Dryer Maintenance – What Lubricant to Use for Clothes Dryer Rollers

After reading @woodchips answer and throwing in my $0.02 offhand, I did a bit of research. I found this article on the use (or non-use) of graphite on aircraft. The article mentions that metals such as aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and cadmium may experience galvanic corrosion when exposed to graphite lubricant. Since galvanic corrosion requires an electrolyte, you might be okay if your metal components are inside, and not in a wet area.

The article also mentions that graphite can damage stainless steel at high temperatures. (Probably not going to be an issue in a home though. If it is, you may have other problems like a house fire, and probably won't care much about your hinges at the moment.)

You'll want to use a dry silicone lubricant like this.

Or a graphite lubricant like this.

The liquid part of these lubricants evaporates quickly, leaving behind a protective coating that will keep the lock functioning properly for quite some time.

You don't want to use a lubricant like WD-40, because it will not evaporate completely and will collect dirt and debris and eventually freeze the lock again.

For an exterior lock exposed to the elements, you'll want to reapply the lubricant occasionally (about once every year or two depending on the weather), or anytime the lock seems sticky.