How a Refrigerator Lock Works

Description

• Refrigerator locks are chiefly used as tools to help you make your home safe for infants and toddlers. They consist of a latch that cannot easily be opened. The latch either attaches to the top of the refrigerator and comes down over the top of the freezer door, or attaches to the side of the fridge and to the freezer or refrigerator door. When you pull on the door handles, the door does not move. Only after you undo the latch can you open the refrigerator door.

Purpose

• Children just learning to walk can use furniture such as couches and coffee tables to pull themselves up to their feet. If a child tries to use the refrigerator door, it could fly open, knocking him off balance and putting him at risk for a fall. An older toddler might open the fridge door to enjoy the light, the cool air or the mischief she can make opening a carton of eggs. She might even crawl inside the fridge, with possibly fatal consequences if the door closed behind her. The refrigerator lock keeps your young children -- and the contents of your refrigerator -- safe.

Drawbacks

• Refrigerator locks are not attractive and will not add anything to the appearance of your kitchen. To be useful, the latch on the lock needs to close tightly. This means there is no slack in the hooking part of the lock, so you need to compress the refrigerator’s gasket or seal to get enough slack to undo the latch. To get into your fridge, you may need to use two hands: one to push in on the door and the other to release the hooking portion of the latch. It may take two hands to close the door when you are finished.

Considerations

• Most refrigerator locks attach to your appliance with a strong adhesive that you can remove using household solvents or cleaners. They are not permanent, and once a child is old enough to be allowed in the kitchen with minimal supervision, you can remove them. The locks can also be used in homes with adults suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairments. In these cases, the locks are used to prevent accidental tampering with environmental controls to keep food from being ruined.