Ever stood there, tugging at a piece of furniture until your face turns red, wondering why on earth a simple wooden box won't just slide out? It's frustrating. You're trying to move, or maybe you dropped a sock behind the back panel, and now you're locked in a physical battle with a nightstand. Honestly, learning how to get drawers out of a dresser is one of those "adulting" skills nobody teaches you until you're already sweating.
Modern furniture isn't like the antique stuff your grandparents had. Back then, you just pulled. Now, we have safety stops, plastic levers, and ball-bearing slides that feel like they’re designed by NASA. If you pull too hard without knowing the trick, you’ll end up with a handful of ball bearings and a drawer that never closes right again.
The Mystery of the Plastic Lever
If your dresser was made in the last twenty years, it probably uses side-mounted slides. These are those silver metal tracks on the sides. Usually, there's a tiny black plastic lever hidden inside the track. You’ve probably felt it with your finger but didn't know what it did.
To get these out, pull the drawer out as far as it goes. Look for that lever. Here is the part that trips people up: they aren't always symmetrical. On the left side, you might need to push the lever up, while on the right side, you have to push it down. Or vice versa. You have to hold both levers in their "unlocked" positions simultaneously while gently pulling the drawer toward your chest. If it resists, don't yank. Stop. Re-adjust your grip. Sometimes the lever is stubborn because the drawer is tilted.
I’ve seen people snap these plastic bits off because they thought it just needed more "muscle." It doesn't. It needs finesse. Once those levers click into the right spot, the drawer should slide out like butter. If you're working with brands like IKEA or West Elm, they often use these mechanisms to prevent the furniture from tipping over on children, which is why they make it a bit of a puzzle.
Dealing With the Undermount Slide
Some high-end or custom cabinetry uses undermount slides. You won't see any metal on the sides of the drawer when you open it. Instead, the hardware is tucked underneath, completely out of sight. It looks cleaner, sure, but it's a nightmare if you don't know the secret handshake.
Reach under the front of the drawer box. You’re looking for two plastic clips or "squeeze triggers." They are usually located near the front corners.
- Squeeze the triggers inward toward the center of the drawer.
- While squeezing, lift the drawer slightly upward to disengage it from the hooks at the back.
- Pull straight out.
According to furniture hardware experts at Rockler Woodworking, these undermount systems often have a "locking device" that can be adjusted for height. If you find the drawer is stuck, it might be because the locking device is jammed against the face frame. Give it a little wiggle.
The Old School Tug: Wooden Glides
If you’re dealing with an antique or a cheap "big box" unit from the 90s, you might just have wooden-on-wooden glides. There’s no metal. There’s no lever. It’s just friction.
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Sometimes these have a "stop block" inside. This is a small piece of wood screwed into the back of the frame to keep the drawer from falling on your toes. You’ll have to empty the drawer completely, reach inside, and rotate that block or unscrew it.
Old wood swells. If it’s humid, that drawer might be physically larger than the hole it’s sitting in. This is where people usually break the drawer face off by pulling the handle too hard. Don't do that. Try to "walk" the drawer out. Pull the left side an inch, then the right side an inch. Slowly. If it's truly stuck, a little bit of heat from a hair dryer can sometimes shrink the wood fibers enough to get it moving, though that's a last resort.
Center Mount Slides are a Different Beast
Some dressers use a single metal track right down the middle of the drawer bottom. These are common in mid-century modern pieces or budget bedroom sets. Usually, these have a plastic "guide" at the back.
To remove these, pull the drawer out until it hits the stop. Lift the front of the drawer up at a steep angle—sometimes as much as 45 degrees. This tilts the back guide so it can clear the metal lip of the track. It feels counterintuitive to point the drawer at the ceiling, but that’s often the only way the geometry works.
When the "Anti-Tip" Mechanism Fights Back
Since the passage of the STURDY Act in the United States, furniture manufacturers have had to get aggressive about tip-over prevention. This has led to some truly complex interlocking systems. Some dressers are designed so that you can only open one drawer at a time. If one drawer is even slightly ajar, the others are locked.
