How to Fix a Squeaky Box Spring

Your bed should be your sanctuary – it’s comfy, it’s relaxing and most importantly, it a space that invokes rest. While some people may be lighter sleepers than others, it’s a popular concept that a squeaky bed equals an annoying bed. If you’ve ever been plagued with a noisy or squeaky bed, you probably know what we’re talking about.

Are you a light sleeper? Have you ever encountered a squeaky box spring and bed? Did it keep you up all night with its incessant noise each time you moved in your sleep? Is there any way to fix a squeaky box and help get you back to that restful sleep?




Yes, of course there is! Don’t let a squeaky box prevent you from resting and recharging as you’re accustomed to. Better yet, instead of going as far as purchasing a completely new box spring, there are super simple ways in fixing it yourself! In this article, we’ll detail how to fix a squeaky bed and get you back to sleeping like a baby again!

General Materials:

In order to fix a squeaky foundation for good, there are a few things you’re going to need. We have compiled a few methods that could help eliminate the squeak, but it’s up to you to choose with method or methods work for you. There are a few ways to keep it from squeaking so depending what the problem is with your box spring, you may need more or less of the items listed.

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    Wrench
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    Bolts
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    Washers
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    Old fabric (such as socks, T-shirts, towels or pillowcases)
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    WD-40

Bolt Method:

Sometimes a squeaky box or bed could mean you need to simply tighten the screws and bolts. If the squeaking persists, you may need to add some bolts and washers to keep the wooden structure in place and prevent it from making so much noise.

What you’ll need:

  • Bolts
  • Wrench
  • Washers

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  • 1. Flip the model, carefully, over and locate any and all of the joint fixtures.
  • 2. Using your wrench, make sure each of the bolts is tight.
  • 3. If there is a squeak while tightening, make sure to add a washer to provide some leeway between the actual box spring and the bolt. NOTE: Adding this leeway may help reduce the tension on the wood and prevent the joint from squeaking at all.
  • 4. If the squeaking persists after tightening all the joints, add some more bolts to make the bed sturdier.
  • 5. Locate all the bolts and measure out the space in between bolts. You’ll want to line up your bolts accordingly, so make sure to screw in the bolt with even space in between the other bolt to create a consistent hold. NOTE: Don’t forget to use washers in between the bold and wood if there is squeaking tension on the wood.
  • 6. You could even add lubricating oil such as WD-40 or cooking spray on the actual bolts since you’ll be installing or tightening quite a few of them. NOTE: We give you a tutorial on how to lubricate the coils in this article, but the bolts could also be lubricated to ensure to noise escapes.
  • 7. If the squeaking hasn’t gone away or at least diminished, you can incorporate one of the following methods to prevent any noise.

Soften the Space

Adding some fabric in between the mattress and the box spring could take tension and disperse the weight. Weight distribution can help in this situation, but if the squeaking is prominent you could also try adding fabric to the actual bed frame.

What you’ll need:

  • Any kind of old fabric from old socks to old towels
  • Screws or bolts

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  • 1. Lay out fabric between the mattress and the box spring. NOTE: Make sure to make the layer of fabric even since you don’t want any weird lifts or bulges in the mattress.
  • 2. Add fabric to the actual frame in between the box spring and the mattress by carefully lining the fabric along the insides of the frame. NOTE: If you can pinpoint exactly where the squeak is coming from, that’d be easier in determining how much fabric you’ll need and where to focus your energy on.
  • 3. Add fabric in between the slats of the actual box spring and the backing. NOTE: Make sure to screw or bolt the slat in place to prevent the fabric and slat from slipping around and potentially causing more noise.
  • 4. Be careful not to overstuff in between the slats since the wood is more than likely flimsy and could break or splinter. A thin distributing of fabric should work – don’t bulge up the fabric.
  • 5. If adding fabric doesn’t help with the tension and noise, you may want to follow-up with lubricating coils method which we go into next.

Lubricating Coils

It may not seem like it’d work, but by lubricating coils with WD-40 or cooking spray, the coils will become slippery and prevent any noise from metal tension from inside. Cooking spray may not be as effective as WD-40, but if you don’t already have WD-40 on hand, you’d be surprised at the power of cooking spray. All you really need is some kind of oil to lubricate the coils.

What you’ll need:

  • WD-40 or spray cooking oil
  • Knife or box cutter to open up the sides

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  • 1. Flip box spring over so you can get to the coils.
  • 2. Cut a small hole or open up a side if you don’t mind stitching or stapling it back together again.
  • 3. Take the WD-40 or cooking oil and spray all along the inside of the box spring until you feel you’ve reached all the coils and it’s saturated.
  • 4. If you have the time and are willing to put in the effort, try taking apart the actual corner bolts and casings in order to lubricate the entire bolts, too. This will be a bit of a job, but would be well worth the effort in preventing any bolt squeaking.
  • 5. Make sure to sew up or staple the opening to close.

Conclusion

Did you like this article? Hopefully one of these methods worked! A noisy box spring can be annoying, but with great methods and tutorials like the aforementioned, you should be able to sleep like a baby in your silent bed soon enough!

If you don’t want to go through all these extremes in finding a method that will work, I’d suggest to start with the lubricating coils before anything else. A lot of the time, coils will wear out as anything metal or steel tends to do. If you try this method and there is still that incessant squeaking, go ahead and try adding the extra fabric, and so on and so forth.

Do you have any experience dealing with a pesky mattress or box spring? Do you know first-hand how frustrating it is to deal with a noisy bed? Let us know! We’d love to hear about your experiences and insight into finding a solution. Maybe you’ve even tried one of these solutions before and found it really did the job! Let us know in the comments! You’re just a few steps closer to a restful sleep free of any distraction and noise!

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