Fix Your Locks: The Magic of Graphite Powder

Ever struggle to get your key into the lock? Are you worried about breaking the key? Whilst many would call for a locksmith, graphite powder can fix your lock in seconds. Here we discuss how you can get your lock working as good as new in less than 60 seconds. It’s a cheap and simple solution that anyone can carry out.

Over time door locks wear and can become stuck. Inserting the key can require force which can cause pressure and damage the lock. In a worse case scenario your lock may become inoperable. You’ll have to call a locksmith and that’s an expensive endeavour!

Inserting and removing the key should be trivial. The key should insert smoothly, pushing the pins in the lock without any effort. Turning the key should require no force.

I had a lock that slowly became harder to insert and remove the key. The pins in the lock made a grinding noise and I had to develop a technique to unlock the door.

As many do in the UK, when we need additional keys cut we head to Timpson – often found outside a local supermarket. Timpson offer great value, however as with any copied key it never seems to work as well as the original. In my case I always took a single key with me when I went running, however the copied key always seemed to amplify any issues with the front door lock.

Previously when I’ve tried to fix door locks I’ve always squirted some WD40 in. Yes I know it’s not a lubricant but it does sort of works right? On the rare occasion I decided to find a longer term solution I used to insert a couple of drops of bike chain lubricant or workshop grease. Simply, I used whatever was to hand.

Whilst these solutions may be great for short term lubrication, they often cause problems for smaller more intricate parts, such as locks. Oil or grease tend to attract dirt and dust and trap this in moving parts. Over time the lubrication they once provided turn to gunk and make locks sticky.

I spent some time researching and came across graphite power. Graphite powder is unsurprisingly a powder form of graphite – the very same you’d find in a pencil.

You may have seen those ‘life hack’ posts on social media of people restoring a zip on clothing or a bag by running a pencil along it. By using pencil along the zip you are effectively applying graphite powder.

Graphite power has the following key properties:

• Long lasting
• Corrosion resistent
• Non-sticky / does not attract dust particles or moisture
• Provides lubrication

As a result, graphite powder makes an effective lock lubricant.

So how do you apply graphite powder to locks? There are at least two ways… the official way and my way.

Official Method to Apply Graphite Powder

• Clean the lock
• Insert nozzle of graphite powder tube into keyhole and squeeze gently
• Insert the key into the lock and rotate to spread the powder
• Wipe away excess

• Clean the lock
• Take the cap off the graphite powder
• Insert key into graphite powder tube and shake of excess
• Insert the key into the lock and rotate to spread the powder

Both methods are simple and straightforward however I found coating the key was easier as I couldn’t get any powder to come out of the tube when I squeezed!

You don’t need much powder to achieve the desired results, so use sparingly.

Remember not to inhale graphite powder as the small particles can be an irritant.

Words cannot describe how effective graphite powder was for my lock… But given this is a blog I’ll give it a go.

The copied key that always caused me issues slid into the lock like a dream. It was silent, and required no force to turn the key. Removing the key was just as slick.

In fact this actually caused me a problem as I couldn’t hear the lock click, so for the first few tries after using graphite powder lock lubricant I ended up over-rotating the key and having to turn it back to remove from the lock!

Compared with WD40 or bike oil, the effect of graphite powder was much more pronounced, and took effect immediately. A few weeks on and the lock is functioning just as it did on the day of application.

You can grab graphite powder for locks for between £4-15 depending on the brand and size. I’d bet that a 50ml tube could last you a lifetime with how little you need to use.

The results speak for themselves.

If you are wondering how to buy graphite powder it’s easily found in hardware stores or online, for example Pressol Graphite or Kasp Graphite Powder. I ended up using a brand called Genius. I haven’t tried the other brands but given graphite is the major ingredient I can’t imagine there being too much difference between brands – pick whatever you can get your hands on the easiest.

For the sake of a small amount of money on a tube of graphite powder that will likely last me for the rest of my life, I was really impressed with the effects.

It took me longer to get the cap off the tube that it did to apply. With cap removed it took me less than a minute to restore my lock to perfect condition. Anyone can apply graphite powder to locks; it requires no skill at all.

In the past I’ve had keys re-cut and ended up replacing entire locks. This is a cheap, simple and highly effective solution.

Buy and apply some graphite powder and you won’t look back. It really is worth your time and money and will likely save you money over the long term.