Every summer my kitchen drawers turn into a wrestling match. The humidity makes the wood swell, and suddenly nothing opens without a hard yank. I used to just live with it until I learned the wax trick, which sounds too simple to work and then does.

Why Drawers Stick in Humidity

Wood absorbs moisture from the air and expands. The drawer box grows slightly, and the sides rub against the frame. It is not broken, just swollen. The fix is to reduce the friction while the wood works its way back to normal.

The Candle Wax Fix

1. Pull the drawer all the way out if you can, or open it as far as it goes.
2. Rub a plain candle along the side rails and the bottom edges of the drawer.
3. Do the same on the frame where the drawer slides.
4. Slide it back and forth a few times to spread the wax.

What I Tried First

I used cooking spray once because someone suggested it. Big mistake. It went rancid and attracted dust, and the drawer got stickier over time. Wax and bar soap are the way to go because they dry and stay slick. A plain white candle from the junk drawer works perfectly.

If a drawer is truly jammed shut, wait for a dry day and try again, or run a hair dryer along the gap for a minute to shrink the wood. Then wax it so it does not happen again.