WD-40 is highly effective and multipurpose in its usage. Its conventional uses include lubrication of doors, removal of dirt from narrow spaces, and loosening of stiff screws. However, WD-40’s versatility is often underestimated as it can serve numerous purposes, for instance, pest control and winter preparation.
Adding Shine to Fishing Lures
Some anglers might be taken aback knowing that WD-40 can be useful in catching big fish, however, it is a fact. Although fish may not be drawn to WD-40 on its own, they enjoy sleek objects. By applying WD-40 swiftly, it renders the fishing bait much more bright and lustrous than before.
Having mentioned that, WD-40 can harm animals, and hence, the fisherman’s intentions with the fish hold significant value. It is necessary to exercise caution while utilizing it.
Bird Feeder Defense against Pests
Bird feeders are an excellent way to appreciate the beauty of nature without having to venture too far from home. However, they have a downside because they tend to draw in squirrels that either consume the bird food or damage the bird feeder entirely.
Fortunately, applying WD-40 onto the central pole of the bird feeder creates a slippery surface, causing the rodents to slip off easily.
Freeing Shoes from Sticky Gum
Needless to say, stepping on gum while walking down the street is unpleasant and inconvenient. It disrupts the walking process and adds unnecessary mass to the bottom of the shoe. This experience is widely disliked and considered to be a nuisance.
Fortunately, WD-40 has included this situation in its coverage. If you give a quick spray on the adhesive issue, it will either come off by itself or become very easy to eliminate.
Preventing Lawn Mower Jams
Although the best lawn mower available may occasionally get stuck on tough patches of grass, it is inconvenient to pause the mowing task to remove the obstruction. Thankfully, WD-40 provides a simple solution to this significant issue.
Applying the material on the underside of the lawnmower before and after every usage is an effective way to prevent grass from adhering inside it for a long time.
Cleaning Crayon Catastrophes
Undoubtedly, children are a joy to have, but when they have crayons, they can make cleaning the house difficult. Any surface is vulnerable to a child with a crayon, and removing the marks can be a time-consuming and laborious task.
An important update: WD-40 can significantly simplify the task at hand. Apply it to the affected area, then carefully clean it off using a cloth. Very quickly, the issue will be resolved.
Defrosting Ice on the Car
Although there are advantages to residing in chilly regions occasionally, most people dislike the hassle of starting their day early just to heat up the vehicle and eliminate ice from the windows. Fortunately, WD-40 offers a remedy to this predicament.
One can prevent ice from sticking to the glass by regularly spraying a substance on the windows and wiping away any residue. Although this requires doing it before frost sets in, it is still a clever application.
Garden Pest Control
Any garden enthusiast dreads the appearance of pests like slugs and snails, as they can quickly destroy carefully cultivated plants, rendering all the effort and care invested futile. Fortunately, WD-40 serves as an effective deterrent against these troublesome creatures, as they find it intolerable.
Apply a fine mist of WD-40 in the vicinity of the pots or flowerbeds, but not inside them, and enjoy a worry-free state. Moreover, WD-40 is impervious to water, hence the barricade will stay intact even during heavy rainfall.
Cleaning a Pair of Scissors
Scissors have to be cleaned because frequently used pairs for artistic purposes tend to accumulate a gummy substance, which may pose challenges while cutting. Fortunately, once again, WD-40 can save the day.
If you spray it on the hard-to-reach areas of the scissors, it will scatter the buildup and restore their functionality. This approach is much more inexpensive compared to purchasing a new set of scissors.
Cleaning Sticky Residue from Carpets
Sticky substances, such as glue or candle wax, can be extremely challenging to remove from carpets. It’s a task that is consistently trying and aggravating, and honestly, nobody wants to deal with it. The silver lining is that WD-40 can be helpful in this situation.
By spraying it on the adhesive spot, allowing it to absorb for a while, and using a sponge to clean it up, you can significantly reduce the amount of sticky mess stuck in a carpet, despite not removing it entirely.
Cleaning Tough Beverage Stains
The natural and charming appearance of untreated wooden surfaces can be appealing, however, they can present a challenge when it comes to cleaning as stains tend to penetrate deeply, causing unsightly marks that can diminish the beauty of the wood.
By using a small amount of WD-40 and wiping it with a rag or sponge, you can make the hardwood look completely new. This method is just one of the many ways that WD-40 can surprisingly clean your house effectively.
