A Simple Trick to Prevent Wicket Doors and Locks from Freezing or Rusting—A Tip from an Oilfield Worker

Every single morning I had to get up early and warm up the lock on our yard gate with a hairdryer just to go outside! 🥶😩 The thing is that wicket doors and locks tend to freeze and rust which causes much discomfort! 😬🙄 One day, my neighbor couldn’t ignore my struggles and shared a 💯% working method how to solve this problem! ✅💪 I will share it with you too in this article! 👇

A while back, we installed a digital code lock on our yard gate, but we quickly regretted it when winter arrived. Each cold season, I found myself running outside early in the morning to warm up the lock with a hairdryer just to get out of the yard.

It was the same routine year after year—until one morning, while I was doing my usual hairdryer ritual, my neighbor came over.

“Is it completely frozen?” he asked.
“Yes,” I sighed. “You have to warm it up constantly, especially after it rains and freezes.”
“Can you remove it?”
“Sure.”
“Well, I’ve got something for you that will save you the trouble of using that hairdryer every winter.”

He has worked in the northern oilfields for decades, went back to his house and returned in a couple of minutes with a small tube.

“Take this,” he said. “It’s just a little bit, but I’ve already shared it with almost all the neighbors today.”
“Shared what?”
“This stuff,” he replied, handing me a yellow package.

Inside was a grease that remains liquid even in extreme temperatures, from -60°C to +120°C. The manufacturer recommends using it to protect equipment from freezing or overheating, as it helps to expel moisture without altering the grease’s consistency, keeping it pliable.

He explained that this grease is commonly used at drilling stations, but workers also found it useful in more unexpected ways—especially for lubricating locks. Condensation can cause locks to freeze, rendering them useless, but this grease prevents moisture buildup inside the mechanism, ensuring the lock stays functional all winter.

To use it, you simply apply it generously to the lock, ensuring it gets into every crevice. After that, you can forget about your lock freezing for the rest of the season.

What makes this product so effective is that it doesn’t react with water like regular grease, which can form a thick, freezing emulsion. Unlike typical greases, this one won’t freeze or become hard, and it’s easy to remove from the lock if needed.

He shared that this grease is a must-have in the North. Locals routinely unscrew their locks, fill them completely with the grease, and avoid the hassle of thawing out frozen locks after a storm. He himself learned about this remedy early in his career when his team of newcomers couldn’t even get into their house after the lock froze solid. The workers had to return to the drilling tower and use a bolt cutter to break into their own home. The experienced workers teased the newcomers at first, but then they took pity on them and shared the secret of this magical solution.

Now, I always keep a tube of this grease on hand. Not only does it protect locks and mechanisms from freezing, but it also prevents rust, ensuring that everything stays in perfect working order through even the harshest winter conditions.