I just love sleeping on my own bed because it is silent and doesn’t make much racket with my every toss and turn. Unfortunately, when I travel, rickety hotel beds are a part of the package. There’s just something annoying about their bed frames that make a lot of noise even with very minimal movement.
Those of you who love peace and quiet just like me will find this annoying. And there are many of you out there who are light sleepers that easily get bothered by noise. Sometimes, the culprit is not even a hotel bed but your very own home wood or metal bed.
It is critical to mitigate the noises that these bed frames make because sleep is a very important factor for human health. It is in sleep where our body recharges and healthy cells regenerate. Sleeping reduces our stress levels, so we become more alert and energetic for the next day.
However, if you can’t sleep because of a noisy bed frame, then you won’t be able to enjoy the benefits of a good night’s rest, which may lead to mental health issues, heart problems, and even cancer. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of good sleep.
Thus, it is essential to make any home environment conducive for sleeping and this starts with a quiet room. Many of you have finally figured out how to silence an annoying snoring partner. But, majority of you don’t have any clue how to stop your wooden or metal bed frame from squeaking.
Before you dismantle the frame, there are certain things that you must do. You have to gather the necessary materials to help you fix your bed. You must also figure out exactly where the noise is coming from so you can target that annoying spot.
Materials You Will Need to Fix a Squeaky Bed
There are many materials available on Amazon to fix your squeaky bed frame. However, if the noises are coming from the mattress, especially if it is an old spring one, then you may want to consider buying a new one. If budget is an issue, you may be able to get away with padding the space between the mattress and the frame with acoustic blankets or rugs like this Audimute Sound Absorbent Sheets.
If the box spring is the problem, you can have the manufacturer replace it, or you can try a little bit of the trusty WD-40 oil, industrial staples, and the good old needle and thread.
Now, if the culprit is the bed frame, you will also need your WD-40. Apart from that you may also need the following tools and materials:
- Depending on the make of your frame, it can have bolts or screws so you may need a screwdriver, a hex wrench, or an open-ended wrench. If you have no clue what these are, you can easily see the differences on Amazon.
- Get some extra screws and bolts in case the existing ones are already rusted.
- Get the flat circular discs that are placed in between bolts and the frame called washers. Choose either plastic or rubber, but not metal because it will make more noise down the line.
- If you’re not satisfied with the WD-40, choose your favorite metal lubricant.
- For a wood frame, you will need cheap beeswax and ordinary talcum powder.
- Acoustic blankets or old rugs to pad the bed frame with.
- Reinforce your frame with fasteners, especially corner braces or brackets.
- You can also place rubber and cork strips in between panels of wood to buffer sound.
After gathering these materials, you are now ready to address that annoying squeaky problem.
The Culprit of the Annoying Squeaky Noise
The first thing you have to do, as with any soundproofing project, is to figure out exactly where the noise is emanating from. Doing this will help you zero in on the area that needs work. There may be one thing or several things that are causing your bed to be noisy.
The main suspects are your mattress itself, the box spring, screws and bolts of the frame, or also the wooden parts. Here’s how to check what’s making the noise:
Check your mattress
Take it off the bed and roll it around on the floor. If it’s an old spring mattress, then it will certainly squeak. Some memory foam mattresses are also noisy, though.
Check your bed
Some beds come with a box spring. You can test this by pressing on the springs to see if they make the annoying sound. These springs tend to become more squeaky as the years go by. This is usually the main culprit of a noisy bed.
That being said, most modern bed frames have no box springs. Instead, they have simple wooden or metal frames that has been wrapped in fabric.
Check your frame
Finally, check the frame itself by shaking on its posts, sideboards, and the slats that support the mattress. Doing this will reveal the sound that you have to curb.
Now, here’s what you need to do to fix that annoying squeaking sound from your wooden or metal bed. You have to do this to earn back the peace in you room, so you can get the good night’s rest you deserve.
Top Tips to Kill that Annoying Sound from Your Wood or Metal Bed
There are several ways that you can address this annoying problem. Some methods are quick fixes, which you can even use when you’re staying in a hotel. These are fast and temporary remedies, so you can get some good shuteye while you’re vacationing or away for work.
This list doesn’t have to be followed in the exact order that it is written. In fact, if you have identified the culprit of the noise, you can opt to skip some parts. Save time by focusing on the segments that will be very helpful for your bed issues. Let’s get started:
Consider rotating the mattress
The easiest and most underrated method is to rotate the mattress. The first option is to reverse the positions by putting the head part where your feet used to go. It may sound gross, but remember you can put a new layer of mattress protector plus you have your bed sheet as additional layers. Believe me, this one works like a charm!
The logic for this is that the squeakiest parts are what bears the most weight while you’re sleeping. As a result, they make noise because of the wear and tear caused by your tossing and turning at night. By inverting the mattress, you’re giving the usual heavy spots a rest, and you get to use the fresh ones by the feet area.
Another option is to flip the mattress completely, making the top part the bottom and the bottom the new top. I do this myself every half-a-year so that I can distribute the weight on both sides. Doing this has helped prolong the longevity of my mattress.
If you’re in a hotel room, a quick and easy solution would be to find the noisy spot. Then you must place a hard item such as a thick folder or a hardbound directly under the noisy area. Et voila! No more noise.
Get a New Mattress
If your mattress is beyond help, then repairing is just a waste of time. In fact, mattresses that are more than a decade old will cost more to fix. It would be better to just find a new one in store or online like in Amazon where there are numerous kinds, types, and brands of mattresses.
These days, mattresses have more durability and are more silent because of new engineering. Foam and latex mattresses are known to be super quiet. You can get creative and buy a foam mattress and put on a latex liner on top, or vice versa, depending on the material you feel most comfy sleeping on.
Each of these materials have their own benefit. A memory foam is capable of equally distributing weight, so you this is not a bouncy or noisy kind of bed. There is no need to rotate this soft mattress. Perhaps, the only drawback is foam holds heat, so it may not be suitable for tropical climates.
Natural latex mattresses are a lot more firm and cool. These don’t have metal components, so they remain silent. Just be sure to keep liquids away, so they won’t begin squeaking because water has a funny way of reacting with latex.
Oil the Inside of the Box Spring
If you have a box spring, this part is for you. Just like the mattress tip, you can resort to rotation. You can flip this layer 180 degrees, so you can lessen the pressure on the usual parts you lie down on.
On top of that, spray your chosen lubricant in the interiors of the box spring. You have to open the bottom layer and ensure that you hit all the spots where metals and wooden components meet. The WD-40 with a straw works great because you can reach even the most delicate areas without ripping a huge hole on the box spring cloth cover.
When you’re done, you can close the cover with an industrial stapler or just simply stitch it shut with your good old needle and thread. You don’t have to be too precise about this because this will be facing the bottom part of the frame, and no one will witness your handiwork.
Contemplate on replacing the box spring if it can’t be repaired
If your box spring is hopeless, then you have no other choice but to switch it out and change it. You will find mattress foundations that will help address your problem. Of course, these metal or wooden foundations can still make noise down the line, but for the time being, while they are new, you can expect them to remain quiet.
Some products even market this as noise-free. If you decide to go with this, keep in mind that some form of assembly is a requirement to get the product in working order. I strongly recommend applying cheap ordinary beeswax (no need for organic or cosmetic grade) on the parts you are putting together. This is a form of offense being your defense because it is a preventive measure to keep noise from emanating from the product.
These mattress foundations come in various heights and widths, so you have to read the fine print to ensure you’re getting the right size. They are made to prevent your mattress from sagging. However, if you don’t like them, you can always use and old blanket or a rug in between the mattress and the frame.
Doing this protects the mattress from possible damage, especially since it has a tendency to rub on the frame surface. It also impedes any noise because it is a deterrent to rubbing, which creates a sound. As an added tip, if you’re in a hotel, you can use your clothes to pad the slats to temporarily fix the problem; just make sure there are no nasty bed bugs that will transfer to your things.
Tighten, lubricate, or replace screws, washers, knots and bolts
If the bed frame is making squeaking noises, you can tighten the loose knots and bolts. Depending on the make of your frame, you may need a screwdriver, a hex wrench, or an open-ended wrench to get the job done. To make it a lot easier, use your WD-40 or beeswax, which is a natural rust deterrent) to lubricate those screws or bolts.
Replace all the metal washers, the round discs that separate your bolt head from the wood, with rubber or nylon washers that are less noisy. Metal rubbing on metal or metal rubbing on wood is just not conducive for sleeping. Making these replacement will give you peace and quiet.
If they are too old, and adding a washer no longer works, then you will just have to replace these parts that are too rusted or decrepit to do their job. However, if the frame is nailed, you will have to reinforce them with fasteners, especially corner braces to give additional support. All of these are available on Amazon, so you can get them conveniently delivered to your home.
Apply beeswax on all the wooden parts
Run your cheap beeswax on all wooden parts of the frame. Remember, no need to spend extra on organic beeswax. Even a cheap wax candle or a bar of soap will do the trick if you don’t have this.
- Prevents thread from tangling when hand sewing
- Strengthens thread
If you’ve traced the frame to be the culprit, you can go the extra mile and disassemble it. This way, you can really coat parts generously and ensure that even if they do rub against each other, no noise will come from it. This is a cheap and easy trick to dampen noise from your bed, so you might want to keep a small beeswax stick for traveling.
Put stuffing on all the existing gaps of your bed frame
Fastening all the screws and bolts will remain useless if there are still existing gaps in your bed frame, especially in the wooden parts. You can can pad those areas where pieces of wood meet. You can also place rubber and cork strips in between panels of wood to buffer sound because this will prevent the materials from rubbing together.
As you can see, there are many ways to make your bed a lot more quiet. Apart from doing these steps, if your beds have legs, make sure they are even when they touch the floor. If you’ve tried every possible solution and your mattress or bed frame is still giving you grief, the you may just have to allot some money to buy a new one.