How to unlock a door with a coat hanger!

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November 5, 2022

Locksmiths DIY

HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR DOOR WITH A COAT HANGER?

DIY

When you get locked out the last thing you want to do is calling a locksmith. It is very frustrating situation and you would not like throwing money into it. Sometimes, you can nit avoid it and a mobile locksmith must be called to your address to get you back inside. This is what we do and we get plenty of work in Amsterdam helping people. But what if you could help yourself? What if you could get yourself back into your house using only simple tools available everywhere? What if you could get yourself in using a road hanger? A coat hanger could only get you inside if the door was slammed shut and not if the door was dead bolted with a key. If the door was latched with a key, this system would not work. We will explain more further below. Is this DIY locksmith section we try to provide some methods that will help you to actually do it yourself. You can always try it before calling a locksmith. We have to stress, do not do anything that might be unsafe. No climbing over balconies, breaking windows or anything of this sort. If you can not get in safely, call a mobile locksmith service near you. With no more talking, let’s get right into it.

So, how to unlock a door with a coat hanger?

TOOLS

In this chapter of DIY locksmith, we will help you getting back into your home using a coat hanger and a string. All you need is the two things only. Again, this will help you getting inside only if the door was slammed shut. Meaning, the door was pulled or got shut, but was not dead bolted and latched using a key. If the door was shut behind you, this might help. Find a metal coat hanger. The coat hanger have to be made all from steel wire and not a plastic or wooden one. You could use any other piece of wire long, thin and strong enough instead of the coat hanger. If you use a coat hanger, break the coat hanger shape and make a long straight wire of it. Bend one end of the wire to a hook. This end will catch on the door’s handle. We will explain more below. Curl the other end to an L shape. This will get under the door to use with your hands. We will explain further below. You will also need a piece of string strong enough not to rip and thin enough to get under the door. Tie the end of the string to the hook end of the, what used to be, coat hanger and you are ready to go.

THINGS TO CHECK

To start with, in order for this to work, the door needs to be shut only. The method is to insert the coat hanger under the door and pull the handle from the inside to unlock the door. We will explain further below. You will need to check that the gap between the door to the floor is wide enough to insert the wire under. If your door have rubber seal under, a step in front of it or anything else blocking the gap under the door, this will be very hard or even impossible to practice. You will also have to check that the coat hanger – now wire – is strong enough to hook and pull the handle without bending off it. If your door have a gap under but still the gap is too narrow and tight, you could try and widen the gap by inserting a door stopper under the door in an effort to lift the door up a little. Leave the door stopper inserted while you work with the wire.

ACTION

What we are doing here is trying to pull the door handle from inside and unlock the door. The wire will be inserted under the door, in the gap between the door and the floor, and the hook will catch the handle with the help of the string attached to the end of it. Once the hook is hooked on the handle, you should pull the wire from the outside. The wire will then pull the handle down and unlock the door.

UNLOCKING THE DOOR

Let’s start working.

Prepare the steel wire. Shape it in a way that it is long enough to reach the handle inside once inserted under the door. Use the external handle to measure the length of the wire needed.
Check the gap under the door. If it is too narrow, have a ‘door stopper’ jammed under the door to lift it up a little and widen the gap. The steel wire should be entered under the door and have a gap wide enough to make it move freely.
Insert the hooked side of the steel wire under the door. The intention is to have the hooked side of the wire catch on the handle and pull it down. Keep on holding the other side of the wire.
Hold the string in your other hand.
Once you feel the handle on the inside or hear metallic sound of the wire touching the handle, hook the wire on the handle.
Once the steel wire is hooked on the handle, pull the string and the steel wire in your hand at the same time.
The door should be open.

CONCLUSION

For this to work, the door have to be slammed shut and not dead bolted with a key. You should have enough space under the door and no rubber seal around the door frame. You will need patience and some luck. Otherwise this might take time. You can always reach Locksmiths . Amsterdam 24/7 or call your local locksmith if in need. Good luck!

Such is life in Amsterdam

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