Worried about the closet safety and locks? Check out these five trusted solutions for keeping your belongings safe and sound! There are benefits to having additional security measures in your home, like locks on interior doors. They offer privacy when you need it, but it’s not uncommon to lose keys or have a jammed lock that prevents you from getting inside.

Let’s Imagine you’re finally home after a long day, only to be stopped by an extended battle with your closet door. You need to get into your closet- there are clothes you need for an event with a dress code, but the door won’t budge. Now what?

You don’t need a key to open a locked closet door from the inside. Most likely, your closet’s locking mechanism is more straightforward than exterior doors.

Trusted Solutions For Closet Safety and Locks

A few options are available if you want to know how to open a locked closet door. You can find the one that suits your needs best, whether it’s something complex or relatively simple. In fact, with the correct method, you may be able to make it to that event after all. You can open a locked closet door following these steps from the ARD Locksmith Little Rock:

1.   Privacy Lock

First, see if your closet door uses a privacy lock—designed to be easy to open from the outside. If it does, then you can easily unlock it with this method.

Privacy locks can be opened in two ways: with a key or by picking the lock. If there is no keyhole, then it is a privacy lock.

Like a reset button on a toy, the privacy lock is shaped like a dot. Find something small and sturdy to fit into this hole, such as a tiny screwdriver or long coat hanger. A privacy lock is a device that you insert something thin and narrow into, such as a tiny screwdriver or knife, to turn and open. Just because an object can physically fit into the slit doesn’t mean it is in the right shape to press the button and unlock the door. Few slit-shaped locks have their buttons in a hole with a dot-like shape. For this reason, you should use the thinnest and smallest object possible when testing out potential keys.

2.   Credit Card

The credit card method will destroy your credit card, so choose one that is no longer in use. All you need is a thick plastic card, like an old membership card, gift card, or smart transit card; as long as it’s laminated, any plastic works.

If you want to learn how to open a locked closet door, don’t use a deadbolt on your closet door. Your bolt needs a slanted side for this method to work–the card can get caught without that slanted side.

Try this: If you want to open a locked closet door without a key, first, find a card that will fit into the space between the bolt and the door frame. Next, force the card into that space to push against the slanted side of the bolt. The pressure from your card should make the latch bolt slide across, which will unlock the door. After successfully executing this task a couple of times, you can experiment with turning the knob while keeping your card in place. If all else fails, keep slamming your card against the lock until it finally catches!

3.   Hinge/Doorknob Removal

If your closet door is locked, you must remove some of the door components. Be sure you know your lock before taking any action. To fix this problem, you will need a screwdriver. With the screwdriver, unscrew the screws holding the handle in place. After loosening the screws, The bolt should be able to be removed, and then the door can be opened. Putting everything back together again shouldn’t be too tricky by screwing it back in once you have fixed the issue. You will need to pry up your doorknob if the screws are not visible. The best way to do this is by inserting a screwdriver between the door plate and the door, then pushing upwards. After that, you should be able safely to unscrew the doorknob by angling the screwdriver.

Instead of unscrewing doorknobs, use hinges. With a screwdriver, carefully lift the pin out of the hinges. You may need to hammer on the backside of the screwdriver to get it unstuck. The process is delicate, and there’s a chance you could break the hinges, but it might be worth trying anyway.

4.   Lock Picking

If you’re locked out of a closet, and the lock is more secure or complicated, learning how to pick a lock may be your only option. Pin tumbler locks make up most of all locks, so the same picking technique can be used to open them. This same approach should still unlock if you have a wafer lock. Warded locks might provide slightly more security than pin tumbler or wafer locks and require a different method to pick them. Keys for these types of locks often resemble “skeleton keys” from days ago versus traditional house keys we use today. It would help if you had a tension wrench and a pick-to-open pin tumbler or wafer locks. If you’re already into lock picking, you can use your set of picks. Otherwise, you’ll have to be resourceful and improvise.

The most important thing is finding two objects that will fit snugly in the keyway. Two paper clips or bobby pins should suffice nicely.

To make a tension wrench, take a paperclip or bobby and bend it at a 90-degree angle. Then, use the pick to apply some pressure as you would if you used an actual key. You should be able to feel pins or wafers on the inside that are blocking the lock from turning. By gently lifting each pin with your pick one by one, eventually, the lock will give way and turn.

5.   Contact a locksmith

If you have tried all the methods above and none of them worked, it is time to hire a locksmith. Getting into your closet without damaging it requires professional help if you cannot do it yourself. Sometimes, learning to open a locked closet door won’t be helpful. Although you may be capable of breaking into your locked closet door with enough time and the right tools, it is always better to call a professional locksmith. They will arrive on the same day to help you get back into your closet without causing any damage. The locksmiths have had years of experience and training in picking different types of locks, so there’s no need for you to attempt guessing or trying out various methods yourself.

Conclusion:

If you need to open a locked closet door quickly, there are easy ways to do so that you can learn with little effort. Privacy locks are designed more to signal that you don’t want anyone entering the room than actually keeping them out, though they can be challenging.

After learning this information, you might want to replace your closet doors with a safer option! As well as making sure you never take it lightly to check closet safety and locks on regular basis.