Taking the Squeak out of a Squeaky Door Hinge

How to Lubricate a Squeaky Door Hinge

It's a stock sound in every horror movie, one that even appears within Michael Jackson's iconic song "Thriller." We're talking about the sound of a squeaking door hinge. While the sound may be great for a Hallowe'en haunted house, you probably son't want to listen to it every time you open the closet door - or worse, the bathroom door.

The mess left by a little squirt of
graphite (photo: author)

Most people will wander out into their garage and grab a can of WD40 to attack the door - but you should know better by now! The active ingredient in WD40 penetrates and sucks moisture out of tight spaces, but it doesn't actually lubricate -- it's the material the active ingredients are dissolved in that lubricates, and that solvent will evaporate in time. In other words, it doesn't last and the hinge will sooner than later start squeaking again. Besides, using WD40 is, frankly, rather messy.

Neither of the previous owners (ptui!) of my last two houses knew how to lubricate a squeaky hinge. One sprayed on WD-40 and the other used the graphite you squirt into locks. Both of them made a mess, and by the time we'd moved into the house the doors were squeaking again. Why? at least in part because they'd done it wrong. Here's how to do it right, with only a few minutes' work:

Assemble Your Tools

Just a few simple tools (photo: author)

Start with the right tools. You need 1) a punch or nail set to drive out the hinge pins, 2)  a hammer - I use a mallet with plastic or wooden heads, which are less likely to scratch the woodwork if you happen to bump it. Last, but not least, you need 3) a lubricant. I use, believe it or not, lubricating oil. You can buy this stuff at any hardware store, even at your local craft supply store (it's sold as sewing machine oil). It may cost a few bucks, but you'll only use a few drops of this very low-viscosity oil. It won't evaporate and it won't smear all over the door jamb like WD-40 and graphite.

Push Out the Hinge Pins

Push out a pin (photo:author)

Close the door completely and start your work from the side of the door where the hinges project out from the door jamb. Place the small, pointy end of the nail set underneath the hinge, centering it on the bottom surface - that's actually the end of the pin. Some fancy  or old-fashioned hinges will have a cap on both ends; you need to unscrew the bottom cap to remove it. Hold the nail set with one hand and the hammer in the other. Tap the fat end of the nail set lightly with the hammer, swinging the head parallel to the door jamb. Continue tapping until you've pushed the head of the hinge pin out about half an inch to an inch. If rusty or slightly bent, the hing pin may require additional "persuasion"; but as long as you don't get too crazy with the hammer you won't damage anything. Repeat on all hinges.

Lubricate the Hinge Pins

Just one drop usually does it!
(photo: author)

Place one drop of lubricating oil on the exposed shaft of each hinge pin, then tap the head of the pin with the hammer to reseat the pin. Wipe away excess lubricating oil, if any, with a rag or paper towel - you want to keep all of the oil within the pin where it won't attract and hold dust and dirt. Oil the other hinges and re-seat the hinge pins. 

Once all pins are re-seated, open and close the door several times to work the lubricant into the interior of the hinge. If one of the pins is still squeaky, you may need to drive it farther out of the hinge to spread the lubricant along the length of the shaft. Only remove one pin at a time if you oil the entire pin, since the door will be inclined to fall off if all the hinge pins are removed!

While you have your tools out, it would probably be a good idea to check all the other doors in the house for squeaks.

What You'll Need