It can feel like the end of the world. You come home, eager to put your feet up and grab a nice cup of tea after a long day. You slide your key into the lock of your front door, the same way you have hundreds of times before. But this time, something’s different. This time your key doesn’t turn. You try to pull it out and try again, but it doesn’t come out either. It’s jammed in the lock, and you can’t see any way of getting it out.
It’s not a fun scenario, but it happens to people every single day. Usually at the most inconvenient moment! And if it’s never happened to you before, you might be wondering, ‘What on earth do I do now?’. Fear not though, your friendly neighbourhood locksmiths can help.
What Not to Do With a Stuck Key
First, let’s go over what you shouldn’t do. Basics – don’t panic. It’s a natural response to this kind of situation, but it won’t help you get into the property any faster. Instead, take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Next, don’t use any force on the key, or twist it inside the lock. Again, this is tempting (especially for the ‘what if I was wrong?’ moment), but doing this risks breaking the key in the lock, which is a whole other kettle of fish to fix. Don’t try to use force to open or break the door either. That only really works in movies without the proper equipment, and you’ll probably end up with an expensive bill to fix your battered door!
What You Should Do
When you first notice your key feels stuck in the lock, keep your calm. If you have a back door that you can get through, your first option should be to try and push the key out of the lock from the inside. You can do this with another key. If it was simply debris or dirt that caused it to stick, this will often help release the key. After which you should make sure you clean it thoroughly to make sure it doesn’t happen again!
If you can’t do that however, you can try lubricating the lock with 3 in 1 oil or WD40. Again, it’s important not to force the lock once you’ve done this. Instead try to gently find the natural play in the mechanism, and see if you can gently pull the key out. If it doesn’t budge, then leave it alone, as any force will likely snap the key in the lock. This is the moment when you need to call a professional.
A good professional locksmith will be able to not only extract your key from the lock, but tell you what the problem was at the same time. If the lock needs cleaning, they will be able to do this for you, and will likely recommend that you do the same on all the other locks in your home. If the key is damaged, then they will be able to cut you a nice shiny new one that will fit in the lock beautifully. And finally, if it’s mechanical issue, they’ll be able to identify it and either fix it or replace your lock with a fully functioning one. Either way, as long as you call a reputable locksmith, they’ll be able to get you inside your home WITHOUT having to drill the lock.
How to Avoid Stuck Keys
As with many things in life, prevention is almost always cheaper and easier than the cure. You should be doing a visual inspection of your locks on a regular basis, so that you can see any wear and tear or debris. This means you’ll be able to take action at the first sign of a problem, and hopefully never experience a stuck key again. Oiling the lock once a year will help to keep it running smoothly and prevent sticking or rust. But be careful when you do this – the lock needs to be cleaned before it’s piled, otherwise the oil can trap dirt and dust causing it to gum up inside the lock. This is pretty easy to do using canned air or a microfibre cloth. If you think your lock is starting to malfunction, call the locksmith in to check it, and they’ll likely be able to fix it for you for a much cheaper rate than a full lock replacement or key removal.
So there you have it – what to do if your key sticks in your door lock. We hope this has been useful to you, and that you know what to look for before a key starts sticking! And if you do find yourself stuck outside in your socks, call the team at My Locks, and we’ll be over in a jiffy.