How to Unlock a Door

Do you want to know what's in that cupboard in the corner of your home? Do you want to know how to get out if you're stuck in the bathroom? You can learn some methods to unlock a door from this article. If you encounter a similar situation again in the future, you won’t be anxious.

How to Open a Door without the Key?
Use a credit card
It will work for spring locks (the slanted variety that is part of a handle), but not deadbolts. Choose one card that is inexpensive and unimportant to you; if it breaks, no big deal. The best is a laminated card that is bent. Push it flush against the frame and in between the lock and the frame. Exerting force on the lock with a bent back will cause the door to open. You can force it between the door and the frame above the lock if there isn't enough space, then swiftly swipe downward while angling the card in the direction of the frame. This is where a more substantial, thicker card might be useful.

Use a small screwdriver or thin tool
Doors with "privacy handles," which are locked by pressing a button in the handle, can be opened using this technique. Look for a little hole in the doorknob if you're locked out on the opposite side. Insert a tiny butter knife, an eyeglass screwdriver, or a flattened paper clip into this opening. As far as possible, push it straight through; then, twist or twirl it until it catches in a groove and the lock clicks open.

Take out the hinges
Place a flat head screwdriver of standard size between the bottom knuckle and the pin. Use a hammer to lightly tap the screwdriver's handle downward. When the pin and head are sufficiently loose, remove them. Do this with every hinge. If the pin is stubborn, using a Phillips head screwdriver to force it out can be more effective.

Use a hammer to annihilate the lock
This should be your last option for a reason, which is why it's the last step. Most of the time, you'd probably be better off calling a locksmith or the local fire department's non-emergency line. In an emergency, pound down repeatedly until the lock or doorknob separates from the door.

How to Open a Jammed Lock?
Push or pull the door when you turn the key
Many older doors need you to apply pressure to the door while fiddling with the key because the warped door bends the lock at an unusual angle. Try exerting pressure in all directions: up, down, in your direction, and in the opposite direction. Once the door is open, exert as much effort as you can without falling off balance.

Give the lock some lubrication
Choose a greaseless lubricant, such as graphite powder, unless you intend to replace the lock. Oil will jam the lock much more after it dries out. It should just take a quick spray or squeeze straight into the keyhole; using too much lubrication can have the opposite effect. Use whatever oil you have on hand or rub the key with the tip of a graphite pencil if you're stuck in a room.

Rotate the key in both directions
The direction in which a key must turn to unlock a door is not standardized. Turning the key further in the "locked" direction occasionally causes the lock to unjam, even if you know which way is "unlock." Rotate the key quickly and smoothly in the other direction to try and free yourself from the jam if you can get it to turn just a little bit past the fully locked position.

The above methods will help you when you can’t open a door, but you can also try other ways to solve the problem such as preparing lock pick sets in your home.