15 Uses For WD-40

Never use WD-40 on a firearm. It is not a substitute for gun oil. It breaks down in the barrel and turns to gunk over time, and it deactivates primers. Tip number 13 should be taken off this list.

also good for cleaning and protecting a bike's paint from the elements, especially in a saltwater / beach environment.

WD40 is great, but it is a degreaser, not a lubricant! DO NOT use it to clean your firearms without laying some oil on later.

I use WD40 to clean grease off of the stove, then follow up with some regular mild soap to clean the residue off.

I agree w/ post #1, never ever use WD-40 on firearms. I'd also caution users against putting it on everything as the petroleum based WD-40 will degrade some plastics over time.

this is all in rebuttal to the new product Jig-A-Loo - look it up!

Copied from the public domain. Well done for making money with content that has been freely available for years

As for #8 and getting bugs off of your windshield, just make sure you don't get it on your paint because it will strip off any wax you might happen to have on your vehicle

Never use WD40 on golf clubs as they won't swing thru true as they should

re: WD-40 and guns

That's not true. Many people, including gunsmiths, use WD-40 on guns. You can use WD-40 to clean guns. Just don't use tons. And WD-40 is not a good for lubricating.

Never use WD40 on golf clubs as they won't swing thru true as they should

My friend uses WD-40 as a very good "wash" for his motorcycle; he goes through the stuff like water though.
On the plus side, his bike looks great after a spray/scrub down.

Ever try WD40 on bee stings (Don't know health issues) Takes the pain away instantly.

Got a hangover?
Drink a shot of WD-40 then follow it up
with a trip to the hospital and before you
know it hangover gone!

I'd never use it to clean a firearm, but I did use it to unjam an old M14 to get it back to restoring. So... Yeah, delete 13.

I'm curious about cleaning glue out of carpet...the dealer replaced a heater vent and the glue leaked all over the carpet in the car...should I use WD-40 for that?

When trolling for salmon up here around Juneau Alaska we spray the bait with a bit of WD-40. Not sure why it works but it attracts them...

The "WD" in WD-40 stands for "Wonder Dryer." It was intended for use as a moisture remover- not a lubricant. It does work well if you have a wet distributor cap. There's even (legend has it) been suggested that it helps stiff joints.

Use it for cleaning your white wall tires. It's the BOMB. It's ALLSUM. It's SUPER FABULOUS.

Attempting to stop would be interesting after spraying WD-40 on one's tires -_-

For "Water Displacement" but you got the sentiment right.

WD-40 is also good for cleaning game cartridges (i.e. nintendo, snes, N64) Do not spray directly on the cartridge, spray on a paper towel and wipe off the conductors

"WD" stands for Water Displacement NOT Wonder Dryer

"WD" means 'Water Displacement' (but where can I get a can of WD-01?)

WD-40 FAQs
WD-40 What does WD-40 stand for?
WD-40 literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed WD-40 back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion—a task which is done by displacing water. Norm's persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try. Please see Our History for more information.

WD-40 official page here:
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html

Yeah this list is for ruining lots of stuff, horrible advice in these 'tips'

I have used WD-40 for cleaning and oiling all my guns for 20 plus years. It has worked excellent. Even in the sub zero temperatures when I lived in Alaska.

the only thing I ever noticed that gunks up guns is TOO much of any lubricant mixed with dirt and dust.

WD-40 can stain!

It is a good cleaner for weapons and many other things.

Not so good a lube.

It is not a replacement for a good quality gun oil.
After cleaning completely wipe it all off, then oil well.

Never use on ammo, scopes, grips or the stock.

It will fowl the bore and it attracts dirt.

When I lived ib Toronro, I used it to kill cockroaches. It really murders them, instantly, with a direct blast. Way better than RAID, they used just do the backstroke in it.

thank you all for the positivity. some of the information is uncertain.

RE: #26 by amazed

I don't shoot much anymore.

When I did I fond that in cold weater a Good siliconized oil with PTFE "teflon" worked well. Its a vewry fine oil just requires more cleaning.

by the way wd-40 is one of the best cleaning tools to use on a firearm.

As I understand it WD-40 is herring oil - and if you spray it on your fishing lures will attract fish.

I wouldn't ever use WD-40 on any half-decent pair of denim.

I would never spray my pool cues with it either. Who the hell came up with this list? Someone that wanted to ruin everyones stuff?

Dont guess stuff like that. Its mineral/white spirit. The stuff you clean paintbrushes with.

