Squeaky beds are the bane of our well-deserved sleep. Feel like turning in bed? Squeak. Curling into a ball? Squeak. Scooching closer to your partner? Squeak. Getting a little intimate? Squeak, squeak, squeak.
Nobody enjoys squeaking noises; in many cases, the squeaking of your bed can be bothersome enough to disrupt you from getting a good night’s sleep.
So, how do you get rid of bed squeaks? It isn’t rocket science. All you have to do is find the source of the squeaking, and we’ll provide some quick tips on how you could work on it.
What causes a bed to squeak?
There are so many ways to get rid of squeaking noises, but if you don’t know the source – you’d be shooting in the dark and won’t be able to get rid of the annoying sounds.
Knowing the cause of the squeaking wins you half the battle; pinpointing the source opens up plenty of DIY solutions for you to try. Ready to catch the culprit? Here’s a quick guide on identifying the source of the squeak.
Is it your mattress?
If you have a memory foam mattress, then it’s unlikely to be the culprit. On the other hand, if you have an innerspring mattress, that should be the first thing to check.
The best way to verify if the innerspring causes the squeak is to place your mattress on the floor, lie down on it, roll around, and maybe even jump a bit to hear if any squeaking sounds come out of it.
When you’re not ready yet to shell out for a new mattress, a quick bandaid solution is to rotate or flip your current one to find a position where the noise doesn’t come out as much.
Is it the box spring?
Box spring mattresses, over time, can also start to make noises. It’s also one of the most common sources of bed squeaks. Give your mattress a quick check by pushing the mattress or even rocking it a little. You can also push down on the mattress and search for the exact spots that cause the squeaks; this makes it easier for you to address your squeaky box spring.
Apart from ageing bed springs, it could also be the wood rubbing against the wood slats or something else. Isolate the box spring from the bed frame by placing it on the floor and pushing around the box spring to check for any creaking or squeaking sounds.
A quick fix for a squeaky box spring is spraying lubricant or wiping some grease inside. Make sure you don’t miss parts where wooden or metal parts meet, as this is often the source of the squeaks.
It must be the bed frame
When it’s clear that you don’t have a squeaky mattress and your box spring is entirely silent – it must be the bed frame. Whether it’s a wooden bed frame or a metal frame, both materials can cause the dreaded squeaky sound.
Dealing with a squeaky bed frame requires a bit more investigation. Loose joints commonly cause beds to squeak – inspecting where the headboard attaches is always an excellent place to start.
How to fix a squeaky bed frame
Fixing up and doing maintenance on your bed frame is the best way to cure a noisy bed. No need to fret; it’s not as difficult as it sounds, as most of the fixes needed could be done with tools just lying around the house.
Tighten your bolts
Loose bolts are very commonl source of creaking sounds, especially for metal bed frames. Inspect your bolts and screws and make sure all of them are tight. Most of the time, all you need is either a screwdriver or a wrench. Remember; righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.
You can also pick up some plastic washers from the hardware store to either add them to your bolts if your bed frame doesn’t have them or replace the metal washers that came with the metal bed frames.
Using plastic rather than metal washers ensures that no metal parts are rubbing together on your bedframe, lessening its tendency to squeak and make noise in the middle of the night.
Lubricate
You might need to lubricate the joints when all your bolts are tightened, and you still hear squeaking noises from different parts of the bed frame. This is more apparent with metal bed frames. The easiest way is to grab a can of WD-40 from the hardware store and spray it on the joints of your bed frame.
There are also alternatives that can help lubricate your bed frame joints, some of which you can probably find inside your home.
Beeswax or old candle wax is an excellent alternative to spraying WD-40. Rub the beeswax in between the frame and the bolts, and that could solve the squeaking. For wooden bed frames, you can rub beeswax, candle wax, or even soap on the surfaces to make them slide more easily.
If you can put in the time, a great way to eliminate squeaking is to dismantle your bed frame and apply lubrication to the joints and gaps before reassembling. This ensures that all parts of the bed frame are well lubricated.
Exercise warranty
Check-in with your bed frame manufacturer or the furniture store if your bed frame falls under warranty coverage. Although it’s unlikely for them to repair a bed frame or a mattress because of a minor squeak; you’d be surprised that some retailers may be willing to either repair, replace, or even refund your purchase.
Why you should fix a squeaky bed
It might be cumbersome to tinker around with your bed frame and to look for loose bolts or press around on your mattress just to find the cause of the squeaking, but it pays off in the long run when you deal with it as soon as you can.
The squeaking noises can get worse over time, bolts can get looser, and wood rubbing against wood over time can cause the material to deform which can aggravate the problem further.
Besides, squeaking noises at night can get in the way of a good night’s sleep, maybe even more so for your partner. Bring yourself that peace of mind by sleeping on a quiet bed – start looking for the source of the squeak, and apply any of the DIY solutions that we’ve covered.
Building un-squeaky beds
Tired of your old squeaky bed? Maybe it’s time to get a new bed frame – one that’s sure to not be creaking in the middle of the night.
The Ecosa Rise Bed Frame is made out of premium American Ash timber and a shock-resistant metal frame. The sleek natural wood grain feels smooth to the touch and helps the wood to avoid abrading with each other. You’ll be guaranteed a silent night so you can sleep easy.
Building an Ecosa Timber Bed Frame just takes five minutes, and no tools are required. That means, no loose joints, screws, or bolts to worry about during the assembly and in the long run.
Now if you want a more simple design without the headboards, the Ecosa Zen Bed Base has got you covered. It’s made with the same American ash timber, similar to the Ecosa Rise Bed Frame. Plus, it has shock-resistant wood slats that guarantee your zen bed base is a creak-free zone.
It’s also a good idea to switch to a good-quality memory foam mattress. No innerspring means that there would be no squeaking noises that would come out of your mattress.
As mentioned earlier, it’s also best to consider warranty coverage when purchasing bed frames and mattresses. Since you’re purchasing directly from the manufacturer rather than a distributor or a reseller, claiming a warranty or filing for returns becomes much easier.
The Ecosa Timber Bed Frame comes with a 5-year warranty, and the Ecosa Mattress offers a 100-night trial period.