The grease will pick up dirt, preventing formation of a seal. Seals should be kept clean and well greased and the lid should always slide easily on or off. If a lid can be directly lifted off the desiccator, either the desiccator was not properly sealed or, more likely, it needs fresh lubricant. Rubber stoppers in the lid should always be pliable. Sample dishes should not be packed excessively tight in a desiccator.
Air movement is necessary to cool sample dishes.
Dishes should not touch each other. Open a loaded desiccator very slowly after samples have cooled. A vacuum forms during cooling and abrupt opening results in turbulence which can blow samples out of uncovered containers. Desiccator lid should be slid open for the removal of each container and closed during weighing. Leaving the lid open allows samples to absorb moisture.