Adding a Bit of Showerhead Longevity
All showerheads, even the highest quality ones, will eventually experience wear and tear, leading to a decrease in performance. This could manifest as unusual sounds or reduced water pressure, which no one wants to deal with. However, applying a small amount of WD-40 could be a solution to the problem.
Although the substance cannot guarantee permanent durability of the showerhead, it can certainly extend its life by several months or even years.
Cleaning out a Dust Filter
It is inevitable that air conditioners will become blocked with dust over time. Although there are dust filters available, they will also become blocked with the dust they remove, and clearing them out is a time-consuming inconvenience.
By applying WD-40 on a dust filter, the adhesion of the dust particles to it reduces significantly, ensuring that the air remains clean for a longer duration. This not only saves you from the hassle of repeated cleaning but also elongates the life of the filter. Moreover, it’s an inexpensive solution that brings ease and convenience to the cleaning process.
Purging Mildew Wherever it Hides
Mildew has an unpleasant appearance, emits a foul odor, and can pose serious health risks to those nearby. Thus, it must not be left unaddressed. Using WD-40 is a great method for effectively eliminating mildew and decreasing the possibility of its reoccurrence.
By following a few simple steps – spraying it on, letting it sit, and then wiping it away – it’s possible to easily and efficiently eliminate even stubborn mildew.
Loosening a Stubborn Ring
Typically, rings are custom-made to fit an individual’s finger, however, there are occasions when they become stuck, causing inconvenience. The usual solutions to remove a stuck ring are to use either soap or vegetable oil. Interestingly, it has been discovered that WD-40 can also be a helpful and effective solution to release a stuck ring, perhaps even better than the traditional remedies.
In fact, WD-40 is highly effective in creating a slick surface, which extends to both rings as well as fingers. A small amount of it can generally alleviate the problem of a tightly gripped ring in just a matter of seconds.
Easy Removal of Tar Stains
Many of us have observed the black marks on the lower part of our vehicles, caused by tar from the numerous roads we drive on. It is reasonable to be concerned that removing these stains may require extensive work on one’s knees.
WD-40 is a reliable and effective solution, and can simplify any task. Applying a coat of WD-40 onto the tar marks will make them significantly effortless to clean, allowing you to save a considerable amount of time and effort.
Freeing up a Stuck Zipper
At some point, we have all faced a situation where a zipper becomes frustratingly stuck and cannot be released through a lot of effort. To tackle this problem, WD-40 can be used effectively. The process entails spraying it onto the pulley and gradually moving the zipper back and forth to allow the substance to seep into the zipper’s teeth.
With just a little patience, it is possible to loosen the tight hold of a stuck zipper and restore the usability of the affected item.
Making Outdoor Chalk Waterproof
If you enjoy creating artworks with chalk or have a child who does, rain can be a hindrance as it damages the artwork. However, you can use WD-40 to protect the chalk art from getting ruined by water and extend its lifespan. This applies to anyone who loves chalk art, be it an artist or a parent.
There’s no need to worry because WD-40 won’t cause the chalk to become permanent. This means that if you need to remove it later, there won’t be any issues. However, it will help the chalk last for a longer period of time.
Freeing Stuck Legos
Legos are notorious for sticking together very well, but sometimes they do it a little too well. When the time comes to take a creation apart and start anew, it can be difficult to do so because the Legos are stuck. But there is a way to make it a lot easier.
With some well-aimed application of WD-40, it can be a whole lot easier to deconstruct a Lego creation and save a bunch of time and frustration in the process.
Touching Up Vinyl Records
Vinyl records are old school, and that means most of them are in fact physically old and often scratched. These scratches can often cause a record to skip in the middle of its recording, which is obviously something nobody actually wants.
Applying a layer of WD-40 to a vinyl record can help it run smoothly and prevent skipping when listening to one’s favorite song, which is all you need to keep the good times going.
Keeping a Hairbrush Clean
The more one uses a hairbrush, the more hair that gets stuck in it. Unfortunately, it also gets a lot harder to keep that hairbrush clean. Picking out strands of hair bit by bit is a real hassle. Once again, WD-40 can make the whole process much simpler.
By spraying the hairbrush with it and then running a comb through the brush, the accumulated clumps of hair will come off with ease.
