Fixed my sticky kitchen drawer with a bar of soap last Tuesday

Honestly, I was so annoyed with my junk drawer sticking every time I tried to open it. The wood had swollen from humidity over the summer and it was scraping against the frame. I remembered someone online saying to rub a bar of soap on the runners, so I grabbed an old Dove bar and gave it a quick swipe. It slid open smooth as butter after that, no sanding or planing needed. Cost me nothing since I already had the soap, and it still works a week later. Has anyone else found a weird household item that fixed something unexpected?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.jason1d ago

Piggybacking off what amy said about reapplying, I actually started keeping a small travel sized bar of soap in my junk drawer just for this purpose. It's crazy how many things around the house have gotten the soap treatment since I first tried it on my sticky kitchen drawer last summer. Even used it on a patio chair that was scraping against the concrete floor and it slid way easier after just a quick rub. The best part is you don't have to worry about making a mess or damaging anything because soap is so mild compared to WD-40 or sandpaper. Just gotta remember to redo it every few months when you notice things starting to drag again.

amy_sanchez1d ago

Oh wow, I actually heard about that trick from a woodworker on YouTube a while back! They said soap works because it fills in the grain and reduces friction without adding moisture like oil would. I tried it on a squeaky closet door that was sticking at the top and it fixed it instantly. The soap wore off after a month but a quick reapply did the trick again.