Fix Your Kitchen DrawersThe most beat-up part of your kitchen is the cabinets and drawers. After being opened and closed a dozen times a day they begin to wear down and sometimes break.

There’s no silver bullet for fixing kitchen drawers. It depends on the drawer. The best advice is to pull out the drawer, see how it was put together, and try to mimic the process. It’s usually pretty straight forward. Mostly you’ll just need a little patience.

Broken drawer

  • Remove the drawer by pulling it out as far as it can go. Then lift up and angle it down while pulling gently until the drawer pops off the track.
  • Remove any nails, screws or staples from broken sections.
  • Use a knife to pry apart those sections that are cracked or loose.
  • Apply wood glue in between the pieces and clamp together. Allow glue to dry according to instructions on the bottle.
  • Pound the nails back into place.
  • Put the drawer back in place.

Loose cover
A wobbly drawer front means screws are loose. Simply tighten them with a screwdriver. If they won’t tighten then the holes are probably stripped.

  • Pull out the drawer.
  • Detach the front cover from the drawer box by removing the screws.
  • Drill new holes next to the old ones.
  • Screw the cover back on.

Sticking drawers

  • Remove the drawer.
  • Clean the metal slides with soap and water.
  • Apply a lubricant to the slides. Grease can work but it attracts dust and perhaps unwanted insects. Wax seems to be the best option. There are several wax-type sprays out there. You can also try wiping them over with a candle.

Damaged slides
If the slides are bent or the rollers broken the best option is to replace them.

  • Remove the drawer.
  • Unscrew the tracks and take them shopping with you.
  • Try to buy a slider identical to the old one so the screw holes match up.
  • Screw the new tracks into place and put the drawer back.

Banging doors
Get bumper stickers – not the kind for your car, but padded stickers that act as a protection when you close drawers or cabinets. A pack of 16 bumpers is about $3 at a housewares store.

  • Clean the wood to remove any dirt or grease.
  • Place a bumper inside each corner of the drawer.

Drawer pulled out too far
Simply put it back. Angle the back of the drawer slightly upwards and gently push forward. It should catch on the track and slide back into place.

Most broken drawers can be fixed without replacing them. The key is to do it right away before the problem gets worse.