Locked out of your house or car? Here are 10 ways to unlock the door yourself without damaging it.
Being locked out of your home or car can be a huge hassle, not to mention incredibly frustrating. If you don’t have a spare key, you may think that your only option is to break in or call a locksmith.
Luckily, there are several ways to unlock the door yourself without damaging it. In this article, we’ll cover 10 different methods including using a credit card, hairpin, and even a soda can. We also provide tips on how to prevent yourself from getting locked out in the first place.
10 Safe Ways To Unlock The Door Yourself Without Damaging It
1) Use a paper clip
You can use a bobby pin, paper clip, or even a small screwdriver to unlock the door. Depending on your specific type of lock, you may be able to stick one end into the keyhole and push the other end into the knob hole. Once inside, you will be able to move it about freely until you feel it hitting upwards towards the knob.
When you do this correctly, both parts should pop upwards at the same time. You’ll know once they hit because there is likely going to be some resistance. Congratulations! Your home is now unlocked! This is the easiest way to unlock your home with no damage whatsoever. It’s also very easy for most people to learn without any previous experience or prior training.
2) Use a credit card
If you’re lucky, your home might have a door that is easy to slip a credit card into and push down on it until the latch pops out of place. However, most home doors are likely going to be too thick for this method.
The easiest way is if you can find where exactly the lock mechanism is located on the other side of the door. If so, take your card and start at that position until you feel it hit upwards towards where the lock knob will pop out from once unlocked.
3) Use a soda can
If you have an older home with a different type of lock, it might be possible to unlock the door with a soda can. First, take your aluminum can and cut off both ends so that you are left with nothing but a thin, long rectangle of metal. Next, hold the sharp edge on top of the keyhole and apply enough pressure until one end slides into place inside.
Now all you need to do is push the other end towards where the knob will pop out once unlocked. There may or may not be some resistance as this method relies purely on chance, meaning there’s no guarantee it will even work!
4) Use a car key
In this case, if you’re unlucky enough to be locked out of your home or car with a modern lock that doesn’t use pins, you can also try using the actual keys to your vehicle. This will only work in rare circumstances when trying to unlock home doors because most are too thick for traditional vehicle keys.
5) Using hairpins
Hairpins are an inexpensive tool easily found around the home, which makes them perfect for home emergencies such as being locked out! They’re not nearly strong enough to break glass, but they’ll get the job done when it comes to unlocking doors. Simply push one end into the door near where the knob pops out once unlocked. There may or may not be some resistance depending on your specific home door and lock, but it does work from time to time!
6) Use a bobby pin
In this case, bobby pins are just as easy to use as hairpins. They’re virtually the same thing minus the name. They come in a variety of sizes depending on their intended purpose which is why it’s important to use one that best fits into your home door and lock.
Like with the other two locks, push one end into where the knob should pop out once unlocked and use minimal pressure until you feel it slide upwards towards the knob.
7) Using a fork
Forks are great for home emergencies, but they’re easily obtained around the home. Take one and firmly press one end into your home door where you suspect the lock mechanism to be located.
Push until you feel it slide upwards towards the knob while applying enough pressure which should cause it to pop upwards once unlocked!
This is also known as being able to pick open your home door with a fork! It’s not an easy task by any means, but if done properly without bending too much of the fork against its will may work depending on how thick or old your home door is.
8) Use a metal coat hanger
Despite this home emergency trick not being as easy as the rest, it is quite useful in rare circumstances. Bend one end of your metal coat hanger until it forms a long triangular shape. Then, use an underhand grip and insert the sharp end into where the knob pops out once unlocked.
Push until you feel it slide upwards towards the knob while applying enough pressure which should cause it to pop upwards once unlocked!
9) Use an extension cord
Believe it or not, an extension cord can be useful in home emergencies. All you need to do is cut off one end of the extension cord which should give you a long shape that’s thin enough to insert into where the doorknob typically pops out once unlocked. Push until it slides upwards towards the knob while applying enough pressure which should cause your home door to pop upwards once unlocked!
10) Get a little help from friends and family
Of course, homeowners who are truly at a loss for how to unlock their doors themselves may need to resort to calling in friends and family members to come over and help them get home without damaging the door or locks.
With a little bit of coordination, two heads are better than one when it comes to solving home improvement problems that keep you from getting into your house. Something as simple as having one person hold a coat hanger straight while another gently pries open a jammed-up door works perfectly.
Once homeowners have managed this home, they can go on their merry way to do whatever it is they did before being locked out of the home.
Facts about unlocking the door yourself without damaging it
It is possible to unlock home doors without damaging them using tools that are typically found around the home. When home, you should keep hairpins near doors, bobby pins in your purse, forks in your kitchen drawers, and metal coat hangers in an accessible closet.
This will not only make it easier for you to get into your home when locked out but may provide some benefits during other home disasters such as a fire or burglary. Also, if all else fails there are professional locksmiths ready 24/7 who can open your door for you with no damage done!
FAQs about Door unlocking
Q: Is it legal to unlock home doors yourself?
Unless you are an expert locksmith with the right tools, homeowners should never attempt this. There is a high risk of home damage when attempting home door unlocking without help from trained professionals.
How much do locksmiths cost?
Locksmiths usually charge per hour and can range in price depending on the work they must do for home door unlocking. Most homeowners can expect to pay $150-$300 for a professional lock opening service.
Will I get in trouble if someone calls the police when I try to pick my locks?
Depending on your state’s law, consequences be ranging from fines to criminal charges for trying to open home doors without help from trained locksmiths.
What is the best home door opening tool?
Any of the following home door opening tools can be used depending on your preference, however, most experts recommend using bobby pins found in women’s hair clips or metal coat hangers due to their sturdiness and ease of use.
You’re locked out of your house and you need to get back in. What do you do?
There are a few ways to unlock the door yourself without damaging it, but some methods are better than others. We want to make sure that if you have to break into your own home, at least it doesn’t cost as much as calling an expensive locksmith!
If none of these work for you, we can help with that too!
We will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns about getting back inside your house. It is always best not to damage the lock when trying these methods so please use caution when attempting them! And don’t forget – if all else fails just give us a call and we’ll take care of everything from there. We’re here 24/7/365 days a year because safety comes first with King Door & Lock Company LLC!