From wikipedia:
"Main ingredients, from the material safety data sheet, are:
50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, also commonly known as dry cleaning solvent)
25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-%: Inert ingredients

The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety relevant ingredients:
60-80%: Heavy Naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated
1-5%: Carbon dioxide

It further lists flammability and effects to the human skin when repeatedly exposed to WD-40 as risks when using WD-40. Nitrile gloves and safety glasses should be used. Water is unsuitable for extinguishing burning WD-40."

Heres an interesting one I heard about a few years ago. It seems gas station employees will spray wd-40 on toilets, sinks and other public restroom surfaces to stop people from snorting cocaine. As soon as the powder contacts the surface, it absorbs the oil based wd-40, rendering the powder un-snortable.

And no, I didnt find this out first hand.

It is excellent at bringing back that showroom shine on your stainless appliances! No joke, peeps!

again thank you for all your positivity, i am very thankfull.

To get the glue off of your carpet use lighter fluid.

I'm shocked no one has called out the Twister suggestion.. that is toxic and straight up dangerous. You never want prolonged contact with your skin or any kind of ingestion... I hope no one breaks out the twister and a can.. they'll be sorry.. in fact, it's kind of irresponsible to suggest such a thing.. I'd take that down if I were you.

use Olive Oil instead.

I used to spray WD40 on the tarantulas that came up on my front porch, strike a match, light 'em up, and watch the 8 legged inferno streak across the porch to the bitter end...POP! Yep, them tarantulas EXPLODE! Talk about going out with a BANG!

PS - Do not try this at home!

When I worked in a metal shop in a factory, we would spray all the bare metal surfaces, that could rust, with WD40 at the end of the day. Worked well. We'd do a quick wipe the next AM if we didn't want the extra gunk on whatever we worked on.

Kills wasps quickly.

I was trying to plant a tree in my backyard one day. I wasn't making any headway with my shovel, so I sprayed it with WD-40. I instantly had a power-shovel that would glide through the dirt, slice clean through rocks, and made the job so much easier. When I finished the hole, my once rusty shovel gleamed in the mid-day sun like it was brand new. I went to take one last shovel full of dirt, and hit something hard. I saw a spark. I carefully scraped away at the bottom of my hole, and seemed to be uncovering something metal. I grabbed my WD-40 and sprayed it on my new find. Rust washed away revealing a smooth metal surface. I kept digging around this object , trying to find out what it was. Four days later, I found that I had uncovered a 1927 Buick 154 Roadster. In my back yard! After it was uncovered, I attached a rope to it and harnessed it around my seven young children and they pulled the Buick up to level ground. Man, was it dirty. I sent the kids off with their wagon full of empty beer bottles so they could return the bottles and buy me some more cans of WD-40. When they got back two days later, I started spraying that Buick. It was amazing. The tires came right up, even the white-walls. I got the doors open and sprayed the upholstery. I opened the hood, and sprayed down the engine. The holes in the hoses mended before my eyes. I uncapped the battery and sprayed some WD-40 in there, and low and behold, the engine turned over. So I opened the gas cap and sprayed 2 cans down there. It started! I've now driven that Buick 7200 miles coast to coast twice and haven't had to add any more WD-40. Man, this stuff is amazing.

LOL #46

that is one of the best stories ever.

WD 40 was first invented by a doctor as a remedy for arthritis before they found it was so great for so many other things. It is sold by other names for other uses...they just change the smell of it.
I use it after I clean the bathroom to keep the sink and taps clean longer. If you get soap scum or water spots you only need to wipe them off with a dry cloth.

I know in the motorcycle world there are two sides...those who absolutely swear by lubing their chains with WD; and those who wouldn't do it in a million years. I've put about 130,000 miles on multiple bikes in the last 10 years or so, lubing all my chains with WD. I don't get accelerated wear or anything. So it may be a good lubricant for some things and not for others...who knows.

It cures skin cancer too. Ever got a melanoma? One of those can really ruin your day. Some WD40 over it, put on a band-aid and wait 3 minutes - it's gone!

It prevents AIDS too - just spray a little over the penis before the act and you're done.

This sounds like something my mother would forward to me.
There's a great scene in a king of the hill episode where hank pulls out a can of wd-40, only to find that the cap is stuck. He pulls out a second, smaller can and sprays that onto the first to loosen the cap. roffels.
but wd40 is NOT a lubricant . wd = water displacer.
there are much better purpose made lubricants for lubing things up. but for everything else, there's wd40, jbweld, and/or a hammer.

I was worried that this list would have on it: use as eye wash. WD40 does not make good eye wash. It will make your eye burn.

