Wooden cabinets and tables with drawers are great places to store things, but when the drawer gets stuck, it can be extremely frustrating. This is even more so if the drawer contains important documents or items. Even if you finally get the drawer open one time, it can still get stuck the next time, resulting in another round of frustration and annoyance. If you have one of these hard-headed drawers, there is actually a practical solution to your problem:


Step 1. For this project you will need the following things: an extension cord with a socket for a light bulb, or a portable lamp; a 75-watt incandescent light bulb; coarse grade sandpaper, ½-grit, about one sheet should be enough; silicone spray or paraffin wax.

Step 2. If you have already managed to remove the drawer, proceed to Step 3. If it is still stuck in place, try to open the drawer even just a few inches. This may require the frustrating pulling and pushing just to get it to open a tiny bit, at least enough to allow the light bulb to be inserted into the opening. If there is a neighboring drawer or a drawer above or below it through which you can access the stuck drawer, check if anything needs to be cleared; you can use a bent coat hanger to fish around in the drawer to make sure nothing is stuck on the sides or the top.

Step 3. When you have successfully opened the drawer a bit, put the extension cord with the light bulb into the drawer and turn on the bulb by plugging the extension cord into the nearest outlet. Leave the lit bulb inside for about 15 minutes to heat up the space enough; the heat of the bulb will shrink the wood, and when the wooden drawer is shrunk enough, it will become very easy to pull the drawer out.

Step 4. Remove the drawer and place it on a stable surface, and use the coarse-grit sandpaper to smooth down the sides of the drawer. Also be sure to sand down the tops and bottoms of the drawer runners. Dust off the sawdust or use a cloth rag to wipe off the dust from the drawer sides.

Step 5. Apply silicone spray or rub paraffin on the sides of the drawer and on the tops and bottoms of the runners. This will give the drawer a smooth and sliding surface so that it would not get stuck again.

Step 6. Put the drawer back into the cabinet. Do not push it all the way back in yet; instead, test to see if there are still areas of the drawer that seem binding. If you find any place where the fit still seems tight, remove the drawer again and sandpaper that portion. Once you are done, you can be confident to leave the drawer in its place and you can be sure it will no longer stick.