Do Not Replace Car Engine Oil With WD-40
It’s a bit of a curveball as far as this article is concerned, but since we’ve been praising WD-40 so much, here’s one thing we know for certain it can’t do. Some guys wondered what would happen if they replaced their engine oil with WD-40.
It worked fine, for all of five minutes. Then the car smelled funny, smoke started coming out of the hood, and the engine ignited. WD-40 can do a lot, but it seems it can’t do that.
Make Wooden Handles Safe
Back to things WD-40 can do, worth noting is its ability to make wooden handles splinter-proof. As wooden handles get old, they start to splinter, but a coat of WD-40 can stop that from happening, at least as quickly as it would normally.
It’s just one way WD-40 can help in the garden, as no one wants to get a splinter while tending to their plants. And needless to say, no one looks kindly on splinters.
Keeping Piano Keys Clean
Pianos sit out in the open and have a lot of small cracks, and that generally results in the keys getting dust or grime between them, which isn’t good news for the instrument. WD-40 is a great option for spraying in-between the keys to clear out that dust and grime, which will keep the keys sharp and responsive.
The home pianist will be grateful for the maintenance of their tool of the trade, and the flow of music can keep going.
Keep Glassware Separate
Glass behaves in strange ways many people don’t understand. Exposed to the warm and moist environment of a dishwasher, they expand just slightly, and if they are stacked when being put away, they may get stuck as they shrink back to their original size.
Using brute strength to pull them apart could break them, so spray some WD-40 between them and watch the stack slide apart easily. Why risk broken glass all over the floor or in one’s hands?
Taking Care of Leather Items
WD-40 is a great tool when it comes to caring for leather, as it helps it retain its softness and suppleness. This goes for leather furniture as well, which often tends to get cracked over time due to sunlight or general wear and tear.
Using a cloth, one can massage WD-40 into the leather of their favorite sofa and ensure that it remains in as good a condition as possible for as long as possible.
Preventing Silver Tarnish
There really is very little that WD-40 can’t do. Case in point, it can even be used to clean silver. A coat of WD-40 and a gentle wipe down is enough to give silver a little extra longevity, keeping tarnish away.
Now WD-40 may not be able to get rid of tarnish once it exists, but it can certainly be used to keep tarnish off of the silver in the first place.
Keeping the Car Grille Bug Free
Driving through heavy bug zones will quickly make a car grille look like a bug net: except all the bugs are splattered and dead. It’s not pretty, and WD-40 can help alleviate the problem more than most people would think.
First off, it’s a great option for cleaning off the bugs already on the grille. But once that’s done, a layer of WD-40 on the now clean grille will make it harder for bugs to stick to it.
Cleaning and Restoring Plastic Furniture
Plastic furniture is great when summer rolls around and everyone needs a place to sit on the lawn. But outdoor activities tend to make plastic furniture look a little worse for wear sooner rather than later.
Still, no matter how dirty they get, there’s no need to throw out plastic chairs and buy new ones: a WD-40 and wipe maneuver will make them look good as new in no time at all.
Getting Rid of Old Wax on Boards
Waxing skis and snowboards is extremely important during the time in which they are actually being used, as it is critical for removing surface tension against the snow. Eventually though, the wax that was initially beneficial can become harmful if it builds up too much.
Thankfully, WD-40 can take care of wax buildup with fairly little trouble, ensuring that the board remains a sleek and frictionless missile on the snow. All it takes is a spray and wipe.
Banishing Boat Barnacles
These crustaceans can pose a serious problem for boats, as they stick to the hull and literally grow from there using the calcium deposits that are under the paint. If there are enough barnacles on the boat, they can cause extra drag and make it so the boat needs more power to move through the water.
Barnacles are hard to remove as it is, but adding WD-40 around the barnacles will make them much easier to scrape off. It’ll definitely be good for your boat’s long-term integrity.
Detangle Fishing Line Knots
Fishing line is magic. No matter how well it is kept in a tackle box, it always manages to get tangled. It’s uncanny really. When this happens, most people feel inclined to just throw out the jumbled mess, and who could blame them?
But rather than waste all of the fishing line, consider using WD-40 and something as simple as a toothpick or a pin to untangle it. The problem will be solved in no time.
