Every person on this planet has accidentally locked themselves in the bathroom at least once in their life. As a child, I have experienced this dilemma quite a lot, which is why I had no other choice but to learn how to unlock bathroom door twist locks.
The entire process is not as complicated as it seems; however, it is not as easy as shown in the movies either. You need to make sure that you are doing it correctly; otherwise, you may jam the lock. To steer clear from that, I have shared a few easy methods that will come to your rescue when you are dealing with a door twist lock.
How To Unlock Bathroom Door Twist Lock?
Dealing with a locked door is something nobody looks forward to. Especially when you have kids crying on the other side of the door, then the pressure of unlocking the door elevates even more. Do not worry; there are some simple ways for you to deal with a bathroom door twist lock.
Inspecting The Lock
Before we jump into all the methods and ways for you to unlock the bathroom door twist lock, there is a preliminary step. That step is checking and inspecting the lock. Before you start looking for ways to open the lock, you need to know what kind of lock you have at hand so that you can find ways that are suitable to that lock. A door that comes with a twist-lock has a push button on one side of the door and an opening on the other side. The methods are different for both sides.
Ways Of Unlocking Bathroom Door Twist Lock
For Push Button Side Of The Knob
If you are stuck locked on the inside, and the push button side of the door twist lock is on your side, then there is one method of opening it. However, before you start using that method, you need to push the button and twist the lock to try to open the lock. If the lock does not open by pushing the button again, then there is one way for you to open it.
Use A Credit Card
The simple way of opening a door twist lock from the push button side is by taking the help of a credit card. However, you are not bound to use a credit card only; you can use any other stiff or hard card. Take the card and hold it firmly in your hand from one side. Push the other end of the card towards the lock in the door.
Make sure that you have lodged the credit card right between the door and the doorframe and push the angled edge of the latched lock. You need to make sure that you push the angled edge with a force so that the angled side of the lock goes in the door and the lock opens up.
For The Hole Side Of The Knob
The other side of a twist lock door has a hole in it, where the key goes. If you are dealing with a locked door and you are on the side of the door that has a hole opening on the knob, then there are a couple of simple ways for you to open that locked door.
Use A Spare Key
The first and easiest method of opening a twist-lock door is by taking advantage of a spare key. You need to make sure that you use the right spare key and insert the key into the lock carefully. Once the key is inside the opening of the twist lock, then turn it towards the wide where the lock opens. Make sure that you do not enter and turn the key swiftly, as that can lead to either the key getting jammed or breaking inside the lock.
Use A Paperclip
If you do not have a spare key lying around, then the second method for opening a twist-lock door from the opening side is by using a paperclip. This is the most common and the most used method of opening a twist door lock. Take a paperclip and straighten it out. You need to make sure that you straighten the paperclip properly and it does not have any curves. Once the paperclip is as straightened out as possible, then you need to hold the paperclip tightly from one side.
Insert the other side of the paper clip into the hole opening on the knob, and start twisting around. You need to move the straightened out paperclip inside the hole for a few seconds till the paperclip hits and latches onto something. When that happens, or you hear a click sound, that means that the paperclip has hit the locking mechanism. Once you have located the locking mechanism with the paperclip, you need to pull it, and your door lock will open.
Use A Bobby Pin
Another method of opening and unlocking a bathroom door twist lock is by using bobby pins. For this method, you will need 2 bobby pins. Take both of the bobby pins and straighten them out. Once both pins are as straight as possible, you will need to insert them into the opening on the knob.
Make sure that you are inserting the pin at the lower end of the opening. Move the pins around the knob till it hits the lock. Once your pins hit the lock, you will know it has happened by a clicking sound. After the clicking sound, you need to apply pressure on the locking mechanism that the pins have hit. A simple way of applying pressure is by turning the pins in the opposite direction, and voila, your locked door will open.
Use A Wire Coat Hanger
Another method that you can use to open a bathroom door twist lock is by using a wire coat hanger. However, you need to keep in mind that this method will only work if you are on the side of the door that has the flat side of the latch. If your side of the door has an angled side, you can not use this method. Take the wire coat hanger and bend it enough to turn it into a hook. Then you need to insert that hook between the door and the door frame. Make sure that the hook is fixed around the latch.
Once the hanger is in the correct position, you need to hold the hanger with one hand and the doorknob with the other hand. Apply some pressure on the doorknob and twist in the direction that opens the lock. On the other hand, you need to pull the hanger outwards so that the latch gets pushed on the inside with pressure. Once the latch is forced inwards, the door will unlock.
Removing The Knob
Another method of unlocking a bathroom door twist lock is by removing the knob. This method is not as quick as other methods, so you can only use this if you are not in a hurry or in case of an emergency. For removing the lock, you will need a few things that include the right screwdrivers. You need to make sure that the screwdrivers that you use are right for the screws mounted in the knob. If you do not have a screwdriver, you can also use a small pocket knife or any other sharp object to open the screws.
With the help of the screwdriver, remove the screws that are holding the knob to the door one by one. Make sure that you put all the screws in the right place so that you do not lose sight of them. Once all the screws are out of the knob, it will come out automatically, and your door will be unlocked.
FAQs
1. How do you unlock a twist lock door knob without a key?
There are a few simple methods that you can use to unlock a twist door lock knob without using a key. The first and the most common method is via a paperclip. You can also use a credit card, push the card between the door and the doorframe and apply pressure on the latch. This will cause the latch to withdraw inside the door, and the lock will open.
2. How do you unlock a twist lock on the other side?
If you are on the side of the door that has a hole opening in the knob, then there are a few simple ways for you to unlock the knob. The first is by using a paperclip or any other thin and long object such as a bobby pin. Insert one side of the pin in the opening and twist it around till it clicks and pushes the locking mechanism.
Conclusion
Everyone has faced the nuisance of getting stuck with a locked bathroom door at least once in their lives. The situation can be quite panicking, but there are a few simple methods of unlocking the door. I have shared all the methods that will answer your question about how to unlock bathroom door twist locks.
