How to Quiet a Loud Door Knob (And Fix Squeaky Ones)

One of the most irritating sounds in the world has to be the sound of a loud doorknob.

Well, it’s not the sound itself that makes us so bothered, it has more to do with the fact that this sound is always heard when it’s absolutely not needed.

Whether you’re going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, being extra quiet as to not wake the baby up, or if you’re just trying to concentrate on a task at hand, the sound of a loud doorknob can really ruin everything.

Luckily, we have some easy tricks that you can do yourself, depending on whether you have a squeaky doorknob or just a loud one!

How to Easily Fix a Squeaky Door Knob

What You'll Be Needing:

1. Spray some metal lubricant on the door knob for a quick fix

The reason why your doorknob is producing loud or squeaky sounds could be because it’s rusty or even filled with dust.

Fortunately, if you’re not a handy type of person, there’s an easy solution to this problem.

The only thing you need is some metal lubricant, like WD-40, or some silicone spray.

Gently apply the metal lubricant on the door knob while turning it slowly. This will help you work the substance into the mechanism, making sure that all the problematic parts are covered.

You should also put the metal lubricant around the door hinge pins and let it soak for a bit.

It might be easier if you used silicone spray for this step because it’s simpler to apply inside the doorknob, and this way you’ll be able to get it all over the mechanism effortlessly.

Once you’re done with this step you should have a completely functioning and quiet doorknob that won’t bother you for a while.

However, this is just a temporary fix and if you want something more long-lasting check out the rest of this article.

USE WD-40 TO REMOVE RUST

2. Take apart the door knob to clean it and lubricate it

If the solution listed above doesn’t work for you, it’s time to get handy.

As mentioned above, a doorknob could get squeaky from rust or dust that’s accumulated inside the mechanism.

You can easily see which one of these two problems you have by taking the door knob apart.

This part is simple, just take a screwdriver, pull out the screws and disassemble the doorknob.

Whether it’s rusty or just dusty, the next step is to clean out the doorknob by using a clean and dry cloth or some baby wipes. Don’t use water when cleaning the door knob because it will just make it rustier over time!

After you’re done cleaning it, use some metal lubricant or silicone spray to cover every part of the doorknob.

After you’re done, put all of the parts together again and try it out.

This trick will help you get rid of the squeakiness for a longer time.

3. Fix the squeaky metal plate by adjusting it properly

The metal plate is the part of the mechanism that’s located on the door frame, and it’s the part where the latch is supposed to go.

Unfortunately, these metal plates aren’t always placed properly, which could result in a squeaky sound whenever you open or close the door.

While you might have noticed that if you open the door in a certain way you could minimize the noise or even make it go away, this isn’t a ritual that you should get used to.

If lubricating the doorknob doesn’t help, the problem is most likely in this metal plate.

The only thing that you have to do is take a screwdriver and remove the metal plate.

You can adjust it by moving it either up or down, or left or right, depending on where the problem is located.

After that just reattach it to the door frame and try it out. 

You might need a drill for this one, depending on the door frame, but the result of quiet and comfort will make it all worth it.

How to Quiet a Loud Door Knob

4. Invest in a door silencer, or make one yourself!

If your doorknobs aren’t squeaky but still make a loud sound when used, there are a couple of solutions that you can try out.

The first, and the simplest one, are the door silencers.

The principle that the door silencer works on is that they stop the latch from engaging with the metal plate and the door frame by covering it with a thick material.

It made out of a piece of thick material that has two loops of elastic on each side of it.

Each of these loops is supposed to go over the doorknob on both sides of the door, with the material covering the latch in the middle.

This way you can still use the door, but it makes less sound.

You can buy these handy little inventions on Amazon, or you can make them yourself.

If you’re in the mood for DIY, making a door silencer can be achieved with just two things: a piece of elastic and a piece of cloth.

This solution is especially great for nurseries because the sound of the door opening or closing isn’t going to wake the baby up.

5. do this if the latch hole isn’t big enough

Your door could be loud because the hole where the latch is supposed to go isn’t big enough, resulting in a loud and annoying sound.

This type of problem can only be solved by making the hole big enough for the latch to slide in it effortlessly and without a single sound.

Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as just putting lubricant on the doorknob, but it’s not hard either.

The only thing that you need is a drill or a chisel.

Firstly, remove the metal frame, and then use one of these two tools to make the hole bigger. This isn’t something that you have to be a perfectionist about.

This is the kind of a problem that you’re most likely going to notice as soon as you install the door though, and you can fix it on the spot.

6. If all else fails, replace the doorknob with a magnetic mechanism

If all the sounds that you’re doorknobs make seem unfixable and annoy you way too much, it might be time to change them.

Fortunately for you, there’s this thing called magnetic mechanism.

Door knobs with magnetic mechanisms work with magnets, and they basically produce no sound when opened or closed.

If you like this solution you should totally invest in it, or some other high-quality door mechanisms.