The many amazing uses of WD-40

With all of the "Erma God, North Korea is gonna kill us all!" threads that have been on ATS the last few days I thought I would start a thread about something I just recently learned there are several uses for.

I never thought much about WD-40 and pretty much only used it if I was trying to loosen a rusty bolt or fix a squeaky door hinge. A friend of mine told my wife to put it on clothes with lipstick stains before washing. Turns out there are many other uses for it that I was never aware of.


"Water Displacement #40".
The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'Water Displacement' Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40.
The 'Convair Company' bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. The basic main ingredient is fish oil.

WD-40 Uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters, as well. (Ya gotta love this one!!!)
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic / terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors.
18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen flooring.
It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Remove those nasty Bug guts that will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
22. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
23. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
24. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
25. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
26. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
27. Removes grease splatters from stovetops.
28. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
29. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
30. Removes all traces of duct tape.
31. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
32. Florida's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
33. The favorite use in the state of New York, it protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
34. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.
Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
35. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
36. It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray it on the marks and wipe with a clean rag.
37. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
38. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it will displace the moisture, allowing the engine to start.

reply to post by Cancerwarrior

heres how it got its name

they got the mix right (for wont of a better term) on the 40 attempt (so my dad says)

Yeah, I use this stuff a lot. It's about as versatile as duct tape, and every bug out bag should have a small can.

love WD-40

It also works for stiff joints and knee's. But the FDA wont allow it to be advertised for that use.

I love this stuff.

Perfect example of why stealing stuff from work isnt always a bad thing lol.

reply to post by Cancerwarrior


also its good for easy start lawn mowers
anything with a spark plug
just remove spark plug(s) spray in the hole and hay presto engine starts

i personally use GT85 with PTFE it does not dry out

forgot to mention spraying on older ignition wires to remove moisture from them along with the distributor cap.

also useful as a "starter fluid" like either worked great in carborated vehicles.

sadly it is NOT a good lubricant for hinges and stuff as it dries out quickly and squeak returns. best to use to clear rust from hinge then use a better lubricant to "oil" it.

I use it for bug dope when fishing. It works well. Regular bug dope makes you not catch fish, it often repels them when it is on your hands and gets on the bait or hook. WD 40 is the opposite.

It's a lot cheaper by the gallon and they make spray bottles that say WD 40 on them.

Originally posted by generik

sadly it is NOT a good lubricant for hinges and stuff as it dries out quickly and squeak returns. best to use to clear rust from hinge then use a better lubricant to "oil" it.

Well said.

Whilst WD-40 is indeed brilliant for many jobs, it's claim to lubricate everything should be taken with great caution. Put it this way, when i want any oil removed from metal working parts, i use WD-40....what does that tell you.

Had a new mountain bike, WD-40'd everything then found it had washed away all the oil/grease from the ball bearings in the pedal set.

So yeah, use oil on working parts if it's able to take oil.

Another thing, be careful using it on stainless steel. My girlfriend bought a new stainless steel cooker, and i was advised on a WD-40 site to clean the top with WD-40, tarnished the whole thing. Plus it's flammable so i probably shouldn't have tried it anyway.

I don't mind admitting to being the proud owner of a "WD-40 fan club" certificate".

Sad or an impressive talking point at parties....you decide.

CX.

Another use #1: De-icing
Years ago, I used WD-40 in the depths of winter to unfreeze the door locks on my car. I attached the small plastic extension tube and sprayed it inside the locks. Having done that I still couldn't open the doors because the light film of moisture (that you often get on the rubber seal round a car door) had also frozen. So I sprayed a little in around the edges of the doors and in a few seconds I could get them open.

So, having learned my lesson, these days I gives the car door locks a pre-emptive spray just as the cold weather starts, and also spray some on a cloth and wipe around the door seals. (Ditto the trunk!)

Another use #2: Cutting fluid substitute
I've sometimes had to drill out bolts when they were totally seized and/or the bolt head was stripped and useless. Trouble is, drilling into hard steel creates loads of friction (and obviously heat) and this can take the edge off a drill bit in no time. So in these cases I drill for a few seconds then liberally spray some WD-40 into the hole, then continue, repeating as I go. The WD-40 acts as cutting fluid, so the drill bit stays cooler and so it doesn't wear out as fast.

Also, when sprayed into the hole with the extension tube, the high pressure washes it out so you can see better.

True, if you can set up the work in a bench drill and run normal workshop-type miscible oil (cutting fluid) over it as you drill, then you don't need the WD-40. But that's not always doable. I had to drill out a security bolt on the wheel of a car parked in a back yard after the special key broke (and so did the spare). No way to set up the car on a work bench!

Works great to get the campfire started , a couple of little sprays on the kindling when you're in a hurry to eat !

Awesome!

Throw in a roll of duct tape, a skittle, and 2 rusty paperclips and what do you have? Everything you could possibly need to survive any catastrophe of any kind. Guaranteed!

Thanks for the tips. Some of this stuff comes in handy seriously.

reply to post by generik

That's correct! WD-40 takes rust and squeaks away but the squeaks do return. The best thing I found for squeaky hinges is white lithium grease.

Makes a good propellant for your POTATO GUN!

Originally posted by Cancerwarrior
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. The basic main ingredient is fish oil.

Actually, the main ingredient is mineral spirits, not fish oil. WD-40 Facts and Myths

It is also incorrect to say that it can't hurt you, though it is pretty safe if used properly.

Every chemical product used in the workplace must have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) placed in a readily accessible binder. They contain far more information on the chemical product than you will find on a consumer label, including chemical composition, health hazards, fire hazards, handling and storage instructions, first aid measures, etc.

Here is the WD-40 MSDS

I've always like the smell of WD 40 in the morning. Next to Tri Flow there is nothing better. Just keep it away from anything you want to keep greased or properly oiled (bike chain) . I used to work in a bike shop many moons ago and I can't tell you how many hubs and bottom brackets have been ruined by people "lubricating" them with WD 40. They would bring in their bikes when a grinding sound and feel began to surface from lack of grease. Also, don't spray it into your locks. It will eventually gum up and render your lock useless.

I like the part about using for sore muscles and joints. I'll have to try that one out. I like to put a little behind my ears before I go out on a date with my wife.


WD is really more of a solvent than a lubricant so I'm not sure how much of the stuff you'd want to absorb into your system. I keep one of the little WD pens in the laundry room to work out some stubborn stains.

reply to post by JustMike


Be careful using this stuff on locks. It may displace moisture but it will also gum up your locks and make a mess of the internals. Keep your locks treated with graphite for the best results.

Spray a good amount of WD into a small container, cover it loosely and let sit for a couple of weeks. You'll see the gel like mess that is left behind after the other components evaporate.

Combine equal amounts of vaseline and mineral oil (or clean motor oil), melted together to combine, then cool to room temperature, and then mix in about 3-4 parts turpentine (until you get the right watery "sprayable" consistency).

Pour into a spritzer bottle, and you'll have homemade WD-40 without all of the unnecessary chemicals/additives and noxious fumes you get from the store bought stuff.

You can use this homemade stuff in all the same applications as the store bought.




Yes, yes... I'm a cheapskate.

A squirt of WD-40 makes picking locks way easier so if you find WD-40 residue around one of your key holes then chances are somebody has been into your stuff.

It also works great for a fish attractant. We spray it on our artificial rubber baits, for Striped Bass, and Weakfish. Works like a charm!