1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

There are many times when you will find yourself in need of something to lubricate a door, lock, hinge or a tight screw. The usual method is to use a can of oil but think again, oil is a liquid which can attract dust and dirt, making a source of contamination.

Door locks, in particular do not respond well to oil, dust can cling to oil and clog a lock, the alternative is graphite. you can buy powdered graphite in a puffer pack and it is excellent for easing locks.

If you are having trouble getting a screw to go in rub it on a candle or a bar of soap. It will turn far more easily and will not stain the wood.

Hinges can be lubricated with soap or candle wax and again, these substances will not cause dirty stains on your doors and will stop squeaks and creaks almost indefinitely.

Apart from the powdered graphite all these substances will be found in almost every home. As a great substitute for the powdered product, you can use a very common object, a pencil.

Pencil lead is a mixture of graphite and clay and it is often possible to do a good job of lubricating a squeaky piece of machinery by rubbing the moving surfaces with the point of a pencil. I recently used it to stop the screeching noise that our ironing board made when it is being folded. The locking mechanism consists of a metal rod that passes through a hole on the base, it took a couple of strokes of a pencil to stop the noise, to all our great relief.

If you want to buy a good lubricating product, you can buy silicone spray. I noticed that the lock on our metal mailbox was becoming stiff and stubborn to move. It took a second to squirt some silicone, which has a trade name of Ambersil, into the lock which now opens smoothly, easily and more importantly, silently. Also, as it is a food grade product, it can be used to lubricate the moving parts of such things as food mixers, plastic gears in vacuum cleaners, where oil or such spirit based cleaning solutions as WD40 can be a fire hazard.

In my opinion such products are great for cleaning off rust to get neglected equipment moving again but it should always be cleaned off and replaced with a proper lubricant to ensure a longer lasting solution.

Learn more about this author, Jeff Dray.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Tips to fix annoying household squeaks?
We want to hear your view. Write now!