A resistant lock, an insistent key... a frustrated home owner!

[NotSoYoungRascal]

Hi! I have what I thought was a common problem that would have a routine solution-- but instead I find myself mired in confusion! My key has been increasingly difficult to insert into the lock on my front door, so I felt a little lubrication was in order. Pretty simple, I figured. But on searching the net for the best lubricant for the job, I found three different factions, each of which not only claimed their method was superior, but that the other methods would, in the long run, lead to unpleasantness if not outright disaster.

So what do I use? WD 40, a graphite lubricant, or PTFE (teflon)?

 

[Snoonyb]

Two causes. the key and/or the keyway has debris, or the pins are dirty. Both can be cured by 1st applying WD40 to clean and flush, and instead of graphite or teflon, which can attract debris, I use a product called SLIP-IT, which is a machine lubricant.