Did you know WD-40 was created as a nuclear missile lubricant during the Cold War era? Its name is an abbreviation for "water displacement, 40th attempt." Today the most common use for WD-40 is to protect metal parts from getting rusty and corroding. But there are so many other ingenious uses for WD-40. Here are 25 surprising uses for WD-40.
To remove crayon stains from hard surfaces, spray directly onto the crayon marks, wait a couple of minutes, then wipe it away. If you are working on soft materials, you'll spray the WD-40 first, then rub in some liquid detergent before wiping it away. You can follow the removal with a clean, wet rag to remove the rest of the WD-40 before blotting dry.
You can buff and polish the brass and gold items in your home, from furniture legs to lamps, using WD-40. First, you will need to wipe your item down with a mix of soap and water or use a special cleaner for lacquered brass items. After thoroughly drying the items, you can apply WD-40 to a cloth to buff the item.
WD-40 is a great way to remove gum from carpets, concrete, bottoms of tables, floors, and even shoes. To remove gum from surfaces, saturate the gum and surrounding area with WD-40 and wait for it to loosen the gum for about one minute. Once it's had time to soak into the gum, you can peel the gum from the attached surface.
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Did you know that bugs don't like WD-40? It repels insects and helps to remove those already stuck to surfaces. WD-40 is an excellent product for cleaning dead bugs from your vehicle's grille. You can also spray bug spray around your doors and windows to keep bugs from entering your home.
What's worse than shoveling a driveway on a freezing, snowy day? Snow sticking to your shovel and other tools. Spraying your shovel with WD-40 before you start will keep your shovel clean, which will make the process quicker and more efficient to get you back indoors quicker.
Shine and remove fingerprints from stainless steel appliances throughout your home. To make your appliances shine like new, you'll need WD-40 and a dry rag. You'll need to spray your rag with WD-40 and wipe your appliances down for this project.
WD-40 is a quick and easy hack for removing old duct tape, price tags, stickers, and their residues from surfaces. It can even remove super glue from surfaces. To remove adhesives, spray the sticky surface, wait until it is saturated and then wipe the loosened adhesive away with a rag.
Sometimes your car can get covered in tree sap or bird droppings, and a drive through a car wash may miss some of the caked-on grime. Removing sap, droppings, or even tar is easy. Spray the dirt with WD-40 and let it sit for about one minute before wiping it away.
You can use WD-40 to protect your wrought-iron furniture from rusting and corroding if you have outdoor furniture. Prepare your metal furniture by scrubbing the grimy areas with a soft-bristled wire brush. Once you've removed the buildup, you can spray the furniture down with the WD-40 and wipe away any excess.
WD-40 is a very useful product when it comes to taxidermy. Not only can it be used to clean and protect your tools, but it can also make snakeskins more pliable to get your desired shape. Another common taxidermy WD-40 use is wiping down antlers and eyeballs to give them shine.
While you may think ink stains in carpets are a lost cause, WD-40 can save the day. You spray the WD-40 and let it sit on the area for a few minutes before sponging it with a mix of soap and warm water.
While faux plants around the house can spruce up a living area, dusty, sad leaves won't pass for the real thing. Wipe your faux plant leaves down by spraying some WD-40 on a cloth to give them a life-like shine. You can also spray the fake flowers before placing them at an outdoor gravesite to protect the colors from the sun.
Getting candle wax out of a carpet can seem impossible, but WD-40 can help get candle wax out of carpets and wooden furniture. For carpet, spray the area and wait a few minutes before sponging the area with soap and water. Wooden surfaces can be cleaned by scraping the dried wax and then spraying and wiping the surface.
Sometimes a surface has rusted over, and it's too hard to get to the screws or nails beneath the rust. WD-40's penetrating oils can help with getting rid of rust. To remove rust, spray the area with WD-40 and let it sit. You can wipe the area down after several minutes, allowing you to remove the nails or screws.
Sometimes zippers get stuck. Replacing a zipper on a bag, a pair of pants or your favorite jacket can be a hassle, and taking the item to a seamstress can be timely and expensive, but WD-40 is a great alternative. When spraying the area, just be sure to avoid the fabric so as not to stain it.
Water hoses can rust and corrode over time. You can protect these items from rusting by spraying the metal end with WD-40 every once in a while. For additional protection, put your water hose away during the winter season if you're not going to be using it for an extended period.
If you live in an area where temperatures are known to drop below freezing, WD-40 can help to protect your pipes in the winter. When you expect freezing temps, you can spray pipe exteriors and taps. This will prevent them from freezing or, worse: bursting.
Repairing a musical instrument like an organ or piano can be costly. WD-40 is a great solution to fixing sticky keys or even managing a squeaky pedal. Simply apply to solvent and be sure to wipe any excess with a dry rag.
Breaking in a paintbrush can take quite some time. WD-40 helps to soften and clean paint brushes, so they feel broken in and ready to use. Because the metal ring nut is so close to the bristles, the metal edge often begins to rust from being wet for extended periods of time. WD-40 can be used on both the bristles and the brushes' ring nut.
WD-40 is an easy way to remove dirt, grass, and other grime from the irons and wedges in your golf bag. Not only does the product clean the club heads, but it is also a great way to protect your gear from rusting when your bag is sitting in the cold, damp garage during the off-season.
Garden tools are constantly used in damp environments. WD-40 is a great way to clean and protect your tools. You can spray your tools and then scrub them with a brush to loosen dirt. WD-40 can also break through grass buildup on tools and can lubricate mower wheels, shears, and more.
Removing scuff marks from tile floors with WD-40 is simple. Spray the solution onto a cloth or paper towel and rub the scuffed tiles in circular motions. Once all scuffs have been wiped, you can clean the areas with a damp cloth and let the space dry.
One of the most common uses for WD-40 you've probably heard of is for greasing hinges. However, WD-40 on hinges will attract dust, which will make the hinges turn black over time. While WD-40 is usually easiest and already on hand if you have to use it, clean the area with soap and hot water and dry the hinges.
While most surfaces are WD-40 safe, it is not recommended that anyone use the product on polycarbonate or clear polystyrene plastics as they do not react well. In fact, WD-40 can leave oily streaks on these plastics and even cause them to crack and break over time.
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Did you know that WD-40 can melt seals in guns? It's essential to use oil lubricants made specifically for paintball guns when oiling the o-rings. WD-40 is a penetrating oil, which can cause extensive, and sometimes irreparable damage, making your gun useless.
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