# Anyone Ever Lose Their House Keys IN Their House? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339 "2015-02-10T23:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/1 "2015-02-10T23:01:28Z")
Yesterday I came home as usual. Then about six hours later I was on my way out and I noticed the house keys were not in their usual place. I keep then in an old glass ashtray next to the front door. So I spent all day looking for them and all day today as well. Now I’m thinking, I got into my home so I had to have the keys. So where are they? I searched all over. I have scoured everything, went through every trash bin in the place. All my clothes, pockets and so forth. The only thing I can think of is I must’ve accidentally left them in the lock and someone wandered by and took them. And now the landlord will charge me $75 to change the lock but $20 for a new front door key and another twenty for a new mailbox key. I wouldn’t mind paying the money so much, except I got the feeling as soon as I get new locks, the old keys will show up. I have duplicates for everything but the mailbox, but I can’t risk that I left them in the door lock and someone took them. So has anyone else ever lost their house keys IN their home? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/2 "2015-02-10T23:27:31Z")
Have you checked the refrigerator? I found my keys there once, after a half hour of searching. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/3 "2015-02-10T23:32:25Z")
I have stood, many-a-time, in my house saying “I’m in a locked house…” While searching for my keys. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/4 "2015-02-10T23:33:56Z")
Where do you normally lose your keys? Kind of kidding, but if I lose my keys - and am in my house - they are in my house. I always lock my doors - and have never left the keys in the lock. For me - the keys are either in my dresser - or in clothes. Or on a counter somewhere under the mail or something. If I lose my cell phone - sometimes it is still in the car. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/5 "2015-02-11T01:57:45Z")
It’s winter. Look in the pockets of every coat, jacket, sweater and pair of pants you have. Look in the dirty clothes hamper. No matter that you’re sure you weren’t wearing this thing or that thing and you didn’t put anything in the hamper. More than once I’ve realized, “Oh yeah, I did wear that jacket to work…” ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/6 "2015-02-11T02:00:36Z")
Did you check the couch cushions, or under things like the couch or the bed? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/7 "2015-02-11T02:10:41Z")
Lord, yes, I have lost my keys in the house! try retracing your steps in the house, check all pockets, think about anything you put up recently. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/8 "2015-02-11T02:31:15Z")
We were once going on a long trip (months). So Mrs P though there was no point carrying two bunches of house keys with us the whole time so I could take mine and she would just squirrel hers away somewhere. When we got back she couldn’t remember where she’d hidden them. We had to have new keys cut. She only found the spare set about 8 or 9 years later when we moved house. ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/9 "2015-02-11T02:52:36Z")
If I can’t find them? They are probably hanging from the lock outside. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/10 "2015-02-11T03:27:27Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > We were once going on a long trip (months). So Mrs P though there was no point carrying two bunches of house keys with us the whole time so I could take mine and she would just squirrel hers away somewhere. > > When we got back she couldn’t remember where she’d hidden them. We had to have new keys cut. > > She only found the spare set about 8 or 9 years later when we moved house. Where were they? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/11 "2015-02-11T04:13:40Z")
This year? Not yet. But I’ve spent as much as 2 hours searching for them time and again over the years. The worst was a time where 4 hours into the search behind and under furniture and in various pockets – and there they were in the back door where I had left them the night before. (Inside; our back door needs a key from either side) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/12 "2015-02-11T04:17:11Z")
Did you pick up your mail and bring something in from the car the last time you entered your house? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/13 "2015-02-11T04:32:57Z")
I AM a bastard: burp-ette left hers in the lock of the fire safe/file cabinet in the walk-in closet when she was in a hurry to get a check to pay someone. She was all over the house–thrice! I saw them after about 2 minutes but didn’t say anything. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/14 "2015-02-11T05:08:12Z")
Is it Winter where you are? Could you have dropped them into your boots? Is there any other soft place they could have fallen on, or into? Do you have some vague, niggling sense of “I knew I shouldn’t have left them there” in the base of your brain? Last resort - put on all the clothes you were wearing, stand in the doorway, and let your mind wander. (Admittedly, this only works for me after several months, but you might have better luck.) > [@buddha\_david](#): > > Have you checked the refrigerator? I found my keys there once, after a half hour of searching. this would be number one on Family Feud. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/15 "2015-02-11T05:36:00Z")
I deliver newspapers at night and in the apartment buildings I often see keys left in the lock. Always makes me wonder how that happens - people coming home with a lot of heavy stuff so they open the door, then use both hands to carry stuff in, then close the door? Or are people just spacing out when they come home? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/16 "2015-02-11T05:45:16Z")
Let me save you some time. They will be in the last place you look. > [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > I deliver newspapers at night and in the apartment buildings I often see keys left in the lock. Always makes me wonder how that happens - people coming home with a lot of heavy stuff so they open the door, then use both hands to carry stuff in, then close the door? Or are people just spacing out when they come home? When I’ve done it, yes, it was because I was carrying other things in, and shut the door behind me. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/17 "2015-02-11T16:07:00Z")
I haven’t lost my house keys, but did lose the keys to our free-standing garage inside the house. They weren’t found for over a year. I had them in my hand when I came in the house with a load of groceries and clearly must have set them down in the cupboard when I was putting the groceries away. I finally found them when I went in the cupboard to get a can of cream of mushroom soup to make the holiday green bean casserole and there they were, on top of the soup can. In my defense, the soup can was on the top shelf and had several things sitting in front of it. :o ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/18 "2015-02-11T18:55:10Z")
Sure. In addition to the places suggested above, check the washing machine if you’ve done a load between entering the house and realizing you can’t find the keys. Also, look under whatever book you’re reading. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/19 "2015-02-11T19:04:42Z")
In the house? Hell, I’ve lost them in my left hand. :smack: There was one time when VunderKind was still in diapers but up and walking that he put the wife’s keys in the toaster. They were missing for about 2 weeks… ETA: my defense against mindlessly losing them is to always take them from my pants pocket and put them in a cigar box with all of the rest of my every day carry items. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339/20 "2015-02-11T19:56:58Z")
Our cats tend to curl up or meatloaf right on top of my keys/wallet if I put them down on the bed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-lose-their-house-keys-in-their-house/712339.md?page=2)