How to Make a Drawer Open Easily

A drawer that does not open or close easily is not only a nuisance, it can be a bit dangerous. Items on dressers, tables or shelves that have a sticky drawer could fall off and injure someone who has tried to force a drawer open or closed. You can fix a "sticky" drawer and make it open easily with just two household items.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sand paper
• Wax (chunk of paraffin or an old candle)

1. Pull the drawer out of its housing (dresser, table).

2. Remove all of the contents from the drawer.

3. Turn the drawer upside down, and inspect the drawer rail on which the drawer glides in and out of the dresser or table.

4. Sand down any rough patches on the drawer. Also, sand down or snip off any splinters that might be protruding from the rail on the drawer.

5. Look inside the dresser or table, and look at the bar on which the drawer's rail glides on. If this has any rough spots or splinters, carefully sand these down so that the wood is smooth.

6. Rub the wax on the drawer's rail as well as on the bar that it glides on. Add plenty of wax, making sure to apply plenty of pressure so that it works into the wood.

7. Insert the drawer back into the dresser carefully, and test the smoothness by moving the drawer in and out. This also helps to smooth out the wax, and establish a smooth, hitch-free glide between the drawer and dresser.