MARGARITAVILLE, Fla. – Linda invited us to Margaritaville and showed us her community mailbox sitting out in the sun all day exposed to the elements.

She could get her key into the lock but couldn’t easily turn it to unlock the lock. Surely enough, the lock was starting to corrode. So we lubed it!

If you have a project you’d like Erik to tackle, send us an email at GettingResultsAtHome@wkmg.com and next week Erik might just show up at your door!

We purchased:

Silicone spray

We brought with us:

Nothing

Step 1

Get the proper spray lubricant. My instinct is to reach for WD-40 but the pros say no! They say WD-40 is a penetrating lubricant and doesn’t stay around long. They also say oil isn’t great because it attracts dirt. Instead they recommend silicone spray (link above) or graphite spray. We used silicone spray.

Spray 2

Spray the lock mechanism on the inside of the mailbox generously. Spray into the turning mechanism. And even better, turn the key (if you can) as you’re spraying the lock mechanism.

Step 3

Spray the key. Pull out the key (if you can) and spray both sides of the key. Then spray into the lock opening where you insert the key (using the straw included with the spray helps with this). And then work the key into the lock, out and in, so you spread out the lubricant. All of this should make the key easier to remove / insert and make the lock turn much smoother.

You just got results at home!