WD-40's Many Uses Goofy Stuff / Lists / Back Home
I thought that
you might like to know more about this well-known WD-40 product.
When you read
the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has 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 stovetop... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.
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 successful with the Fortieth
formulation, thus
WD-40.
Weeville Note: We
always heard before that it was named so because it displaces 40 times its
volume in water. At any rate, "Water Displacement" seems to be a fact.
The Corvair
Company bought it in bulk to protect their Atlas missile parts.
The workers
were so pleased with the product they began smuggling (also known as "shrinkage"
or "stealing") it out to use at home.
The executives
decided there might be a consumer market for it and put it in aerosol cans. The
rest is history. It is a carefully guarded recipe known only to four people. One
of them is the "brew master." There are about 2.5 million gallons of the stuff
manufactured each year. It gets its distinctive smell from a fragrance that is
added to the brew. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing
in WD-40 that would hurt you.
Here are a few
of the 1000s of uses:
~Protects
silver from tarnishing
~Cleans and lubricates guitar strings
~Gets oil spots off concrete driveways
~Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without
making it slippery
~Keeps flies off cows
~Restores and cleans chalkboards
~Removes lipstick stains
~Loosens stubborn zippers
~Untangles jewelry chains
~Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
~Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill
~Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from
oxidizing
~Removes tomato stains from clothing
~Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots
~Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors
~Keeps scissors working smoothly
~Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors
in homes
~Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a
super fast slide
~Lubricates gear shift and mower - deck lever for
ease of handling on riding mowers
~Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises
~Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to
open
~Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open
and close
~Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards and
vinyl bumpers
~Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles
~Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
~Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons
and bicycles for easy handling
~Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and
keeps them running smoothly
~Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades,
and other tools
~Removes splattered grease on stove
~Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging
~Lubricates prosthetic limbs
~Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the
smell)
~Removes all traces of duct tape
~I have even heard of folks spraying it on their
arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain. ~Florida's favorite use was
"cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers
~The favorite use in the state of New York
~ WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the
elements.
~WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait
or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. 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.
~Keeps away chiggers on the kids
~Use it for
fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately, and stops the itch.
~WD-40 is great
for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
~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
re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
~If you sprayed
WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car
to start. (If I knew what a distributor cap was, it might help)
~WD-40, long
known for its ability to remove leftover tape smunges (sticky label tape), is
also a lovely perfume and air freshener! Sprayed liberally on every hinge in the
house, it leaves that distinctive clean fresh scent for up to two days!
~Seriously
though, 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.
~Bug guts will
eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
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