7.24.2009

WD-40 Can Do All That! Who Knew?


According to WD-40 folklore, a guy who had just bought a new pickup got up one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). Needless to say, he was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do. His neighbor came out and told him to get some WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck.


Water Displacement #40, AKA WD-40 began as a research project to develop 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 successful with the fortieth formulation, 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. When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.


Pop Quiz
: Do you know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is? Don't lie and don't cheat.


Here are some other uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.

2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.

5. Keeps flies off cows.

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/terra cotta 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 vehicles and doors in homes.

18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on 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. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!

20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.

21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.

22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.

23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.

24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.

25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.

26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.

27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans

28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.

29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.

30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.

31. Removes splattered grease on stove.

32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.

33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.

34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).

35. Removes all traces of duct tape.

36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.

37. Florida’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'

38. The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

39. 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.

40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.

41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

42. 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!

43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.


Answer: The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.


As to its uses in the boudoir, you’ll have to try it yourself.



Fully Lubricated Disclosure: I don't know the source someone sent it to me by email and I wanted to share it.

"There's that old saying: "If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40." (I think I learned this from watching The Red Green Show.)"

2 comments:

Kiwi Littleoak said...

I love that quote. So very true. I am a huge fan of duct tape, but it looks as though I'll have to get into WD-40!

What a list of things it can do! I had never thought of most of those, but that's incredibly useful.

I laughed hard when I finally got to the fish oil part. I should have guessed with the comment about fish in the list!

Thanks for another enlightening article!

- Kiwi / CarbonxKiwi (SB)

Grammie/Mom said...

Ah yes, the Red Green Show. My husband and I enjoyed that! I'm going to use some of these hints and pass the fishing one on to my son-in-law.

Ruth from Swap-Bot