How to open a locked bathroom door

Funny question. What is worse - when you can’t leave your bathroom or when you can’t enter it? If you or a family member is stuck inside you may need to act fast. Your first impulse might be to panic and that’s normal. However, the truth is there is no need to panic, only to act. Slowly, well thought out actions, will probably get you out of this situation and you will be able to open that stubborn door. You see, interior locks were designed for privacy, not for security or potential breakout prevention. That’s why these locks are easy to open even if you have never done anything like it before. Just follow instructions from Sure Lock & Key and we will tell you what to do if you have your bathroom door locked.

Why try to pick the lock might be a bad idea

When your bathroom door is locked, how to open it may become your main concern. In stressful situations, we all act differently and the idea of picking the lock will probably come into your mind quickly. After tons of films that we’ve seen over the years depicting people easily opening any lock with a bobby pin, it’s hard to believe that things actually might work differently. However, they do. To pick a lock, you need more than just a piece of wire or paper clip. Lock picking is a skill locksmiths work years to learn and master. Unprofessional improvised lock picking is rarely an option. Moreover, this approach is likely to be useless in getting you out of the bathroom because keyed interior door locks aren’t the easiest locks to pick and if you do attempt it you may make things worse . Besides, there are many different methods you may try without causing damage to the entire lock mechanism. So let’s see what we can do.

Unlock a bathroom door with a credit card

Yes, that is a method that is widely used in movies. However, unlike lock picking, this one doesn’t require years of training. The only tool you need is your credit card or discount card. We recommend not using important cards. Let it be a laminated card you don’t need anymore just in case it breaks or bends.

You can apply this method to unlock a spring lock. If you are facing a deadbolt lock, you will need something else.

Once you put the card between the frame and the lock and will need to push the door latch. Carefully wiggle the card and the doorknob at the same time. If there’s no plastic card nearby, you may try to unlock the door with a reward card. Place it between the lock and the frame and bend to make it engirdle the door, try to bring it a bit further. Start to wiggle it while unlocking/locking a bathroom door knob. The card should pass between the door and the frame and push the latch.

How to unlock a bedroom doorknob with a push-button lock

There are only a few types of bathroom locks people usually install. One of them is a push-button door handle lock. To close that lock, you need to push a button and rotate the handle. You need to do the same to unlock it. Even though it seems easy, the whole mechanism of doorknob locks is more complicated than it may seem. That’s why, if you feel confident enough or there’s nothing to lose, you may try to pick the lock. Use the wire, insert it into the lock and push the tip of the paperclip holding it as straight as possible. Rotate the doorknob and wiggle your tool at the same time. If you did everything right, you will feel the lock on the other side. Keep pressuring until the lock pops up, and then you will be able to turn the doorknob.

How to unlock a bedroom door by removing the doorknob

To apply this method, you will need at least a screwdriver. Remove the screws on the exterior side. At this point, you will understand what you can do - release the lock or pull back the door latch. However, if there are no screws on the exterior knob, look for a small metal tab and push on it with a screwdriver. It allows you to release the doorknob to pull it off.

After the door is open, you may try to pick up the pieces and put them together. If everything was done correctly and carefully, the lock should work.

Call a locksmith

Calling a residential locksmith is rarely the first idea when the bathroom door appears to be locked. However, it’s always the fastest, easiest and safest way out. In our daily practice, we often deal with the consequences of a DIY (Do it yourself) failed attempt. Calling us straight away, in the end, may even save you time and money. If it’s too late, your door is unlocked, but at a high price, calling a locksmith may be an educated decision. After all, you need a new lock and Sure Lock & Key would be glad to provide you with a perfect, new, installed one. This way our previous scenario never has to repeat itself.

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Summing Up

We understand that sometimes unlocking the bathroom door may be a serious situation, especially if there’s a child locked inside or just sometimes, people have to act quickly to get out. We hope our little guide helped you resolve the issue with little or no consequences. Anyhow, we are ready to help you 24 hours a day, throughout the year!

Lockouts are part of locksmiths’ everyday routine. Probably, we’re unlocking a door while you’re reading this blog post. It’s our job, but we perfectly understand that such a situation causes you lots of stress, so we want to give you some tips to minimize the possibility itself. But you may ask “Is it even possible to avoid the possibility of being locked?” We are afraid no one can say ‘yes’ without lying. But there are some useful tricks to reduce the chances of being locked out. Stay with Sure Lock & Key to be safe and ready for every locksmith issue that may happen!

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