Lubricating a door lock

[smidsy]

What's the best stuff to lubricate a house door lock.
I used WD40 on a door lock at work once and was told it was a no-no cos the oil creates a paste with the dust and makes it worse.

[auscab]

Graphite powder

Just a moment...

[Chief Tiff]

[Chesand]

A small container will last for ages.

[dinosour]

[419]

Graphite's fine, as long as the lock isn't over carpet. Fine graphite dust can accumulate under the lock over time and stain the carpet, same as it does much worse when used on door hinges. Lock lube spray is better if used sparingly, such as

[BobL]

If you don't want to "puff" graphite everywhere, dip the key into some meths and then just the tip (3mm) of the key into the graphite. This gets the graphite right into the back of the lock. The meths eventually evaporates and leave the graphic behind.

[crowie]

When I was doing school maintenance the locksmith said we could use Teflon Dry Lube; and yes it worked well, no mess!

[jack620]

There's a limitation with graphite to be aware of.