Tighten loose screws and bolts

Flip the furniture upside down and inspect every joint. Tighten all screws and bolts with a screwdriver or wrench. If a screw spins freely in a stripped hole, remove it, fill the hole with a wooden toothpick dipped in glue, let it dry, then re-drive the screw.

Why It Works

Vibration and daily use gradually loosen threaded fasteners. Simply re-tightening them restores the clamping force that holds joints rigid. The toothpick trick gives stripped screws fresh wood to bite into.

Tips

• Check every fastener, not just the obviously loose ones — one tight joint can't compensate for three loose ones
• Use a dab of thread-locking compound (blue Loctite) on bolts that keep loosening
• If metal brackets or corner plates are bent, replace them — bent hardware won't hold
• This is the fastest fix and should always be your first step before trying anything else