Your squeaky hinge needs grease, not a quick spray

Quick answer: A squeak is dry metal dragging on dry metal inside the hinge knuckle. Find the hinge that's doing it, tap the pin out, wipe off the black gunk, coat the pin with white lithium grease, and tap it back in. Budget about five dollars and a minute per hinge.

Nothing to shut off for this one. No power, no water, no gas. That's rare in this section, so enjoy it.

Why a spray fixes it for about a week

Most people grab the thin spray can, hit the top of the hinge, and the squeak goes away. Then it comes back, because a thin spray soaks in, thins out, and evaporates or runs off. It doesn't leave a lasting film on the pin.

Meanwhile the real problem sits there. Years of dust and old lubricant mix with fine metal shavings and make a black paste inside the knuckle. That paste grinds. Fresh oil on top of it just makes a wetter, grittier paste.

Clean the pin, then grease it. That's the whole idea.

Diagnose before you touch a tool

Not every noise from a door is a hinge. Spend two minutes figuring out what you've got.

1. Open and close the door slowly. Rest your fingertips on each hinge. You'll feel the squeak buzz through the one that's guilty. Often it's only one of three.
2. Lift the door by the handle while it's open a few inches. If the sound changes or stops, the hinge pin is your culprit. The door's weight is pressing it into the knuckle.
3. Look for shiny or scuffed paint along the latch edge or the top corner. That's the door rubbing the frame, not a hinge squeak. Different problem, covered below.
4. Check the screws. Open the door and wiggle it up and down by the handle. If a hinge leaf shifts, the screws are loose. A loose hinge clicks and sags more than it squeaks.

If it's the pin, keep going. If it's loose screws, fix that first or the grease won't last.

Tools and parts, with rough costs

Prices vary by store and region, so treat these as ballpark.

• White lithium grease, tube or spray: $5 to $8. This is what I'd buy. It stays put.
• Silicone spray: $6 to $8. Good if you want something that won't stain, and it's fine on plastic and rubber.
• Household oil like 3-in-1: $4 to $6. Better than the thin spray, worse than grease.
• A 16d nail or a nail set to knock the pin up: a few dollars, or free from the junk drawer.
• Flathead screwdriver, hammer, paper towels. You own these.
• Safety glasses. Pins fly when they pop loose.
• A scrap of cardboard to put under the hinge so you don't grease the carpet.

Free fallback: a bar of soap or a candle stub rubbed on the pin works in a pinch. It's a patch, not a repair.

The fix, in order

Work one hinge at a time and leave the door hanging on the other two. That way it can't drop on your foot and you don't have to rehang anything.

1. Close the door. Slide the cardboard under the bottom hinge. On a heavy solid-core or exterior door, wedge a folded shim under the latch edge so the weight stays supported while a pin is out.

2. Start at the bottom hinge. Put the tip of the nail under the pin from below if there's a gap, or slide the screwdriver under the pin head and tap it up. Don't pry hard. Short, firm taps and the pin walks up.

3. Pull the pin and look at it. It'll be gray or black and slick with grit. That's what you've been hearing.

4. Wipe it clean with a paper towel until the metal shows. Run a twisted corner of the towel into the knuckle to clear the old paste as far as you can reach.

5. Coat the pin with a thin film of grease. Thin. A glob just collects dust and comes out the sides.

6. Slide it back in and tap it down. Swing the door a few times and wipe off any squeeze-out.

7. Repeat on the other hinges, even if they're quiet. They're the same age and the same dry. Fifteen minutes now beats doing it again in spring.

If a pin won't budge, it's probably painted in. Tap a little harder and score around the head with a utility knife. If your house was built before 1978, assume the paint could contain lead. Don't dry-scrape or sand it. Wipe with a damp rag, keep kids and pets out of the area, and call a pro if you need to do more than a light touch.

The one-minute version

Can't get the pin out? Lift the door slightly, put a drop of oil or a dab of grease where the pin meets the top of the knuckle, and work the door open and shut ten times. It gets the job done for a few weeks. It won't clear the gunk, so plan to do the proper job later.

When it's not the pin

Loose screws. Tighten them with a hand screwdriver, not a drill, which strips them. If one just spins, pull it, dip a couple of toothpicks in wood glue, jam them into the hole, snap them flush, and drive the screw back in. The same trick is covered in Reglue a Wobbly Chair So It Outlasts the Rest of the Set. For the top hinge, swap one screw for a 3-inch screw (a few dollars a box) that reaches the framing behind the jamb. It pulls the door back up and keeps it there.

A door rubbing the frame. Greasing won't help. Tightening the top hinge screws usually fixes a slight sag. If it still rubs, the door or the frame has moved.

A garage door. Different animal. The hinges on a sectional door can take a little grease, and unplugging the opener first is smart. But the torsion springs and cables carry enough stored force to put a person in the hospital. Leave those to a pro. If the door has other symptoms, start with Why Your Garage Door Stops Halfway and What to Fix First.

When to call someone

Call a carpenter or a handyman if:

• The door sags and the screws are tight. The frame or the door may be out of square.
• The wood around a hinge is soft, split or rotted.
• A hinge leaf is cracked or bent. Replacement hinges are cheap, but matching size and mortise is fiddly.
• It's a fire-rated door, such as the one between your house and an attached garage. Hinges and hardware on those are often regulated, and codes vary by area. Check with your local building department before swapping anything.
• It's an exterior door and you want it tightened for security.

Leave it better

Before you pack up, wipe any grease off the door face and the floor. Give the knob a quick wipe while you're there. If it's a rental or somebody else's place, leave the grease tube behind with a note. And if the squeaky door belongs to a nursery, fix it at lunch, not at 9 p.m.

A quiet door is a small thing. It's also the kind of small thing people notice without ever knowing why the house feels looked after.