# Squeaky door hinge: how to stop it for good

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/handyman/squeaky-door

## Short answer

To stop a squeaky door hinge, close the door and tap the hinge pin up from below with a nail and a hammer. Pull it out, wipe it clean with a rag or fine steel wool, and coat it with white lithium grease or petroleum jelly. Slide it back, swing the door a few times and wipe off the extra. Do one hinge at a time.

## How to stop a squeaky door hinge

![Cartoon door wincing as its top hinge squeaks](https://pros411.com/img/guias/squeaky-door.webp)

1. **Find the hinge that squeaks.** Swing the door slowly and listen. It is often the top hinge, which carries the most weight. Then close the door to work on it.
2. **Tap the pin up from below.** Hold a nail or a thin screwdriver under the hinge and tap it up with a hammer. Work on one hinge at a time: the others hold the door.
3. **Pull it out and wipe it clean.** Wipe off the old gunk and rust with a rag or fine steel wool. A dirty pin starts squeaking again fast.
4. **Coat it with grease.** A thin layer of white lithium grease or petroleum jelly along the whole pin. A few drops of light machine oil work too.
5. **Put it back and swing the door.** Tap the pin back down, swing the door a few times to spread the grease, and wipe off any extra so it does not drip.

## Why a quick spray does not last

A spray of WD-40 quiets a hinge for a while, but it is mostly a cleaner and it dries out. Grease on a clean pin lasts far longer. If you spray anyway, hold a rag behind the hinge so it does not run down the door.

## What not to do

- Do not pull all the pins at once: the door can fall on you.
- Do not use cooking oil. It turns sticky and can smell.
- Do not pry the pin up with a screwdriver against the door: it chips the paint and the wood.

## If the pin will not budge

Spray a little penetrating oil at the top of the hinge, wait 15 minutes and tap again. If the pin was painted over, cut the paint around its head with a utility knife first.

## When to call a handyman

- The squeak comes with a door that sags, rubs the frame or no longer latches.
- A hinge is bent, cracked or pulling out of the frame.
- The pin is rusted in and will not come out.
- It is the door between the garage and the house and it no longer closes by itself.

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## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best lubricant for a squeaky door hinge?

White lithium grease or petroleum jelly on a clean pin. They stay put and last much longer than a spray. Silicone spray works too and is less messy.

### Can I use WD-40 on a squeaky door?

It quiets it for a while, but it is mostly a cleaner, so the squeak comes back. Use it to clean the pin, then put grease on it.

### How do I get a hinge pin out?

Close the door, hold a nail or a thin screwdriver under the pin and tap it up with a hammer. Pull it the rest of the way with your fingers or pliers.

### Do I have to take the door off to fix a squeak?

No. Do one hinge at a time with the door closed; the other hinges hold it in place.

### Why does my door hinge squeak?

Metal is rubbing on dry metal inside the hinge. Dust, rust and old dried oil make it worse, and a sagging door puts extra pressure on one hinge.