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We have all had a situation where we have lost our home keys or locked our keys inside the car. When these things happen you are not right in the middle of a lockout situation. Experiencing a lockout can be very frustrating and cost you a large amount of time before it gets resolved. That’s why it’s best to take steps to avoid ever being put into a lockout situation in the first place. So how do you do that? Read on and I will tell you some simple steps that will help you avoid ever being locked out of your car, home or business.
Establish a Routine with Keys
Most people when they get ready to leave their house, place of business or their car have a set routine in place that they have developed over time. It may be something as simple as double-checking your surroundings and taking a second to think if you have forgotten anything. Start to include checking to make sure you have not forgotten your keys during these routines. It may seem like a no brainer to most, but just like you have conditioned yourself over the years to take your wallet or purse, you can also condition yourself to take your keys too. This can go a long way toward helping you avoid lockout situations.
Put Your Keys on a Hook Near Your Entryway Door
Here is one I do myself that’s very effective. I have a hook screwed into the door I use most often to enter and exit my house. This works great because every time I go to leave my home it makes it very easy to notice my keys as I am opening the door. It’s very hard to forget your keys if they almost smack you in the face every time you go to leave your house. Try it; you will quickly see what I mean.
Carry Spare Keys on You
Having a spare key handy is a great way to avoid most lockout situations. It’s not hard to get some extra keys made that work your home, car, and business entry locks. Keep this in your purse or in a special compartment in your wallet where they are out of the way. These keys will be so lightweight you will barely notice they are there and they will be there for you if you ever lose or misplace your main set of keys.
One word of caution here; when we say carry spare keys on your person we mean just that. We are not talking about hiding spare keys. Doing hat is a security nightmare waiting to happen. That’s because thieves know how to spot and find hidden keys. You are just tempting a would-be thief with a free pass into your home if you do this. So resist the temptation to hide spare keys on your car and around your home to avoid lockouts.
Don’t Put Off Repairs to Locks
Do you find that you have to slam your entry door hard to get it to lock into place? That’s a sign that the inner workings of that door lock are starting to get worn out and corroded. Sure you can put a little oil in the locking mechanism but that’s only putting a Band-Aid on a serious wound. Situations where locks looked worn, have damage or are showing signs of corrosion are not going to correct themselves over time. Putting off repairs to exit door locks in these conditions is just begging for a lockout situation to happen. So be proactive when it comes to lock repairs so you can avoid a lockout situation.
Switch to Keyless or Smart Locks
The main reason that anyone experiences a lockout is because of lost or misplaced keys. It makes sense then if you switch to locks that do not require keys that you will experience fewer lockout situations. Getting keyless or smart locks installed is fairly easy to do for any locksmith. They are experts at both installing and repairing any type of keyless locking device you have. Locksmith companies like Bernard Lock Service out of Rocky River, Ohio will even repair your keyless locks as part of an emergency service call if they are creating a lockout situation for you.
Routinely Inspect Your Keys
Using damaged keys in any home, vehicle or business lock is a big no-no. A lot of complications that can leave you locked out can result from this. Damaged or worn keys can get stuck in locks making them unusable or worse yet break off altogether in a lock. These are not the type of situations that anyone wants to find themselves in. So periodically inspect the integrity of your home, business, and car keys. Quickly replace the ones that you question the looks of.
In order to get a lockout situation resolved quickly without damaging a lock or door, you need someone who is experienced at doing this sort of thing. That’s exactly what you get when you call a professional locksmith to come to help you with any type of lockout. Most locksmiths handle hundreds of lockout situations each year so they get very good at it. They also carry many spare lock parts on their service vehicles just in case a defective lock needs to be changed out. Another reason that you want to keep a locksmiths number handy at all times is that they can help you out 24-hours a day in the event you have a lockout. Most locksmith service providers have a skilled locksmith on standby 24-hours a day every day of the year. So you never have to worry about being locked out of your business late at night, being locked out of your car on the weekend or finding yourself locked out of your home on a holiday. Reputable locksmith companies are always there to help.