If you are trying to figure out how to get drawers out of a dresser that has this feature, you must make sure every other drawer is clicked firmly shut. If the interlock is engaged, you’ll be fighting a steel cable or a plastic rod system inside the cabinet. It’s not a "stuck" drawer; it’s a locked one.
The Ball Bearing Disaster
We have to talk about ball bearings. If you pull a drawer and hear a "crunch" followed by tiny metal balls rolling across your hardwood floor, the slide is toast. This happens when the drawer is overloaded. Most standard dresser slides are rated for about 75 to 100 pounds. That sounds like a lot, but a drawer full of heavy denim jeans and sweaters adds up fast.
When the bearings fall out, the inner member of the slide (the part on the drawer) has detached from the outer member (the part on the frame) in a way it wasn't supposed to. At this point, you aren't just removing a drawer; you're performing surgery. You’ll likely need to replace the entire slide set.
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Maintenance and Putting it Back Together
Once you finally get the drawer out, look at the tracks. Most people never see this part of their furniture. It’s usually covered in "dust bunnies," hair, and occasionally a lost receipt.
Wipe the tracks down with a dry cloth. If the slides are metal, a tiny bit of silicone spray (not WD-40, which attracts dust!) can make them feel new. If the slides are wood, rub a tea light candle or some beeswax along the contact points. It’s a game changer.
Putting the drawer back in is often harder than taking it out. For ball-bearing slides, you have to align the rails perfectly. If you force it and it’s not aligned, you’ll bend the "carriages" that hold the bearings. Slide the track members all the way forward, line up the drawer, and push it in slowly. You’ll hear a "click" when the levers re-engage.
Real World Troubleshooting
I once helped a friend move a heavy mahogany dresser. We spent twenty minutes trying to get the bottom drawer out. It wouldn't budge. We tried the levers, the lifting trick, everything.
Turns out, a thin piece of paper—a birth certificate, actually—had slid over the back of the drawer and jammed into the mechanism. No amount of "proper technique" would have worked. We had to use a coat hanger to fish the paper out from the gap before the lever would even move.
If you're stuck:
- Check for obstructions (clothes, papers).
- Use a flashlight to see the track.
- Don't pull with your back; use your legs if it's heavy, but keep your hands light on the triggers.
- Ask for help. Sometimes one person needs to hold the dresser steady while the other manages the levers.
Common Misconceptions
People think all drawers come out the same way. They don't.
Another big mistake is thinking you can just unscrew the tracks while the drawer is still inside. You can't reach the screws. You'll just strip the heads and make it impossible to ever fix.
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And please, stop using grease or oil on furniture. It smells, it stains your clothes, and it turns into a sticky sludge over time. Stick to dry lubricants or wax.
Essential Steps for Success
Before you start yanking, identify your hardware. Side-mount? Undermount? Center-mount?
Clear the area. You don't want to finally pop a drawer out only to trip over a shoe and drop the drawer on your foot. Dresser drawers are surprisingly heavy, especially the solid wood ones.
If there is a lever, remember the "Opposite Rule." If one goes up, try pushing the other one down.
Check for a "push-to-open" feature. Some modern drawers don't have handles. If you try to pull these without engaging the spring mechanism first, you’re fighting the motor or the spring tension. Usually, a quick firm press on the drawer face will release the catch so you can then access the removal levers.
Take your time. Furniture is expensive. Hardware is annoying to replace. A little patience goes a long way when you're trying to figure out the specific quirks of your particular brand of dresser.
Next Steps for Your Furniture
Now that you've successfully removed the drawers, take a moment to inspect the internal frame of the dresser. If you see loose screws on the cabinet-side tracks, tighten them now while you have the access. If the wood is starting to splinter where the tracks are mounted, a small amount of wood glue can prevent the track from ripping out in the future. Once the tracks are clean and tightened, apply a thin layer of paraffin wax or a dedicated furniture lubricant to the moving parts to ensure the drawers glide effortlessly when reinstalled. Reinsert the drawers by aligning them carefully with the tracks and pushing firmly until you hear the locking mechanism click into place. Test each drawer by opening and closing it several times to ensure the "stop" function is working and the drawer sits flush against the frame.