How to Lubricate a Lock

Locks can stiffen up over time as dirt and grime work their way in. If you are finding it harder and harder to turn the key in your lock – and your children are complaining that they can’t do it at all – it may be time to replace the whole mechanism. However, it is always worth trying to lubricate the lock first. Here’s a few tips to help you out.

1. Don’t use oil.  Oil might assist the moving parts of the motor in your car, but it is never a good idea to squirt it in a stiff lock. The oil will just combine with any grime already in the mechanism and compound the situation.
   
2. Remove dust. If you have access to an air compressor – blow pressurised air through the lock to remove dust.
   
3. A squirt of WD40. The old joke runs that engineers only need two tools to fix any problem. If it moves and it shouldn’t, use gaffer tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD40. This universal lubricant can be used as a quick fix for a stiff lock – but don’t rely on it for an extended period of time as ultimately it will gum up your lock.
   
4. Apply a dry graphite lubricant. This is the sort of tip you might have picked up from your grandfather if you were listening. Rub your key and the exterior of the mechanism all over with a pencil lead. The lead in pencils is actually made from graphite - exactly the same arrangement of carbon atoms as you’ll find in expensive lock lubricants. 
   
5. Take your lock apart and clean it. If you’re the sort of person who likes to tinker, the most effective method of cleaning a lock mechanism is to unscrew it, take it apart and clean and thoroughly dry each individual part. The tricky bit is the reassembly afterwards!
   

Don’t panic if applying a lubricant doesn’t work and you suspect that taking a lock apart to clean it will only make things worse. Give us a call and one of our locksmiths will come out and replace your lock. We can advise you on secure designs that are less at risk from lock snapping. Call us on 01603 812613 or email admin@ptlockandsafe.co.uk.

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