How to Fix a Sticky Drawer

Fixing sticky drawers is usually not difficult, although there can be a number of reasons for drawers to become sticky. Consequently, there are a number of solutions needed to ensure success.

This article covers three of the most commonly found drawer and drawer-receptacle designs. There are others, but these tips and advice should be applicable to most.

Below, we’ll analyze the three common styles, and offer some possible solutions to eliminate the “sticky-situation”:

Drawer-slide design:
1. Drawer is of simple “box designed to slide inside another box”, with no “slide” hardware.
Solutions:
-Ensure wood has not become swollen; if so, sanding or planing may be required.
-Ensure contact surfaces are smooth; lubricate with paraffin or butcher’s wax or plain bar soap.

2. Drawer is equipped with mechanical “roller-track” type slide hardware, which slides into mating hardware inside the drawer receptacle.
Solutions:
-Ensure all mechanical hardware is securely attached to the drawer itself and to the inside area of the drawer receptacle.
-Ensure any “moving parts” actually do move.
-Lubricate with WD-40, lithium white grease or similar lightweight lubricant (minimal amounts required).

3. Drawer is equipped with a rear-mounted (plastic) slider bracket, and the drawer receptacle is equipped with a top, centered metal “slider-track”, as well as two small roller-wheels; one at each bottom corner of the drawer opening.
Solutions:
-Ensure center mounted track inside drawer receptacle is securely anchored.
-Ensure the plastic ‘slider’ attachment on the drawer itself is securely anchored and unbroken.
-Lubricate with Lithium white grease (small amount required).
-Ensure lower roller-wheels are securely anchored to the lower portion of the drawer receptacle area.
-Ensure lower roller-wheels are positioned so they allow the drawer bottom to clearly slide in and out of the opening.
-Lubricate with WD-40 (minimal amount required).

Preventive Maintenance (or…how to prevent recurrence of “sticky drawers”):

Again, depending on which drawer slide system is involved, preventing drawers from sticking is not too difficult.

Some wood furniture with drawers expands and contracts with changes of the seasons or other general atmospheric changes. So, if a wooden dresser or cabinet is stored in a damp area, and it is not equipped with mechanical “slide” hardware, it will very likely swell enough so the drawers will be very difficult to move.
-Obviously, storing wooden furniture of this type in dry areas is the best prevention method.
-There are also moisture-absorbing products available that may help minimize wood swelling from exposure to dampness. Place product inside or near furniture to maximize benefits.

On drawers with ‘mechanical-slide’ systems, the best preventive maintenance is to re-inspect, re-secure and re-lubricate a couple times each year.