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The 8 Best Ways to Fix a Squeaky Bed

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Even some of the sturdiest beds you can find on the market can still be affected by the problem of squeakiness. That annoying noise can develop after months or years. Your time to rest or unwind can be severely impeded by the squeaking of the frame or mattress. If you’re having trouble sleeping because of it, you should find the best method to get rid of the squeakiness once and for all.

The biggest issue with a squeaky bed is that it’s not always simple to figure out the precise cause of the noise. It could be a faulty spring in the mattress or some loose connection of the bed’s frame. Squeaks can appear from a variety of causes. That’s why troubleshooting them is particularly challenging. We recommend applying multiple methods to try to solve the problem of a squeaky bed. You will eventually detect the exact cause of the noise and regain back your restful nights of sleep.




Check out these easy ways to fix a squeaky bed.

1. Tighten the Joints

Screwdriver and Screw

Before trying anything else, you should inspect the joints of the bed frame very closely. A loose connection here is the usual culprit when it comes to a squeaky bed. Get out the toolbox and search for any bolts or screws across the frame of your bed. Make sure they’re properly tightened to prevent any possible source of annoying noise. Due to the fact that metal-on-metal connections are very prone to squeakiness, it’s recommended to bring some plastic washers when tightening the joints. Don’t forget to test the noise levels of the bed after this job is done.



2. Try Cushioning

A layer of cushioning is often required to reduce squeaking caused by contact between the mattress and the bed’s frame. Any kind of fabric material can be used to reduce the problematic friction. It’s recommended to search for some old T-shirts or washcloths that can be placed to cushion the frame. Create a reliable barrier against unwanted noise by lining each slat of the frame. This is not a difficult trick and can provide some surprisingly good results when it comes to eliminating that annoying squeaking.




Aside from cushioning the area between the bed frame and the mattress, you can also try a similar solution but only for the mattress. If you use a mattress topper, you will be able to create a buffer to muffle any squeaking sound. This is an ingenious solution, especially if you discover a fault in your innersprings. Mattress toppers are also practical to get to enhance the comfort of an old mattress without the bigger investment into a brand new one. Take a look at this gel-infused mattress topper on Amazon that can bring reliable cushioning while also enhancing your sleeping comfort.

3. Add Floor Padding

Floor Padding for Bed

When you fail to detect any fault with the bed frame or the mattress, it’s a good idea to take a step back and look towards other aspects that might play a role in the squeakiness. The floor can get overlooked easily but any unevenness will contribute to excessive noise issues. Although fixing the floor is challenging, you can try some workarounds to minimize the squeakiness. Bring enough padding under the legs of the bed to correct the floor imbalance resulting in squeakiness. In case the bed sits on wheels, you should install new caster cups or spray some WD-40 to lubricate them.



4. Lubricate the Joints

Woman Holds WD-40

If your squeaky bed has a metal frame, it’s safe to say that squeakiness can easily happen in the joint areas. Using a lubricant like WD-40 can work wonders to deal with this problem. This is a great use of this versatile product. Keep in mind that lubrication may only solve the issue temporarily as the joints can eventually start to make squeaky noises again after some time. It’s highly recommended to combine this fix with the previous one that focused on tightening the joints. If you’re taking proper care of the bed frame’s joints and still hear squeaking, it’s probably time to look elsewhere for the source of the noise.



5. Try Using Cork

Cork has great cushioning powers to help reduce squeaking on wooden bed frames. This is a good fix for those situations where there are no joints to tighten or grease. Bits of cork can be positioned in key areas to mitigate the friction effects that cause the noise. Check for loose spots between the mattress and the bed frame that can be cushioned with cork. It’s also worth adding this material around the pegs. Although this isn’t a perfect fix for all cases, it should still work to reduce the noise overall.

6. Check the Weight Distribution

The mattress can also be a significant source of squeaking. One likely problem is uneven weight distribution that results in a mattress sitting improperly on the box spring or the bed frame. Remove the mattress and realign it correctly to make sure it sits centered on the frame and that all the weight is finally distributed uniformly.



7. Rotate the Mattress

Rotating a Mattress

If it seems that no matter how much you’re rearranging the mattress on the bed frame you still hear squeaking, perhaps this simple trick will fix it. The solution involves rotating the mattress so that its head goes to the foot of the bed. It might sound strange, but you’ll be amazed to find that such a simple trick eliminates the noise. The rotation can resolve any alignment issues on the frame and allow you to sleep comfortably without any bed squeaking.



8. Upgrade the Mattress

Despite all your attempts to fix the squeaky bed, you can still end up in a situation when nothing provides good results. This usually means that your mattress is faulty and there’s simply no other solution than to upgrade it to a newer one. Choose a memory foam model for your next mattress because it’s much quieter. This type of mattress doesn’t rely on a box spring or innersprings that cause noise problems. Check out this comfortable memory foam mattress.

By Stefan Bucur

Stefan is the founder and owner of Rhythm of the Home. He has 6 years of experience in home improvement, interior design, cleaning and organizing.

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