Did your child lock themselves inside the bathroom? Did you accidentally lock the door while getting out?
Do you hear your toddler crying inside the bathroom, but you can’t get in? To put it simply, do you find yourself locked out of your own bathroom often?
Whatever the reason, if your bathroom is locked from the inside, then you’ll have to figure out a way to unlock it. You might be considering hiring a locksmith, but the cost that it would entail is a lot higher than you’d want to pay.
That is why we are here to help you solve this issue at no cost. Yes! You can unlock the bathroom lock yourself if you just follow the guidelines that we provide.
The important thing to remember is that each lock is made with a simple mechanism, and its right understanding can help us unlock them.
In this article, we are going to teach you how to unlock a bathroom door on your own with the items that are already available in your household.
With just a little effort, you can save the money that a locksmith would cost and learn a new skill along the way.
First, you need to figure out the type of lock that your bathroom door possesses. So, let’s dive right in!
Bathroom Door Lock Type
Before you can begin trying to unlock your bathroom door, you need to determine what type of lock does it have.
In most cases, bathroom doors have twist locks. These locks are also known as privacy knobs and come with a pushbutton system or a twisting lock mechanism.
The exterior of the doorknob of these locks has a small round hole in the middle that allows you emergency access to the lock.
Try to determine which mechanism does your specific bathroom door function on. You need to check if the doorknob has a hole on the outside or a keyhole.
Correctly determining which type of lock does your bathroom door has is important for unlocking it.
It allows you to choose the right method for unlocking it. In this article, we are focusing on bathroom twisted locks.
So, keep reading to learn how to unlock this type of lock below!
Methods of Unlocking a Bathroom Twisted Lock
Here are the methods that you can use to unlock your bathroom’s twisted lock:
- Unlock using a paperclip
- Removing the door lock
- Pulling the bolt
- Pushing the bolt
- Picking the lock
Let’s learn about each of these unlocking methods in further detail below!
Method 1: Unlock using a paperclip
This method is fairly simple and doesn’t require a lot of hassle. It becomes even easier if you have a substitute key; all you’ll have to do is look for it and unlock the door.
But if you don’t have a substitute key, you can use a paperclip.
Doors inside a home, such as a bathroom or a bedroom door, are designed to fulfill their primary purpose of providing privacy.
That is why their mechanism isn’t really impassable, and you can unlock them without much hassle.
The side of the door you’re standing at has a small hole on the doorknob. In this hole, there is a small button-like surface that can be pushed to unlock the door.
Now all you need is a small paperclip or a similar thin, straightened tool to push that button.
In case of a twisted lock, you’ll have to insert the paperclip with a twist. When you put the pin inside the hole, its tip can be molded across the twist with some pressure.
That’s all! You need to insert the paperclip, look for the push button, and then press it to unlock your bathroom door.
Method 2: Removing the Lock
Another option for opening your locked bathroom door is to remove the door lock.
Bathroom door twist locks can be disassembled and removed with a little effort. So, all you need is a screwdriver, and you’ll be all set for this method.
When removing the door lock, you’ll have to open the mounted screws with the help of a screwdriver.
In some cases, you might have to remove other pieces, such as the shank or rose, before you proceed to unmount the screws. For that, a flathead screwdriver will easily do the trick.
Method 3: Pulling the Bolt
Pulling the bolt is another effective way of unlocking a bathroom door from the outside of the mechanism of the lock is a latch bolt.
Latch bolts are spring-loaded with an angled edge. The only tool that you need for this method is a wire coat hanger.
The angled edge is faced in the opposite direction, so you can hook it with a wire hanger. Here’s how:
- First, you need to bend the hanger, so it turns into a hook with a handle.
- Next, place the hanger hook inside the gap between the edge of the door and the jamb so the latch bolt is hooked around.
- When the hanger is in the right position, hold it in one hand and hold the doorknob with the other hand.
- Now, apply force and see which way the knob turns naturally and turn it that way.
- Then, pull the hanger and let it pull on the latch, so it forces the knob to withdraw and turn. This will open your door.
Please note that this method only works when there is a gap between your door and the jamb.
Method 4: Pushing the Bolt
If your bathroom door’s lock mechanism is a latch bolt, then you can push it open with the help of a thin and sturdy plastic card, such as an expired credit card, debit card, or any type of ID. You can pop the lock with the help of the card.
Make sure you don’t use an important and usable card for this method because it can damage it.
This method is similar to the pulling method, except you have to use the edge of the plastic card to push the angled edge of the latch bolt. Then, follow the same steps as in the wire hanger technique and put pressure on the knob.
This method gives you an advantage because a plastic card has the flexibility to wiggle and bend its way inside the gap even when there is a jamb blocking it.
Method 5: Picking the lock
If you have seen thriller or mystery movies, then you know that this is a popular method of unlocking doors.
All you need is bobby pins, and you’ll be all set. This method could take some time to get right, but once you learn it, you’ll never have to worry about a locked door again.
Here’s how you can unlock the door by picking the lock:
- Take out two bobby pins and bend them a little.
- Use the first pin for turning the cylinder.
- Use the pins to bend the fulcrum’s last centimeter so that it is perpendicular to the two free ends.
- Stick the pins in the bottom of the keyhole and use the remaining part as a handle to turn it.
- Experiment a little with the pin movements, and your lock will open.
Final Words
It is not unusual to get locked outside your own bathroom. In fact, it happens to a lot of people for a lot of reasons.
The best way to deal with these situations is to be prepared beforehand and keep a substitute key in a secure and accessible place at all times.
However, if you don’t have the spare key, that is fine too. You can experiment with the methods that we discussed above, and it shouldn’t take you long to unlock your door.
If you’d rather not try yourself, then you can hire a locksmith to solve the issue for you.
Other articles you may also like:
