# Door Lock Lubricant: Graphite powder Vs Sewing machine oil

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [March 18, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688 "2019-03-18T02:38:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sciconf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sciconf](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sciconf)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688/1 "2019-03-18T02:38:41Z")

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What are the pros and cons of Graphite powder Vs Sewing machine oil as lubricant for door locks and ignition?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688/2 "2019-03-18T02:41:02Z")

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Any type of oil attracts dust/dirt and can gum up the lock.

Graphite doesn’t do that.

Tester

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688/3 "2019-03-18T02:50:52Z")

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Forget the sewing machine oil. Get “door lock lubricant “. Lowe’s sells one by DuPont that works for me.

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688/4 "2019-03-18T05:11:38Z")

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Good advice so far but I have used everything that was available wherever I was and never had a problem. An abused lock mechanism would probably outlast the rest of a car that was given average maintenance.

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/door-lock-lubricant-graphite-powder-vs-sewing-machine-oil/136688/5 "2019-03-18T11:57:28Z")

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The sewing machine oil will get thick when cold, the graphite won’t.