How To Clean A Door Lock Cylinder

You actually do more harm than good by using an abrasive or chemical cleaner on a lock.

How to clean a door lock cylinder.

To keep you locks well maintained follow these steps. If you want to keep the lock handle and trim on a door but need to have the lock changed you can just replace the cylinder inside a pin and tumbler lock. Use a spay cleaner like carburetor cleaner gun scrubber or wd40 to clean out the lock cylinder and shackle opening. Lubricate your lock keyhole and shackle opening with 3 in one lock dry lube.

Clean every part of the lock with wd 40. Slide the key in and out of the lock several times to spread the lubricant. When they turn you can feel the cylinder grinding. The protective coating on most locks will withstand normal usage for many years but not heavy abuse.

On the other hand recently laser cut valet keys work flawlessly. This video is not meant to be a definitive how to always consult a professional repair manual bef. No grinding very smooth always sliding in and out lesson. If you re having trouble with your keys cleaning the lock and continuing to use the old keys could lead to serious trouble such as a stuck ignition cylinder.

At most use a mild detergent to clean door locks. This can be purchased at a hardware store or auto parts store and is often sold in a tube like container for easy dispersal. The way a professional would clean out the lock is to blow a small pinch of powdered graphite into it. First clean the keyhole with a penetrating lubricant like wd 40.

To get your door lock working like new the best thing to do is to take the lock apart and clean it out get a screwdriver and remove the screws holding the lock on your door. Use a spray cleaner or wd 40 to clean all of the parts of the lock. Petroleum based products can also damage a lock s finish. Leave the lock in the door but only remove the cover and other parts to get in to clean it.

Saturn s series ignition lock cylinder cleaning disclaimer. Clean the lock use pressurized air to blow all dust out of the keyway and shackle openings. Don t apply household oil to the key or cylinder because it attracts dirt and eventually would gum up the lock spray the lubricant into the keyhole itself and then spray it on the key.