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I have a squeaking door hinge and a some things that may possibly fix it, but which one should I prefer for the use case?

  • Fine Oil
  • "Grease" (other languages say sth. like "Oil lubricating and adhesive")
  • Graphite

(This set of 3)

There is no list of ingredients on either bottle.

Alexander
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3 Answers3

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I prefer graphite. It will act as a lubricant, but since it is a powder and not a liquid, it will not capture dirt like oil will. Oil would be my second choice. Grease is normally too thick and would require taking the hinge apart to really get it in there good.

UnhandledExcepSean
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  • Graphite can spread from the hinge and stain the hinge and anything coming in contact with the hinge. You can use bicycle chain dry lube which is finely divided particle of wax in a very light carrier which evaporates and leaves the wax behind. – Jim Stewart May 30 '19 at 16:38
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I like to use silicone lubricant as it does not stain and a little goes a long way. There have been complaints from interested parties in my home about the smell of the carrier but I just use it when they are out.

kevinskio
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I think it depends on your access to the hinges:

  1. If you can remove the door, the best choice will be grease.

  2. If you cannot remove the door, your only choice will be oil as it is the only lubricant that will be able to travel into the hinge from outside.

Grease is probably the best choice, because it will last very long and it won't come out of the hinge. Graphite can last long too, but might spread to your wall over time, which might be a problem on light walls.

Oil won't last as long as grease and graphite.


If you use oil, use mineral oil and not cooking oil, as plant-based oils will gum up over time and result in the opposite of a lubricant. You can read more about different lubricants in this answer.