Killing Pesky Thistle Plants
Weeds are bad for any garden. Even the pretty ones have a nasty habit of hurting the other plants around them, so they have to get pulled quickly. Unfortunately, pulling thistle plants can be painful, because they usually have sharp thorns.
WD-40 makes for a pretty good weed killer, fortunately. Just spraying it on these weeds will kill them quickly and make it easier to pull them up. All in a day’s work, in a fraction of the time.
Removing Stubborn Lipstick Stains
Lipstick stains are nice when they’re on your face, but not so much when they are on your clothes, where they tend to be very difficult to get rid of. This too is something WD-40 can handle, though it shouldn’t be a surprise by now.
Spraying the dirtied area and letting it sit for a while is more than enough. After that, all one has to do is wash the clothes as they normally would. Yet another handy thing this miraculous substance can do.
Taking Down Tough Rust
Rust does no one any favors, as all it does is weaken metal integrity and make everything a lot dirtier than anyone would like. Believe it or not, WD-40 can take down rust too, and without much trouble.
Rather than throw away a rusted tool or piece of equipment, consider applying WD-40 to the object in question and sit back. With a good wipe after a bit the rust will come off a lot easier than one would think.
Shovel Lubrication for Easier Cleaning
This one may seem a little odd, but a little lubrication on a shovel goes a long way to making a digging task easier. The shovel will have less friction between it and the dirt, so sticking it in and pulling it out of the ground will be easier.
Secondly, dirt clumps won’t stick to the shovel if it has been lubricated with WD-40, making the whole process a lot less tedious. It’s an exercise in efficiency.
Removing Pesky Stickers and Price Tags
Ever try to get a bumper sticker off a vehicle? It’s a real pain. It’s hard to get off at all, never mind in one piece, and even if that happens sticky residue is often left over. The same goes for price tags and basically any sticker.
Thankfully, adding WD-40 to the back of the sticker as it is peeled away makes it a lot easier to remove the whole thing without any of the aforementioned hassle.
Eradicating Tough Water Stains
It’s weird how surfaces related to cleaning can get so dirty, but glass in bathrooms often manages to get water stains on them over time, and cleaning those stains is one serious chore most of the time. WD-40, as always, offers a solution.
Simply spray down such surfaces after a shower or bath and those water stains will be gone with little more than a wipe after the fact. Cleaning such surfaces should be simple by nature, no?
Cracked Phone Screen Salvage
We’re not going to say that WD-40 can magically repair cracks and scratches in a phone screen, but an application of the substance can make the damage look a lot less severe. It’s as simple as applying a coat and wiping it down with a cloth.
The cracks may not be repaired, but they will definitely be much less of an eyesore, and considering how often phones command our vision, that’s definitely a good thing.
Keep Wasp Nests Away
No one likes wasps, because wasps like no one. They hate us all equally and try to make our lives miserable as often as possible. Good thing wasps, like most insects, can’t stand WD-40, making it a pretty solid DIY bug repellant.
If there’s a particular spot wasps really like to nest, adding some WD-40 there once a year will generally be enough to keep them away, since WD-40 is also waterproof. And is there really any situation where less wasps is a bad thing?
Keeping Toilets as Clean as Possible
By now it’s pretty obvious that WD-40 can make it easy to get rid of stains of almost any nature. Lo and behold, toilet stains are no exception. WD-40 can make it much easier to get rid of stains on the inside of a toilet bowl.
Furthermore, a layer of WD-40 on the inside of a toilet bowl will make it harder for stains to form in the future, since things won’t stick anymore. The uses of WD-40 really go beyond what most expect.
Making Shoes Nice and Shiny
The uses of WD-40 extends even to shoe cleanliness. After all, stains are stains, regardless of the surface. Applying WD-40 to a shoe stain and wiping it away with a cloth or rag is about all it takes to get rid of almost any stain a shoe could get on it.
Needless to say, this is especially useful when it comes to white shoes, which are notorious for being easy to get dirty.
Keeping Floor Tiles Free of Filth
Like many things, the uses of WD-40 includes cleaning tiles. We don’t recommend keeping a layer of WD-40 on tiles all the time, as walking on them could be dangerous, but with the typical ‘add a coat, wipe it down’ method, it’s easy to clear stains and grime off of tiles with much less effort than is usually required.
Regular methods don’t even really need to be used considering how effective WD-40 is, adding yet another benefit to its use.
