Getting locked out of your bathroom, or discovering that your young child is locked inside, can make you feel a sense of panic. Fortunately, most bathrooms are equipped with privacy locks, not security locks, and there are several relatively simple ways to open a locked bathroom door.
Related: How A Locksmith Can Help When You Don’t Have The Keys You Need
DIY Strategies to Get into the Bathroom
Try inserting a butter knife into the keyhole, the same way you would a key, and gently twist the knife. The pins may come undone, and you may be able to open the door.
If that doesn’t work and the bathroom has a push-button lock, try unlocking it with a bobby pin. Straighten the bobby pin as much as possible, insert it into the keyhole, then wiggle the bobby pin and turn the doorknob at the same time.
If the bathroom door has a twist-privacy lock, try opening it with a screwdriver. Insert a thin screwdriver into the hole in the doorknob, then wiggle the screwdriver until the door unlocks. It shouldn’t be necessary to turn the doorknob while unlocking the door.
Some bathroom doors have stronger locks on them. In these cases, you won’t be able to get into the door by using simple tricks and easy solutions. Instead, you will have to pick the lock. You can try to do this yourself, as there are many guides online that can help walk you through the process. However, you may want to contact a professional instead.
How to Open a Bathroom Door Without Unlocking It
If the bathroom door doesn’t have a keyhole or a twisting lock, then you likely won’t be able to unlock it. Instead, you’ll have to do something else to get past the door.
Open the Door With a Card
You can also try using a card to pick the lock. Since there is a good chance that the card will get damaged, don’t use your credit or debit card or driver’s license. Instead, use a store loyalty card, an old gift card, or something else that you won’t need right away and won’t have to pay a lot of money to replace.
Insert the card between the door and the frame, right above the lock. Tilt the card toward the doorknob, then bend it so it slips between the lock and the frame. Lean against the door and wiggle the card until the door unlocks.
Tried these DIY solutions and still can’t get into your locked bathroom? Call All United Locksmith and let us take care of the problem!
Remove the Door Handle
If these methods fail, you can remove the door handle, provided the screws are visible on the outside. Doing so will remove the lock from the door entirely and, thus, give you access to the bathroom again.
Loosen the screws with an electric drill or screwdriver. Make sure to put them somewhere safe so you can easily reattach the door later. Once you have the screws removed, you can remove the exterior of the doorknob and see inside. Then, insert a screwdriver into the lock on the door handle and turn it to unlock the door.
Only resort to this method if it’s your last choice. It is a bit of a process and will take longer than the other methods. However, on the plus side, it is highly effective.
Related: How To Find A Reliable Locksmith Near Me
How to Open a Bathroom Locked From the Outside
While most people lock themselves out of a bathroom, it is possible to be locked inside as well. This can happen if the bathroom is locked from the outside or if the lock gets jammed somehow.
If you are locked inside a bathroom, you may be in a worse situation than if you were trying to get in from the outside. After all, your access to tools is far more limited. You will likely not have a key, a card, a butter knife, or anything else on you.
The most direct solution is to get someone to unlock the door from the outside. In some cases, the person outside can easily unlock the door, and if they cannot, they will be able to get more help from their position outside. If you have your phone on you, call someone. If you don’t, try yelling out for help or do something that will get someone’s attention. If you’re in a public building or live in a house with other people, make enough noise to get someone to notice you.
In addition, look for alternative means of escape. The bathroom may have a window you can use. Even if it isn’t big enough to fit through, you can use the opening to signal to someone and indicate that you need help. You can use a small mirror to get attention. In any case, it gives you another way to get someone to come and unlock the door for you.
If no one is around and there is no window, you can retool some of the earlier methods with common bathroom supplies. Instead of using a card on the door, you can use anything else that is thin and strong. A thin comb, a section of plastic, or even a piece of cardboard that you can tear from the wrapping of something may work.
Looking for a trusted locksmith you can call whether it’s an emergency or you need to replace or upgrade your locks? Learn more about our services!
Contact a Locksmith
DIY lock-picking techniques may or may not work, and they sometimes cause damage to a lock and a door. If your bathroom is locked and none of these techniques is successful, or if you don’t want to risk damaging your bathroom door or lock, call All United Locksmith. We will send a member of our team to your Connecticut home to unlock the bathroom door without causing damage to the door or the lock. Contact us whenever you need emergency locksmith services.
Related: Top 3 Ways To Prevent Lockouts
