One of the most annoyingly stressful things is when you end up getting locked out of your own house. It’s frustrating because you can’t gain access to your own property, and it can actually be a rather scary situation if you’re locked out at night or if you have young children or an infant left unattended inside. But this is not a time to panic. This is a time for staying calm and for using the resources you have to gain access to your home.
Using Hand Tools
What we’re talking about is using tools that you probably have with you or around your house to operate the door lock. This requires carrying the tools around in your wallet or purse, but don’t worry – we’re not talking about anything large and awkward like a wrench or pliers. Using tools like a credit card, bobby pin, or paper clip can be effective. You can also always call a reliable locksmith, which is a recommendation we offer, but even the short 30 minutes it can take for a locksmith to get to you may be longer than it’d take for you to get in on your own, and then you’d have to pay them.
A WORD OF CAUTION: These tools may be effective but take practice. And mastering these skills must be accompanied by discipline and obedience to the law, for if you were to attempt to use them to force entry into anywhere besides your own home, you’d be held accountable to the law and punished accordingly.
Option 1: Use a paper clip or bobby pin.
A careful, precise process, the use of bobby pins or a paper clip is a difficult but perfectly acceptable way to unlock your door. You’ll want to use the flat end of the bobby pin or straighten out the paper clip to stick them into the lock and pick it. The convenience of these two options is that they are small and flat and can easily fit inside your wallet or purse.
Option 2: Use a credit card.
Credit cards can also be used, and they’re already in your wallet! You can use these by inserting them into the small, thin space between the door and the door frame, right above the lock, and then pulling it down to undo the lock.
Option 3: Use a bump key.
A bump key (also called a 999 key) can also work. This key is a key that is made to fit inside your lock but not opens it. By applying simple pressure to the end of the key, the lock pins will rise temporarily and allow you to open the doorknob.
Option 4: In case nothing works, call a reliable locksmith.
If you don’t mind the expense or short waiting period, or if you don’t have the skills or resources to use the above tools, a reliable locksmith will easily be able to help you out in this situation. We’ll be here for you at Cincinnati Locksmith if you ever find yourself in a lockout situation.