Spray WD40 on your snow shovel, keeps the snow from sticking to the shovel.

oddly enough, i've always used wd-40 to treat bike chains to un seize them. i've done this for as long as i can remember, and it's always worked excellent. and i've never had a problem with it causing any sort of excessive wear on any bike i've ever owned. just my 2 cents.

Works great as a personal lube...

WD-40? meh...decent. PB Blaster? will "clean" ANYTHING...note: clean...NOT...lube...heh.

Don't use WD40 on fishing lures, ffs. It'll pollute the river.

It gets gum out of your hair very easily.

When i was on the farm i thought it would make a good deodourant...

Plain household bleach will remove tea and coffee stains from cups quite nicely. Easier to clean up with water and leaves no lingering smell.

To anyone thinking of using WD-40 as a remedy for arthritis, bee stings, etc. DON'T. The reason it relieves pain is that the petroleum derivatives in the mix destroy nerve cells. No wonder it relieves pain. It will eventually eliminate all sensation in the affected area.

I used to have a car with a cracked distributor cap, it would stall when it rained or was damp. Until I could get it fixed, I carried WD-40, squirted it on the cap and after a minute or two the car would start right up.

All in all, I think it safe to say never spray WD-40 on your corn flakes. Other than that, the sky's the limit; knock yourselves out.

Apparently WD 40's main ingredient is Dimethyl Sulfoxide (CH3) SO
more commonly known as DMSO. DMSO is not approved by the FDA for human use however any good horse owner knows that DMSO is a great remedy for sprains and strains on their horse. I know that if you look it up in an herb book you will find that it has properties that are mind boggling. A local doctor used DMSO along with another ingredient that I did not hear of to inject directly into a Brown Recluse spider bite on a persons face and the bite NEVER grew any further. DMSO is a SOLVENT and it neurtralizes all kinds of toxins.
In an emergency a friend of mine used WD40 directly on a Brown Recluse bite and it never grew. It began healing immediately. DMSO IS NOT pertroleum based, it is a by product of pine wood processing. If you spray WD 40 on your skin it will feel warm due to the DMSO content. Read the ingredients and do a search on DMSO.

The guy that uses for cockroaches is onto something.

I just sprayed a roach on the wall with WD-40. The big roach did a two and a half pike off the wall, hit the floor, did a double back flip, and promptly expired. Spectacular kill!

If you spray it on outside walls and ceilings, it keeps wasp and dirt dobbers from forming nest.

Gramps used to spray some into his cornflakes, but he died.

I love # 66!! LOL!!! I have used WD-40 to start a diesel engine that had run out of fuel. I had heard that you don't want to run a diesel out of fuel, cuz then it would be a PITA to start, having to crack the injectors to bleed them, or so I was told. Anyhow, I squirted WD-40 into the intake while cranking the engine over and it started. This was on a 7.3L diesel in an '83 Ford truck.

I've heard that it can be used to throw off drug dogs sniffing abilities when they search for drugs. I don't know if this is true or not.

There is no fish oil in WD-40. It is a petroleum-based product.

It's a terrific gravy mix.

WD-40 runs through Chuck Norris's veins instead of blood.

I took a photograph of Hillary Clinton. I developed the film in WD-40 which revealed that Hillary Clinton is a man. Simply amazing...

#36: not just gas stations. I have heard that some bars wipe down the bathroom counters and such to prevent patrons from doing meth in there. I'm told the drugs just evaporate on conact with WD.

I used WD-40 to clear ice from a carburetor so badly choked that I could not drive in freezing rain. The Water Displacement and flammable nature was ideal.

Thank you all for all the positivity

don't use it to clean/lube switches and pots on amplifiers / guitars etc.

Great info. Glad to hear that it can take ink out of jeans.

Spray it in your dog or cat's ears to get rid of ear mites. Don't spray too much, obviously.

Spray it on your tax return, audits won't stick.

lol at # 14.

WD-40 was orginally used by Jesus instead of wine for the first communion. Ironically, it was also used by the romans to help slide the nails through him and into the cross. It worked though.

Common sense.. how about a good hold on grammar.

"If think that an idea or suggestion is stupid...

I hardly feel that someone who cannot form an intelligent argument has any place in criticizing someone else's intelligence or lack thereof.

I would tell you what I think of Aussies, If I actually had an opinion. What part of England are you guys in anyway???

Is it good to use on radio parts ?

Can WD-40 be used to start diesel engines?

