AFTER REPLACING LOCKS, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR OLD KEYS?

Do you move often? Do you use a lot of keys for work? What about any rental properties you may have? No matter what your circumstances, at some time or another, a situation will arise making it necessary to change your locks. Before you know it, extra keys will begin piling up.

Don’t simply add to the landfill. When you’re facing a bunch of unusable keys, should you just throw them out? Or is there a better way to be rid of them? The sad truth is, millions of keys are discarded every year. Instead of contributing to the local landfill, there are many creative and practical ways your keys can be reused.

Mystery keys. Typically we find keys in the pocket of an old coat we haven’t worn in awhile, in the storage shed, and even beneath the couch cushions. Don't let mystery keys clutter up your keychains and junk drawers! You may be skeptical about throwing out keys, because you probably cannot remember what they’re for. That key could go to that luggage you’re going to use on your next trip, or to that bike lock you misplaced in the garage, or to the filing cabinet you haven’t opened for who knows how long. But the fact is, if you haven’t used a key in at least a year, you’re not likely to need it again.

Lock changes. There are so many sorts of buildings ~ homes, apartment complexes, offices, hotels, restaurants, skyscrapers, retail stores, schools, dormitories, and so forth. Of course, they all have doors ~ and some have lots of doors. Obviously, those doors, outside and inside, require keys. Furthermore, several different people often need their own keys. Recall the giant key ring on a janitor’s belt? Periodically ~ either because of new doors, new residents, new ownership, theft, or vandalism ~ new keys have to be made for everybody.

Recycling. Are keys recyclable? Yes indeed, they are; most recycling centers will take your keys, since they can be melted down for scrap. Remove tags, holders, rubber, or stickers. Find out whether your local recycling facility has a mixed metals bin, so you can be sure that all the keys will be melted down and the metal used for new purposes.

Do a good deed. When you’re clearing out all your junk, dispose of old keys in an earth-friendly manner, while supporting your favorite charity simultaneously: Donate the old keys to a nonprofit organization, so it can recycle them to raise money for a cause you believe in.

Rekeying. Visit your local locksmith to see if your keys can be remade, or rekeyed, to be refashioned like new If you’re anywhere in Hialeah, Florida, consider consulting the expert mobile locksmiths on staff at Hialeah Locksmith.

Use old keys as weights. Glue old keys on drapes or sew them into patio tablecloths, so they’ll stay in place. With keys sewn into the inside hem, you won’t have to contend with flyaway table settings or flapping curtains.

Fasten down your shower curtain. In the same way, you can glue magnets on your old keys, and use them to keep the shower curtain in place.

Make your own screwdriver. You can file down the end of an old key to make a mini-screwdriver to carry with you.

Pull chains. Add a key to those hard-to-reach chains, so your ceiling fans and closet lights will be easier to turn off and on.

Fashion a paperweight. Fill a jelly jar with old keys, and it becomes a paperweight.

Fishing weights. Why not take your old keys on fishing trips?

For a box opener, use an old key ~ it’s safer than a Swiss Army knife.

Make a mobile. Build a mobile using various styles of old keys. You could paint them different colors to entertain any baby in a crib.

Make rattles and shakers. Put a few keys in a container, such as a large plastic Easter egg, and you’ll add the beat to some musical group fun. If there’s an infant at home, it could double as a rattle.

Wind chimes. If you’re artistic, construct a base, and hang the old keys from it using fishing line.

Make hammering easier when you use a key’s hole as your nail direct.

Make a shim. Use a key under an uneven table leg to keep it from wobbling.

Make wine charms. Unusual keys can make attractive wine glass necklaces, which your partygoers will enjoy. A little paint, dental floss, and name labels are all you need to make each one unique.

Make charms. Your kids can paint old keys with their school’s team colors, and put them on backpacks, gym bags, and pockets.

Personalize party gifts. Put a key on a ribbon or chain and attach it to party gifts, personalizing each one with a person’s name.

Make clothes and backpacks simpler for children to use. Attach your old keys to coats and backpacks to use as zipper pulls. No more fumbling to get them open.

Make a memento. You can create a keepsake by framing all your old keys ~ a souvenir of each place you’ve lived.

Make jewelry. Be inventive with paint and glue, and make belts, necklaces, or crowns ~ using rope, thread, string, fishing line, or leather. You may want to keep a key that holds sentimental value by turning it into jewelry.

Sell them as craft supplies. Etsy, Craigslist, and eBay are places in cyberspace where artists shop for old keys ~ particularly distinctively shaped skeleton keys ~ for creating jewelry and home décor items.

Decorate. Use old keys to decorate picture frames, mirrors, and boxes.

Use for game pieces. Replace a lost piece in Monopoly, Clue, or any other game with an old key.

