Lubricating Hinges and Locks

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

January 3, 2002

Q. Hope you can help. We got a new oak front door with brass hardware and hinges, and a brand-name lock in March 2000. Sometime during the early summer, my husband decided to spray the hinges with penetrant-lubricant. It took me over a year to get him to tell me what he did to make the door close the way it does. There was nothing wrong with the door beforehand; he just took it upon himself to spray the hinges. The front door now automatically shuts when you open it, making getting in the house with an armload of packages next to impossible. Is there a way to reverse what he has done?-C.K., Malverne

A. Using penetrating oil on door locks and hinges is a common mistake for do-it-yourselfers. Although these penetrating fluids initially free stuck locks, they really should not be used. Instead, use powdered graphite or graphite-based lubricants on locks and hinges. Graphite-based products usually can be found at hardware stores and home centers. When used on locks, penetrating oils mix with dirt and grime, and can damage the working pieces. The graphite coats the working pieces and keeps dirt and grime from sticking to them.

Graphite can be squirted into the keyhole or onto the key. Working the key a couple of times usually frees the lock.

If you have a stuck lock and don't have any graphite, try rubbing a lead pencil along the teeth of your key. The graphite in the pencil should provide temporary relief.

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As for your hinges, penetrating oil can eliminate the friction in the pin area, causing the door to close too quickly. If you have regular hinges, the buildup of dust and grime likely will return the door back to normal in the near future. If you have spring hinges, there's an adjustable tension nut on the outside of the hinge, or on the sleeve that holds the pin in place. The tension screw can be adjusted with a hex key (or Allen wrench).

Just tell your husband to use graphite instead of penetrating oil on locks and hinges. He shouldn't feel too bad; I thought penetrating oil was the right way to go until a locksmith told me better.