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My oven has squeaky door hinges.

There are many types of lubricant available ( traditional, silicon, Teflon etc.), all with different pros/cons.

I'm curious, is there a "best practice" choice for what should be used in this case?

Niall
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    I would suggest closing this and asking it on http://diy.stackexchange.com for better answers. – GdD Jan 26 '17 at 13:41
  • ask the oven maker ? – Max Jan 26 '17 at 13:44
  • @GdD I considered that, and will if a good answer doesn't come here. However, I believe that given how specific a question it is, a better answer should come here, where there will be people more familiar with the requirements. – Niall Jan 26 '17 at 13:45
  • My go-to is WD-40 (in the US), particularly for its penetrating and water-displacing properties. – Giorgio Jan 26 '17 at 14:35
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    WD-40 is good for getting things un-stuck @Dorothy, but it dries out quickly so it's not a good long-term solution. – GdD Jan 26 '17 at 14:52
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    I'd recommend White Lithium Grease. My browser has fritzed on me, so I can't copy/paste links. According to Wikipedia, it exhibits "good temperature tolerance" and is commonly used in automotive applications. –  Jan 26 '17 at 16:12
  • @Pᴇᴛᴇ will white lithium grease be suitable for use in a kitchen? Specifically, does it have a level of toxicity (compared to other options) that might make it inadvisable? – Niall Feb 01 '17 at 15:42
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    @Niall - The articles I've seen on this have no specific warning of toxicity apart from [this](https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/1991/lithium.shtml) one which indicates a low risk of toxicity to cattle. Since most oven hinges are on the outside of the "hot box", I'd say the risk is very minimal. –  Feb 01 '17 at 15:48

1 Answers1

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Although they don't get as hot as the interior of the oven oven hinges are exposed to a significant amount of heat, so you should pick a lubricant which isn't going to burst into flames when exposed to heat, dry out, or gum up. My usual go-to oil for the home is 3 in 1 oil, but I wouldn't use it here because of the heat. 3 in 1 make a high performance spray lubricant which handles high temperatures, sprayon make a food-grade high temperature lubricant spray, and you can also get spray on bearing lube (for cars but is good for high temperature) - all of which would be fine for this application.

I would recommend a spray on lube because oven hinges tend to be hard to access, and the spray will help force it in better, however if you gave good access you could get a tube instead.

GdD
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  • I could be quite tempted to use a PTFE bike chain lube. – Chris H Jan 26 '17 at 19:17
  • Thanks GdH, you've brought up some useful things to consider here and given good advice. I'm afraid though that it doesn't address the main thrust of the question - what kind of formulation is best, rather than the medium of application. – Niall Feb 09 '17 at 16:07