Make holiday decorations. Link keys together with ribbon or twine to make a chain. Paint the keys, and use them on your Christmas tree instead of popcorn, lights, or tinsel. An old-fashioned skeleton key makes an appealing tree ornament.

Educational tools. You can paint letters or numbers on keys, and use them like building blocks to teach children how to read or count.

Launch a fundraiser. Your church or club can collect as many old keys as possible. The keys can then be taken to a recycling place, and the profits distributed to your organization.

Lock maintenance

Well, here’s a subject people hardly think of! Lock maintenance is never at the front of our minds when we grab a key and use it to access our homes or car. We buy or install locks and expect them to work when we need them to; every time! Good quality locks can last for decades and that’s even with regular use. One thing is quite certain, though; locks do need periodic maintenance if they are to work on demand and last for their full life cycle. Hialeah Locksmith offers these helpful and timely tips that are easy to follow and can go a long way towards making your home, business or auto locks last longer and work better!

Wait; I’m not a locksmith!
No worries! You don’t have to be a lock expert in order to apply basic maintenance for yours. Start by cleaning the exterior part of the lock. Use a damp cloth and simply wipe the lock clean. Don’t fall into the trap of using harsh chemical cleansers; they can damage your lock’ exterior finish as they are very abrasive and not necessary at all. If you insist on using some kind of cleanser, just make sure it isn’t petroleum based and you should be just fine.

Lube job!
About once a year try and lubricate your locks. Again, avoid petroleum based products for this simple job. Use a dry lubricant like Teflon or graphite, instead. Since here in Hialeah, FL we live in a very humid and hot climate that is often wet, it is important that we keep our locks well maintained for maximum performance and longevity.

Simply spray the lubricant into the lock (where the key goes!) and insert your key. Remove it and wipe it clean. Do this again and again until the key comes out clean. For those that feel that they can do it correctly, remove the entire lock and lubricate the latch and the bolt, too.

Check your door!
Your door should be hung correctly if you want to maintain your locks longer. A door that sags even a little puts undue pressure on your locks, and makes them wear out faster. Close your door and check to make sure that the gap between the door and the frame is the same from the top all the way to the bottom. It should be about an eighth of inch for most doors. If your door is indeed sagging, call a trusted handyman or your favorite Hialeah, FL locksmith to adjust it. If you feel that you can do the work yourself, go ahead and do it and save yourself a service call.

Strike plates and deadbolts
Check your strike plate for damage. Broken ones can damage locks so check yours for any wear. The deadlatch should align with it. If you are unsure about any of this, go online and watch any of dozens of YouTube videos on the subject. Speaking of alignment and balance, check your deadbolt locks. Lock them and observe how they performed. Did the deadbolt lock easily and smartly or did you have to struggle to lock it or even lift the door a bit to make it work?

Duplicate key
Hialeah Locksmith suggests that you make duplicate keys ONLY from the original. Locks last longer that the keys that open them do. People use keys for a plethora of uses, not always to open locks. We rip open boxes with them, puncture, tear and snap items apart with them and over time and use, they lose their “edge.” What most people don’t know is that using a worn key in your lock tends to damage and wear the lock down, as well. Using worn keys is largely responsible for having to jiggle the key in the lock in order to make it work. When a key starts to show wear, replace it only with a duplicate made from the original!


Avoid slamming the door!
Not only is door slamming rude and annoying, it damages the locks, too! In addition, it puts excess wear and tear on the door and hinges. Not to get on a soapbox but if you really want to make a point; find a better way than to slam the door! We’ve heard some customers say that door won’t shut properly without slamming. Doing this only makes it worse as doors should shut completely and easily. If you have a commercial door with a door closer attached, check it and adjust accordingly so that it doesn’t slam.

Your key is a key; it’s NOT a knob!
We’ve all done it at some point. We insert the key in the lock, turn it, and use the key handle as a knob to pull open the door. This is not good for the key or the lock. It adds pressure on the lock’s inner mechanisms and over time, can wear it out to the point that replacement is needed. There’s another problem with this habit; you can forget that the key is in the lock and leave it there for next time! This allows the next person to have easy access to your property. Best advice; no keys as doorknobs!

Lock maintenance tells a story
Not like a good book story, but it does reveal the condition of the lock. This is because taking a closer look at your locks, keys, hinges and plates can reveal their overall condition that you might not have noticed otherwise. This can lead you to adjust, fix, replace or update them as needed.
Make any adjustments or repairs that you feel comfortable doing yourself, and for the others, call a local handyman or locksmith. For more advanced or specialized locks and hardware work with a full service, licensed, bonded and insured lock professional. Find one that offers 24-hour mobile assistance and that gives free and accurate price quotes and consultations. Remember; your locks are only as good as you allow them to be so take care of them and they will do their job longer and better!