How to open a locked door? To open a locked door you can use either a credit card or you can bump open the lock. You can also try using a Hex wrench for this purpose. If your car door is locked with keys inside, you can use hanger to open it. Lubricating the car lock or applying force to smash open the door lock are some methods that you can use but you need to cautious.

Door locks become quite irritating when they aren’t working right. The situation gets worst if you lost your keys and get your door locked. Before you start breaking your locks and damaging your doors, you should try some of these methods discussed below.

Which method is safe to open a locked door

Use your Credit Card

To open a simple lock, you can use a credit card. You might have seen this trick in movies too. It is a popular trick which usually works less on modern doors. Still, it is a useful way to get into your house if you have older doors.

You can also use a card that is flexible, it could be a laminated card or a gift card or the one that you don’t mind getting damaged. Sometimes opening a door with this method leaves you with a damaged credit card that won’t work any longer.

How it works

Insert your credit card into the side of the locked door. Start sliding the long end of that credit card in between the door frame and the locked side of the door. Keep sliding just above where the lock enters the frame.

Bend the card down and place it behind the bolt of the lock. Ensure that the card is facing vertically upright to the door.

Now slowly pull the card towards you and keep turning the door handle. Slide the credit card in between the interior side of the bolt and the frame, now by dragging the card towards you push the bolt all the way out of the frame. The door will open, as long as you keep the card in place between the bolt and the hole.

Keep in mind that this trick will not work if the deadbolt has been set.

Bump open your lock

If a door has been locked for a long time, bumping a lock is a quick lock picking technique that is useful. This type of locked doors are in long-term unused property or if you need to break into an elderly relative’s house to make sure they’re okay.

Bump opening a locked door is a trick that does take some practice. In the case of cheaper locks, this method will end up damaging the lock, so use it if you have a good reason.

Use a bump key

Another method is using a bump key. It is a ty is a type of key that will fit the lock that you want to open. If this key fits in the lock, it can be turned into a bump key as it will fill every cut down to the lowest acceptable depth.

Usually, locksmiths avoid to make a bump, but you can sometimes find them online.

How it works

Tumbler and pin locks are made of a round segment. So, once the pins inside line up and no longer blocks its motion it turns. You must fit your bump key into the lock-up until it reaches to the last pin.

You will feel a soft click as you push a key into a lock. It is because the pin is being lifted by a tooth of the lock and then dropping onto the cut below it.

Keep pushing your bump key in until there’s only one pin left that hasn’t been lifted.

Slam the bump key by using a small rubber mallet and then twist it. This slamming motion will transfer force to the lower sections of the pin, which then transfers this force to the upper sections. If all the sections of upper pin are lifted, the lock will be able to turn.

This method will take a few tries until you succeed.

Summary
You can either use a credit card or any other card to open a locked door or you can go for bump opening your locked door. Both of these methods are explained above.

Try a Hex wrench

You can use a hex wrench to open the interior doors. In the last few decades most of the interior locking doors are made to use a special type of doorknob. These doorknobs allow the door to be opened if it was locked by accident. A small, round hole in the centre of your doorknob means that this is the type of handle we are talking about.

Get yourself a set of hex wrenches. You can either borrow or purchase them. Hexagonal wrenches, also known as “Allen wrenches,” are usually available in less prices. They are L-shaped small pieces of metal and come in a range of widths including both metric and imperial.

How wrench works

First fit the long end of your wrench into the hole on the door handle. Sometimes you have to try one or two different sizes of your hex wrench. Now push the wrench in straight and start turning it back and forth a little, you should feel it catch on something.

Turn your hex wrench to open the door. Once this wrench fits into the handle, apply a simple turn to unlock the door. This method is simple and do not take a lot of force.

Remove The Hinges

Try using hinges to get inside your locked house. This technique is a little complex, but it is one of the best ways to open your locked door without damaging any part of it.

How it works

Insert your screwdriver into the hinge between the top or bottom projection and the pinhead. Then, use a sledgehammer and start tapping the handle of the screwdriver. In that way the screwdriver will wedge downward. By doing this, you will lose the pinhead, and the pin is ready for removal. Now, pull the pin out and set it aside.

Repeat this process with all the hinges. But you must make sure not to lose the pins. Push the door open when the pins are out.