Why spend money on those expensive decongestants, when you can just buy a can of WD-40. Tilt your head back and spray two quick mists up each nose hole, and those cement like boogers plastered to the inside of your nose, will slide right out. You dont even need to pick! It\'s amazing stuff, and can help anyone breath like you\'ve never breathed before. Consult your doctor before trying this method though.

had anasty wart no my finger nothing would make it go away was cleaning some old tools & got wd40 all over my hands next day the wart got smaller stoped itching kept it on for two weeks & it went away

Did any of you attend school? I ask this because your spelling and grammar are wanting.

Could all of you smart asses who post purposeless comments on others\' grammar and spelling give it a rest please? Yes, perhaps you are superior to those whose comments aren\'t checked for typing errors or composed of well flowing grammar, but what difference do you think you\'re making by pointing it out, other than to make someone feel bad for your own benefit, perhaps? Are you trying to inspire them to go back to school, to teach them to spend more effort on writing well? Hoping to teach them the ways of an anal retentive snob, so that there will be more of you plaguing the world with your meaningless complaints when everyone else is just trying to have some fun? What\'s the point?

If you think WD40 is useful you wanna try Denso Tape.
This stuff can be used to repair anything and is used quite extensively in open heart surgery to stop leaking valves. Rolex quite often use it to stop their watches leaking (Open up a Submariner and you'll find Denso Tape everywhere)
Brides and Bridesmaids, stop your tiara from slipping by wrapping your head with Denso Tape. A fekking earthquake won't shift it.
I don't believe that WD40 is a cure for AIDS but it has been proven that Denso Tape will prevent you from catching it. Simply wrap the old man in Denso Tape and you can quite happily roger anything with a front bottom safe in the knowledge that you won't catch a thing.
DENSO TAPE - THE FUTURE

I concur Sir Richard.
We used Denso Tape on a daily basis to repair chair legs and table tops before they were displayed on the Antiques Roadshow.
I remember using this wonderstuff to repair a priceless Ming vase. The vase was certainly minging before I got my hands on it. A couple of wraps with Denso Tape and all of the crack and chips magically disappeared. I got nearly fifty quid for that vase in the auctions. Might not seem much now but it was a helluva lot in those days.

I use Denso Tape to keep my dentures in place for that "is he, or isn't he" look.
Great fresh taste too

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT use Denso Tape as a handy substitute for Aluminium Foil.
I wrapped a turkey in Denso Tape and cooked it at 180 degrees for approximately 4 hours.
It cost more for the Denso Tape than it did for the turkey and to be quite honest the turkey tasted like sh!t.
I was forced to serve a Bernard Matthews turkey roast instead.
This also tasted like sh!t.
You just can't win.

Don't talk to me about WD40 or Denso Tape.
Ever since my gender change I can't even look at the stuff.
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR WOMAN & GAYS & other minorities. KEEP THE FAITH
God bless America

I'll have you know I used to be a good looking bloke when I was younger.

I like pies and Polony sandwiches and would like to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone I have ever worked with. I'm not sure if this is the right forum but it's the only one I could find and you all seem like such nice people.
I refuse to apologise to Bone Idle Bob though. He really is useless.
Big hugs to everyone.
Why is everyone going on about WD40 and Denso Tape?

When WD-40 is not handy, I have learned that a touch of cooking spray like Pam works wonders on squeaky hinges. Granted, this is a short term fix and it does attract dirt, but it makes that aweful noise in your car or house door go away.

Wunderbar, wunderbar, wunderbar.
Een mine leetle home towen int Germany ve yous dis Pam spraa ont evrytink dat ees sveeken.
Eet ken bee putten ont de kutten gras engin unt ont de klippen hej kuta unt on de sprungen bed sleepen unt ont de vuden leg ov de Papa unt ont de ozzer sinks int de hows.

My grandad used to use denso tape to hold his trousers up. He was a horrible old man with nicotine stained teeth and fingers. He used to belch and fart all of the time. His feet stank too. My Granny hated him and was as happy as Larry when he died. Actually we think she poisoned him.
I like the cooking spray tip. I use 1 cal for cooking because I'm fat. Will this work too.

Has anyone used WD-40 to kill ants on plants?...that is pLants not pants! and will it have any adverse effects? I have used it in my greenhouse on a variety of plants and all seem OK so far.

I'm not sure about killing them but it'll be quite funny watching them sliding all over the place.

Try wrapping Denso Tape around the base of your pLants not pants. The ants will probably try to eat the tape then die or may just stick to the tape where you can quite easily bash their heads in with something e.g. a small hammer

I just killed about 80-100 sugar ants just by spraying them with WD-40. It does appear to work. They curled up ventrally around their thoraxes and their cuticle appears to have 'shriveled.'