could you possibly describe whether the nightstand rails have ball bearings or more likely plastic runners?Thank you for the detailed response! Actually, they are more like plastic rails – so no visible ball bearings, rather a kind of plastic sliding tracks.
Regarding cleaning, I removed the drawers and used a vacuum cleaner to remove visible dust and lint, but maybe I really need to get into the corners a bit more.
I will also try using silicone spray, sounds like a good idea. I just wonder how long the effect lasts and whether there is a risk of it attracting even more dirt, as GALEO4 suggests.
In short:
Clean the plastic rails, spray silicone lubricant on them, then slide the drawer back and forth a few times.
If that’s not enough, you can lightly sand the drawer – but be careful to only sand the sliding surfaces!
Avoid using oil on plastic, as it usually causes more problems.
Clean the plastic rails, spray silicone lubricant on them, then slide the drawer back and forth a few times.
If that’s not enough, you can lightly sand the drawer – but be careful to only sand the sliding surfaces!
Avoid using oil on plastic, as it usually causes more problems.
Similar topics