It is estimated that the average American spends approximately 1 year of their lives searching for lost items. Among the most common things to lose are your cell phone, keys and paperwork. Even if you work from home and do not have to worry about being late for work, the average 10 minutes a day that it usually takes to search for these missing items can be time consuming and irritating. Unfortunately, in the case of missing keys, they are sometimes never found or they turn up long after you need them. While your filing cabinet key should really stay put, unless you hooked it with a bunch of other keys, it can also turn up missing when you need that important document the most.

So, if you are in the current quandary of not having access to your filing cabinet keys, here are a couple of ways to get to that file.

Strong arm it

Depending on the type of filing cabinet you have, you might be able to tilt it and pull the lever. This works for filing cabinets that have a rod to one side, usually the right side, which controls the locking system. When you tilt the cabinet, there should be a hole at the bottom, which is directly below where the lever is. You can stick your finger into the hole, feeling for the edge of the metal rod and then push this lever up. The trick here though is that for some cabinets, the drawers have to be opened simultaneously while the rod is being pushed up.

Sounds like the job of a contortionist? It might be, if you have such skills. Otherwise, it is better to get a friend or family member to assist you. In fact, depending on the size and contents of the cabinet, you might need more than one. 

A walk on the wild side

If your filing cabinet does not boast a lever system, then you might need to pick the lock. While you might feel a twinge of discomfort practicing something best left to thieves or locksmiths, it might be the best way to go, plus you might learn a new skill. Picking the lock would require the use of a simple staple of any office - a paper clip or two. Both of these need to be reshaped for use. The first one should be straightened while the second should assume an L-shape.

The L-shaped key is used to hold the keyhole in place at the inside bottom, while you manipulate the inside top of the lock with your straightened clip. Wiggle the top clip against the lock pins while you turn the bottom one in the direction you normally turn the keys (hopefully you remember which one). This might take several tries but you should get it. If not, then it's time to call a locksmith, like Bob's Lock & Key.