General mistakes with lock maintenance

Putting oil into a lock to try and make the key slide smoothly- this does help but for a maximum of about a week if you very lucky, but then why try and be lucky when you can prevent a problem.

When you put oil into a lock, yes the key slides smoothly for a few days, but then during that period the oil starts to dry then dust starts to collect in the lock. Few more days the dust starts to bond with oil and then it makes a paste that sticks springs and levers inside the lock. Then the past starts to haunt you because to get the oil out you have to strip the lock and then wash with a degreaser put it together then refit, hopefully the door will be open when you realize the sticky levers and springs or else you have to call a locksmith and the poor guy will struggle to open the lock then with a smile give you a bill that leaves you wondering why you ever put oil in the lock.

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