Q&A for How to Unlock a Door

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  • Question
    What can I use to lubricate and open a lock?
    Ryaan Tuttle
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses.
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Expert Answer
    You can spray some WD40 or lithium grease to lubricate and loosen the lock. Then you can use something to wiggle it open.
  • Question
    How do I lock the door?
    Mark Spelman
    Construction Professional
    Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.
    Construction Professional
    Expert Answer
    Your door should have a handle with a thumb latch lock, and most doors have a deadbolt.
  • Question
    How do you unlock a door with a bobby pin?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Open up the bobby pin so it bends at a 90° angle, and shave off the rubber tip on the straight end with a knife or razor. Insert that end into the keyhole, then bend the pin so it’s flush against the outside of the lock. Make a hook at the end of a second pin to create a tension lever. You’ll need to hold the tension lever in place at the bottom of the keyhole to prevent the pins in the lock from falling back into place while you lift them with the first pin. Turn the lever counterclockwise to open the door.
  • Question
    Can you unlock a door with a knife?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    It is possible if the knife has a narrow enough blade. You can use the blade as a tension lever in the bottom of a standard pin/tumbler lock while you lift the pins with a bobby pin or paperclip.
  • Question
    How can you unlock a bathroom door?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Most bathroom doors have a small hole on the outside knob or handle. One of the easiest ways to unlock these doors is to insert a tiny flathead screwdriver into the hole until you reach the locking mechanism. Then, turn the screwdriver to unlock the door.
  • Question
    Can using a knife help unlock doors?
    Community Answer
    Yes. If you jam the knife between the door and the the wall where the handle is, then wiggle the knife, you may be able to accomplish more or less the same effect as using a credit card.
  • Question
    How do I open a locked door with a hole?
    Isaiah Sandulescu
    Community Answer
    I am assuming you meant a privacy door. Get a long, thin, flathead screwdriver, and insert it into the hole until it reaches the back 'wall'. There should be a notch there. Twist this notch with the screwdriver until you hear a small click and the door opens.
  • Question
    What if I lock both keys in the room?
    Community Answer
    If you locked in your keys inside your house you can pick at the lock with a paper clip and/or a credit card. If your lock matches a screwdriver that you currently have in your hands, then you can also use that to pick the lock.
  • Question
    What if my door does not work?
    Community Answer
    You have two choices: you can either break the handle or door off the hinges, or screw the hinges off.
  • Question
    What should I do if I lose a key?
    Community Answer
    Always have spare keys! Buy a new handle altogether, get spares cut, and ask a locksmith to help open the door handle (bust the door handle off, or pick the lock).
  • Question
    How should I unlock the door without a key or with the key?
    Community Answer
    Pick the lock with a credit card if the card is old. With a key, put the key in and you turn it left or right -- however the door swings.
  • Question
    Locked out of car with keys inside, how do I open the door without the key?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Get the spare key, or call a locksmith to open your car. If all else fails, break a small window.
  • Question
    What if the door knob has something inside?
    Community Answer
    Use method 1(5). You can also use something that is bent a little and try to get whatever is stuck inside, out.
  • Question
    How do I unlock a door that has a knob with a hole in it?
    Community Answer
    On mine, there is a cap that pops off by putting a bobby pin or screwdriver in side and then popping it off at an angle. Once it’s off, there is a little notch inside. Push until you meet the back, and there will be a little notch to spin.
  • Question
    How can I lock a door without a key?
    Community Answer
    If it’s a spring lock (like on a handle), then most of the time you can lock them close the door. If it's a deadlock, you can often just activate the lock and pull shut. Try activating the lock for your door, then pulling shut to see if this works. If not, get hold of a locksmith to fix the problem. And remember that you need to get back in again, unless you're leaving a place you've been in just for something like watering plants or inspecting and you don't need to go back in again.
  • Question
    How do I unlock a bathroom door that has a push lock on the side of the handle and a tiny hole on the outside along the handle?
    Community Answer
    You could try cutting the ends off a bobby pin or use your car keys, and twist the hole until it clicks.
  • Question
    How can I unlock a door without a key or a screwdriver?
    Community Answer
    Try a bobby pin; it works depending on what the lock shape is. Use the flat part of the bobby pin for the bottom and the wavy for the top. Turn the bobby pin to where it is backwards, put it in the lock and twist.
  • Question
    How do I unlock a door that has a handle with a circular hole in it?
    Community Answer
    Take a tiny flathead screwdriver, and slide it into the lock. It takes a while to find it, but there should be a small locking mechanism that your screwdriver catches on. Turn it. It may take a while to find the right part to turn, but it gets easier with practice.
  • Question
    My door has a tongue on the inside. When the door is closed and the tongue turned, the key will not turn the tongue to unlock the door. How can I unlock my door?
    Community Answer
    Turn it 90' degrees so the tongue will turn. If you have a circular handle, the pull will be easier.
  • Question
    How do I unlock a door if the handle is not turning the rollers on a multi-point lock?
    Community Answer
    You might want help from a locksmith or just take the doors hinges off. If you dont want either, practice picking other easier locks and slowly work up your way to the multi-point lock. As they say, practice makes perfect!
  • Question
    Will the hinges break?
    Community Answer
    Not if you use a screwdriver or similar tool and only hit the pins. This can be done by sticking the end in the bottom and hammering up or at the top by prying the pins up.
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