Summary
Another way to open a locked door is by using hex wrenches. You can also go for the next method that is removing the hinges to open a locked door.

Lubricate the lock

Unless you plan on substituting the lock, lubricate the door lock. For this purpose, go for a grease-free lubricant such as graphite powder. Avoid using oil since it will jam the lock even more on drying out.

How Lubricate works

Squeeze a small amount directly into the keyhole, a little should be enough. Using too much lubricant will do no good.

You can even spray some oil if you are trapped in a room or rub the key with a graphite pencil tip.

Use a hanger

You can make a tool to open a locked door with a stiff metal coat hanger. If you have locked your keys in the car, then a store or friend with coat hangers can save you from the hassle and waiting for a locksmith or roadside assistance service.

How hanger works

To make this tool straighten the coat hanger. Leave the top section alone, but unwind it at the “neck”. Now straighten the rest of the hanger out. This will give you a long metal tool with a hooked tip.

From the bottom of the driver’s-side window, lift the weather stripping. Start pushing the end of the hanger through the soft rubber stripping and the bottom of the window. The hanger is now inserted inside the wall of your locked car door.

Fix the hanger around and try to feel for a latch. The bolt should be a few inches below the window, near the interior lock.

Stick the bolt with hanger and pull the latch. Now with the help of the hooked hanger pull the latch towards the rear of the car. This should unlock any car door if it is manually locked.

Kick your door

In an emergency situation, like run into someone’s house on fire or if someone is with a medical emergency and cannot answer the door, in these crucial moments your only option to open the door is by apply a physical force to it.

Keep in mind that this will ruin the door lock, door frame, and often the door itself. It’s also physically unsafe related to the other methods, so only attempt this if you are practically strong and in good physical shape.

How it works

Face the door with a solid stance. You should be standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees a little bent. Now brace your hands or arms against walls or anything else that isn’t likely to move when you thrust it.

Lift your foremost leg at the knee. Lift your knee straight up and lower leg be pulled along with it.

Kick the door with the your foot. Raise your leg straight out in front of you, by doing this your foot strikes the door where the locking mechanism is set.

Keep kicking until the lock breakdowns from the frame. If done continuously, this methode will work on nearly any wooden door.

Summary
If you forgot your keys in car and now it is locked, try getting a hanger somewhere and use the process explained above. In case of emergency you can force open the door by kicking on it but this method can be dangerous so you need to be carefull.

Here some common FAQs related to open a locked door.

1: How do I open a door without damaging it?

If you use a credit card to open a locked door, you will not damage your door. Though this method only works if the door is without deadbolts.

Slide your credit card in between the frame and the door where handle is, now apply pressure until you hear a click and door will swing open.

2: My closet door is locked from the inside. How do I open it?

To open your locked closet door, you can use the methods that we listed above. The easiest one to open a closet door is to use the credit card method.

3: What can I do if I don’t have a credit card?

If you don’t have a credit card then use any card of similar size and material. Sometimes using a credit card to open a locked door do more harm as it is valuable.

If credit card bent, then you have to get a new one. We will suggest you to use old gift cards or any other less valuable cards.

4: Can these methods be used for a closet door?

Closet doors have a different type of lock, however, if the lock is similar to the door lock, then yes they can.

5: What can I use to lubricate and open a lock?

To open a door lock, use WD40 or lithium grease to lubricate it will loosen the lock. After that use something to wriggle it open.

6: How do you open a locked door with a bobby pin?

Open the bobby pin and bend it at a 90° angle. Remove the rubber tip on it end by using a knife or razor. Now put that end into the keyhole, bend the pin so it’s even against the outside of the lock.

Use the second end that pin to create a tension lever. Hold this tension lever in place at the bottom of the keyhole, it will prevent the pins in the lock from falling back when you lift them with the first pin. Turn the lever counter-clockwise, it will now automatically open the door.

Conclusion

Locked doors are one of the most annoying situation that no one can foresee. That is why everyone should know some of the handy skills to unlock their doors. In the article we have discussed a few but useful ways that anyone can learn and apply to open a locked door. But you must keep in mind that no matter which process you use it will lead to a little bit or more damage to the either the door lock, door or the tool itself. That is why you need to be careful while using these methods.

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