Pantry Doors: The Best Method On How To Lock Pantry Doors

A pantry is a cabinet with shelves for storing food. Many people have these in their kitchens, especially in homes with a full-time cook or someone with limited mobility who has difficulty maneuvering around the kitchen. The cabinets are usually made of wood and metal and often have glass doors to allow viewing of the contents inside. Locking a pantry can keep intruders out or restrict access to items inside, making it difficult for little hands to mess things up.

To lock the door of an ordinary pantry, you need three things:

• Two locks that are near each other at the top of opposite doors.
• A key.
• An additional locking mechanism (like a second deadbolt).

The locks need to be placed at the top of the door because most pantries have a narrow shelf at the top that the doors slide along when they are opened or closed. The key should be placed in a nearby drawer or location and considered lost if it is not used during a year-long stretch.

Deadbolt

The additional mechanism should require adult strength, such as a deadbolt applied to the door frame and locked with a standard house key or a long metal rod that extends from one side of the door to another and can slip into brackets on each side. The rod will prevent people from opening the door sideways, and you can use it to lock the door when it is closed.

You may not need an additional deadbolt if you already have a locking mechanism that fits the top of your pantry doors. However, this is a place to start if you consider installing an entirely new locking system. 

If you do not have deadbolts already, consider how you might add them to all of your interior and exterior doors that could be vulnerable.

This tip can be helpful if a fire breaks out in your home and you need to get everyone out quickly. It is also a good idea to have an escape plan in case of an emergency. Explain the importance of having such plans when children are old enough to understand what is being said and why it is essential (typically around the middle grades). 

If your children are young, you may wish to arrange some gag that enables you to get their attention without alarming them. It can include a code word or something simple like throwing a shoe against the wall for them to acknowledge and follow you out of the house.

To lock the pantry, grab a dish towel and place it over the top of the cabinet door. Then, tie one end of the dish towel to a nearby drawer handle or put it through a drawer handle. Next, you should tie the other end of the dish towel to the pantry door handle. Unless you untie or remove the dish towel from the handles before closing the door, it will not open. This is great for keeping your pantry safe from intruders or your children from exploring things they shouldn’t.

Continue: Best Method On How To Lock Pantry Doors