INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Skin tears are often caused by bumping into your surroundings. Make sure your home or work has adequate light sources to avoid such accidents.

SUMMARY: Light your environment adequately.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Powdered graphite is a special dry lubricant that can be found in most hardware or department stores. It is designed to encourage smooth movement between two metal surfaces without attracting grime, which means it won’t gum up like oil-based lubricants. If your lock is so sticky that you can barely get your key in and out, you may need something as tough as powdered graphite.  Once applied, the graphite particles form a fine layer on the surface of the metal, lubricating and “brushing” away dust and dirt. A small container of powdered graphite can be purchased in most places for as little as $2. Most containers of powdered graphite have a solid plastic film covering the tip that will need to be removed prior to use. Take a utility knife or sharp pair of scissors and snip the plastic off the end of the nozzle. Be sure to make a large enough opening that the graphite can flow freely. Place the end of the nozzle up to the opening of the lock. Depending on the size of the bottle, you may be able to actually fit the nozzle part of the way inside the opening. If not, just hold it flush to the lock. It should still be able to penetrate deep enough to lubricate the locking mechanism.  Make sure you’re holding the bottle level so that graphite doesn’t escape around the opening. Consider covering the area of your door around the lock to guard it from stray graphite particles Squeeze the bottle gently to release a few puffs of powdered graphite into the lock. Try not to use an excessive amount—graphite is a potent substance, so a little bit will go a long way. Allow the graphite to start working on the lock for a minute or two.  Start by using a little bit of lubricant and apply more if the lock still sticks. Handle powdered graphite carefully. Otherwise, the fine black dust can get everywhere, staining surfaces and creating a big mess. Test the lock by inserting and removing your key once or twice. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting it in and out of the lock now. Turn the key in both directions to see how fluidly it moves. Sliding your key in and out of the lock will help spread the graphite around inside to the place where it most needs to be. If the lock still feels a little sticky, hit it again with a few more blasts of powdered graphite. Test the lock after each application. Once the graphite has distributed through the lock, it will begin to clear away the gunk that’s been hindering the lock’s movement, leaving you with a fully functioning, hassle-free door.  For especially stubborn locks, try squeezing a little graphite onto the door’s latch as well. This is the part of the locking mechanism that moves in and out of the door frame when you turn the knob. Lubricating the latch can help ease the keying action.  If you still don’t have any luck after trying powdered graphite, call a professional locksmith to come out and take a look at your locks. Sometimes the problem is with the pins inside the lock slipping down and loosening, which can't be fixed with just lubricant.

SUMMARY:
Get a tube of powdered graphite. Cut the plastic tip off the end of the bottle. Hold the tip of the bottle up to the lock. Inject some powdered graphite into the lock. Try your key in the lock. Repeat as needed.