Like anyone else, I used to squirt a drop of oil on squeaky door hinges to quiet them. I would put the oil at the top of the pin, hoping it would creep around the hinge barrel until it soothed the squeaky spot. This works for a while, but inevitably the lubricant wears off, and the squeak comes back.
I’ve discovered a better way to get the oil to stay where it will do some good, by creating a little oil reservoir at the top of each hinge. I use felt donuts that fit over the hinge pins for this purpose. The donuts go above the top knuckle of the hinge, and they get a squirt of sewing-machine oil or WD-40. If you don’t have any felt on hand, try a few twists of cotton string instead.
W. J. Hutchins, West Hartford, CT