---
title: "Which lubricant should I use on a lock?"
description: "A dry lubricant — powdered graphite or a PTFE spray. Oil and general penetrating sprays gum locks up and are the classic way to ruin one. The ranked options, the tec"
url: https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-lock/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which lubricant should I use on a lock?

**Which lubricant should I use on a lock?: A dry lubricant — powdered graphite or a PTFE spray. Oil and general penetrating sprays gum locks up and are the classic way to ruin one.**

A pin tumbler lock relies on five or six small spring-loaded pins sliding freely in narrow chambers, and any lubricant that stays wet becomes a trap for the dust and grit that a key carries in. Over months that paste slows the pins until the key has to be jiggled, and then until it does not work at all — a lock that has been oiled is a common call-out. Water-displacing penetrating sprays are worse than plain oil in one specific way: they dissolve and wash out the dry lubricant that was applied at the factory, then evaporate. Manufacturers publish their own guidance, and it differs — some now specify PTFE and advise against graphite in their cylinders — so the maker's instruction beats the general rule.

## The options, ranked

*Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.*

| Option | Good at | Bad at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dry PTFE lubricant | Leaves a dry film that does not attract dust, and it is what most modern lock manufacturers specify. | Needs reapplying occasionally, and the carrier solvent must be allowed to flash off. |
| Powdered graphite | The traditional dry lubricant for pin tumbler locks, and effective. | Messy, marks hands and clothes, and some manufacturers now advise against it in their own cylinders because it can clump. |
| Oil or grease | Nothing in a pin tumbler cylinder. | Collects dust and grit into a paste that jams the pins, and it thickens in cold weather. |
| General penetrating spray | Frees a seized mechanism temporarily. | Washes out the factory dry lubricant and then evaporates, leaving the lock worse than before. |

## Technique that changes the outcome

1. Puff graphite or spray PTFE into the keyway, insert and withdraw the key several times, then wipe it
2. Lubricate the latch and the strike plate as well; the noise often comes from there
3. Clean a sticky key rather than lubricating around it
4. Check the maker's advice for high-security and electronic locks, which is often specific

## What goes wrong

- Oil, grease or a general penetrating spray in a cylinder
- Forcing a key that has become stiff — that is how keys snap in locks
- Over-applying graphite, which clumps and jams the pins

> Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

## Other lubricant questions

| For | Use |
| --- | --- |
| A bike chain | Wet lube for wet conditions, dry lube for dry and dusty ones, wax if you want the cleanest and lowest-friction option — and not a general penetrant. |
| A squeaky door hinge | A drop of light machine oil or a smear of white lithium grease on the pin — and lift the pin out to clean it, which is usually the actual fix. |
| A seized bolt | A dedicated penetrant or a 50/50 acetone and automatic transmission fluid mix, plus time, heat cycles and shock — and anti-seize on reassembly. |
| A squeaky floor | Talc, graphite or powdered soapstone worked into the joint as a stopgap — the real fix is screwing the board down to the joist. |
| A sticky drawer | Paraffin wax or beeswax on wooden runners, dry PTFE on metal ones — and never oil on wood. |
| Rubber seals | Silicone grease on most rubbers, and a PTFE or fluorosilicone product on silicone rubber itself — petroleum products swell and destroy natural rubber and EPDM. |
| A garage door | White lithium grease or a garage-door lubricant on rollers, hinges, springs and bearings — and not on the track, which should be clean and dry. |

## Common questions

### Which lubricant should I use on a lock?

A dry lubricant — powdered graphite or a PTFE spray. Oil and general penetrating sprays gum locks up and are the classic way to ruin one.

### What should I avoid?

Oil, grease or a general penetrating spray in a cylinder Forcing a key that has become stiff — that is how keys snap in locks Over-applying graphite, which clumps and jams the pins

## Related pages

- [Which lubricant should I use on a bike chain?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-bike-chain/)
- [Which lubricant stops a squeaky door hinge?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-door-hinge/)
- [Which penetrating fluid frees a seized bolt?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-seized-bolt/)
- [What should I put on a squeaky floorboard?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-squeaky-floor/)
- [What should I put on a sticky drawer?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-sticky-drawer/)
- [Which lubricant is safe on rubber seals?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-rubber-seal/)
- [Which lubricant should I use on a garage door?](https://atoneplace.net/which/lubricant-garage-door/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)