Tried fixing a squeaky floor with baby powder and made it way worse

Honestly, I had this one spot in my hallway near the bedroom door that drove me nuts every night. I saw a tip online about sprinkling baby powder between the floorboards to stop the squeaking. So I grabbed the bottle, dumped a good amount in the crack, and stomped around to work it in. Next day, the squeak was louder and now there's a white mess all over the dark wood. Turns out the powder just dried out the wood even more and made the nails shift. I ended up having to screw it down from the top and cover with wood filler. Has anyone else tried some hack like this that backfired big time?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo64519d ago

Read some guy on another forum who used olive oil on a squeaky hinge. Ended up staining his whole doorframe. Sticky mess.

cora_perez18d ago

Olive oil will go rancid over time too, not just stain wood. That rancid smell mixed with dust becomes this nasty greasy film that attracts more dirt than a normal squeak ever would. Silicone spray is like 5 bucks and dries clear with no sticky residue. WD-40 works in a pinch but it's not a lubricant, it's a solvent that'll eventually wash the hinge clean then leave it dry again.