Hinge lubricant (On topic, really!) (2023 Update)

[Peter Johnson]

Any advice for lubricating a squeeky hinge without making a mess? TIA

[Brian Gaff]

Its that last bit that is the problem. I use three in one oil and then immediately mop up the dribbles and then ditch the old rag. a bit wasteful on oil, but often it will only need it every several years. WD 40 does not do a very good job, but I used to have something called LDR something or other in a spray can that was better than wd and not as messy as normal penetrating oil. Brian

[chop]

Graphite in little squeeze bottles.

[Brian Gaff]

I made a mess with those too. Also made me sneeze. Brian

[Rod Speed]

Trivial to avoid a mess with those.

Trivial to avoid that too.

[charles]

Last week I used PTFE Lubricant (spray can). No noise now.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Silicone spray lube. Or silicone grease applied with a Q tip

You can get both online or at local Halfords, at least, and possibly elsewhere

[Andy Burns]

The WD40 version containing PTFE works well on hinges/locks, does whiff a bit though.

[Bev]

Silicone spray such as furniture polish.

[alan_m]

Don't you need something that will clean off easily with a common solvent once it has collected enough dust and become a hard mess?

I use furniture polish on curtain rails and after around 6 to 9 months enough gunge has collected to make the curtain draw a bit harder. A bit of elbow grease can easily clean off the old application on a curtain track but on a hinge you possible need a solvent spray to clean out hinge internals before reapplying.

[Jeff Gaines]

The silicon spray that is specifically intended fro curtain tracks is excellent and it is designed not to stain the curtains. I bought a can about 15 years ago which s still in use.

[SteveW]

+1 for 3-in-one. That's been my go to for hinge lubrication for decades. One can (kept under the sink and separate from my garage oils) has lasted me for almost thirty years. My garage supplies of various oils cover everything else.

[Animal]

Any lube oil or dry solid can do that, just don't apply too much. 1 drop is often too much.

[Andy Burns]

Indeed, I bought one of these for a couple of quid on lidaldi special. By volume no doubt an expensive way to purchase oil, but will literally apply one tiny drop to the place you want it ... 3M version seems to no longer be made/sold, but generic "oil pens" are