Getting locked out of your home or a room, especially when there is an elder person or a crying baby inside, can be frustrating and worrisome. However, instead of panicking, keep your cool and follow these simple tricks that will help you to unlock a door without a key.
Your Phone is Your New Key
An eKey is the solution to all your key problems. UniKey, a mobile app developed by Phil Dumas, is a sure-shot way to enter your house without a key. With the app on your smartphone, you can open the door without even having to take the phone out of your pocket. The smart lock senses the UniKey and unlocks the door. What’s more, the app is available for all iDevices.
Our human mind is pretty strange, we tend to complain about things that are actually beneficial to us. For instance, we curse ourselves for the high security and protective devices installed in our houses when we accidentally forget our keys on the wrong side of the door. Spare keys save the day, but normally they are just a bunch of keys for us. But when we face such a situation, the spare keys suddenly become the most important thing in the world. And trust me, you never have them during emergencies. Getting locked out when you are in a hurry is annoying, you may have several options, such as waiting for your spouse, family, friends, but if you are really in a rush, then picking the lock seems to be the only option.
Women are blessed because they carry such huge handbags that they literary house their entire world. You may be surprised to know that some seemingly normal stuff in your bag will enable you to unlock the door. The same applies to men, you can use basic car tools to open the door. You don’t need to be an expert to pick locked doors. With these simple tools and ways, you can easily unlock any door, but with practice.
Note: The methods given below should be resorted to only in cases of emergency, and the author does not promote or advocate picking locks for any other purpose.
How to Unlock a Door Without a Key
Bobby Pin
To pick a lock with a bobby pin, you will require a tension wrench, but if you don’t have one, you can create one using a bobby pin.
Steps
♦ Take two bobby pins, start by unfolding the bottom of one bobby pin so that it resembles the alphabet ‘L’, fold the bottom around 2-3 cm. This becomes your tension wrench. Next, take the second bobby pin and straighten it out completely.
♦ Slide the L-shaped pin into the bottom part of the keyhole, push the pin sideways or horizontally. Now, slide in the straight bobby pin in the upper portion of the hole, try to insert the pin under the pins in the lock. You may need to do this, till the time you are successful in rotating the keyhole.
♦ If the keyhole turns, remove the straight bobby pin slowly, don’t do it in a snap. Now, use your L-shaped bobby pin to rotate the key, until the door unlocks. This may require plenty of patience and determination.
♦ If you feel the door is about to unlock, withdraw the L-shaped pin slowly.
Card
Avoid using your driving license, credit cards, because in the process of opening that latch, you may end up damaging your card. If you have any gift card, payback card, use that. Also, try to use a card which is laminated, as they can bend very easily. But if you want to use your credit card, choose a card which is long and supple, this will help to open up the door easily. Before you pull out your credit card out, the first thing you need to check is your door lock.
Steps
♦ Insert the card between the door frame and the door, near the handle. Try to shove the card in as much as possible, make sure the card is perpendicular to the door. Try to tilt the card towards the doorknob so that it touches the door knob. The more it leans towards the knob, the better, as it will be easy for the card to force the bolt back down.
♦ Now bend the card in the other direction, this will help the card to reach the angled end of the bolt, while doing this, make sure to lean against the door, so the door will quickly open. You can try to adjust the card back and forth, till you open the door.
Butter Knife
You can use normal kitchen knife or a butter knife, choose a knife that is thin but has a flexible blade. Butter knives are preferred since they are not sharp.
Steps
♦ Insert the knife between the space in the door and the frame, where the lock is situated, since knives are thin, it should easily slide in between the lock and the frame.
♦ Apply pressure on the lock, using knife, and push it back in the door. You may also need to tilt the knife a little till you find the suitable angle for moving the lock. You may need to try this several times; however, if you moved the lock, the door should swing open.
Screwdriver
Pick a screwdriver with a small tip, as keyholes are generally very tiny, a star-head screwdriver used to fix small screws can be an appropriate choice.
Steps
♦ Insert the screwdriver into the keyhole. You may need to position your screwdriver such that it lodges between the tumblers, which are present inside the lock. Make sure that there is enough part of the screwdriver inside the lock, which will help to move the tumbler up.
♦ Twist the screwdriver and pray to god that the lock opens, if not, try using different positions until you discover the one that works for you.
Paper Clip
Again you need two big-sized paper clips and pliers to bend these paper clips. Opt for metallic paper clips, because plastic tends to break easily.
Steps
♦ Start off by unfolding both the paper clips, grab your pliers and unfold one clip like the alphabet ‘L’. The second paper clip should be unfolded or straightened completely.
♦ First, insert the L-shaped paper clip in the bottom part of the keyhole, and push it in. Next, slide the unfolded paper clip in the upper portion of the lock against the pins inside the lock.
♦ You need to push it in, and move it back and forth to push down the pins inside the lock. While doing this, apply slight pressure to the tension wrench clip, work your way out to find out which direction the lock turns in. It can be either clockwise or anticlockwise.
♦ When the pressure applied to both the pins is correct, your door will be unlocked. Again, this method will require patience and lot of effort.
To open a locked door without a key with household tools is definitely not easy as it may seem from the above steps. I would like to reiterate here that these techniques or methods are to be employed in case of an emergency or as a last resort only.
