Clever ways to use WD-40 at home or outdoors
Most households have a can or two of WD-40 lying around, perhaps in a toolbox, garage or hidden drawer. It is known for loosening hinges, preventing rust and loosening stuck screws. But seasoned handymen advise having it around at all times. Think outside the box and you’ll discover the surprising versatility of WD-40.
In almost every home, you’ll find a can or two of WD-40 in a toolbox, garage or hidden drawer. It is known for its ability to loosen hinges, prevent rust and loosen stubborn screws. Experienced do-it-yourselfers, however, recommend keeping it within reach for even more unexpected uses.
We know it as the tool of choice for loosening hinges, preventing rust and loosening stuck screws. But experts recommend having it around for its surprising versatility in various tasks inside and outside your home. So head to your garage, open your toolbox, grab your spray can and discover these surprising ways to use WD-40!
1. Your disks don’t skip a beat
It may not be the preferred way to listen to music these days, but more and more people are reverting to this format because of their dedication to the sound and vintage feel. One challenge everyone faces with vinyl discs is their fragility and maintenance. If you don’t maintain them properly, the quality deteriorates.
If your plate starts to chip in certain places, fear not. This is where WD-40 comes in handy. Spray a little on a cloth and gently spread it over the disc to ensure the record plays smoothly.
2. Open fastening zippers
A stuck zipper is very frustrating. It feels like you are locked out. You know there is a space that you can use, but there is no movement even when you pull and tug. You may think you’ve lost access forever.
But don’t worry, here’s another problem for which WD-40 is the solution. If you apply it properly, you can open and close your backpack as if it were brand new. Now you can carry WD-40 in your backpack to be ready for situations like this.
3. No more splinters
Gardening can be hard work, and the force you apply to your tools can cause the wooden handle to splinter. No one wants to interrupt their work to take care of a splinter in their fingers. Especially if they are brand new, you should not be afraid to use your tools.
Did you know that you can avoid cutting your hand by spraying some WD-40 on the handle and then cleaning it with a dry cloth? This makes the wood surface smoother and prevents you from injuring yourself when holding your tool.
4. Clean hair brush
After some use, many people forget to clean their hairbrushes because a lot of hair gets stuck in them. It’s sad to see so many good brushes thrown in the trash because a few wild hairs won out over their cleaners. With this hack, you won’t have to buy a new one again.
A quick fix for this requires, in addition to your trusty WD-40, a comb. Spray the brush and wait a few seconds. Run the comb through the strands, watch everything stick to it and free the hairbrush of all tangled hairs. Now you don’t have to throw it away.
5. Cleaning chalk-covered walls
It can be hard to have a gifted artist in your home when he or she uses your white walls as a canvas. You may come home from work and see that all your walls have been taken over by your child, who thinks he is the next Jackson Pollock. We have to worry about the child here.
Before you ground your son or daughter, you should know that there is a simple solution to this. Just use a little (you guessed it) WD-40 and you’ll have your walls sparkling clean in no time. We recommend you take a picture first; you never know if your child will one day become a famous artist.
6. Caring for leather furniture
Yes, it may sound strange at first, but you’ll believe it once you try it. WD-40 is pretty good at curing the leather on your furniture. It’s an effective way to protect your furniture with something you probably already have.
If you have anything made of leather, you know how easily it can be damaged by use, contact with other materials and even sunlight can destroy your furniture. You may also know how expensive it is to replace it, so this method will provide an easy and inexpensive result.
7. Squirrel-proof bird feeder
If you are a birder or bird lover, you probably have a bird feeder – a little house where your guest birds can visit and sing in your yard. But as in any home, unwanted guests can come – hungry squirrels.
While birds eat a few grains, a squirrel can feast on everything in it. If you spray WD-40 on the post, these little intruders won’t be able to climb it. The unwanted squirrel guests will slide senselessly down every time they attempt to climb the feeder.
8. Unpaved lawn mower
There is nothing more frustrating than a lawnmower that gets stuck with grass. You have to stop whatever you’re doing, unplug it, turn it over and start cutting away the blades of grass, hoping they will come loose. It’s exhausting.
Remember to spray the bottom of the mower before turning it on, and your gardening will go smoothly. The job will be done in no time and you won’t have to worry about getting irritated halfway through. Now it’s time to enjoy your freshly cut lawn.
9. Prevent thistles from growing in your garden
To continue with gardening tips, now is the time to remove weeds. Thistles may be beautiful to look at, but they can disrupt the aesthetics of the entire garden. It can also spread at random; you can have a thistle invasion overnight.
Removing it can be a challenge; the needles can hurt you as you try to rid your garden of them. An easy way to remove these pesky weeds is WD-40. Using a trusty spray, you can prevent thistles from spreading everywhere. It seems that WD-40 is a necessary tool for every gardener.
10. Easily get the cleanest toilet
Let’s face it, we all love a clean toilet, but no one wants to make time for it. Not to mention the fact that most products don’t clean properly, so you end up on your knees scrubbing every dirty spot on the toilet bowl.
An excellent hack for this is to use WD-40. You won’t have to work as hard to get even the dirtiest and hardest-to-reach spots clean. Try it next time it’s cleaning day and your bathroom will look effortlessly clean and shiny.
11. Gum removal
We all know that awful feeling; walking a few steps and finding that your shoe sticks to the floor. We can even say that for most of us, it’s a day-waster. It is disgusting to think that your favorite sneakers now have a piece of someone else’s gum on the bottom.
You can search the Internet for ways to remove it cleanly and efficiently, and maybe it will help you halfway. We reveal the best solution to make your life easier: WD-40. Apply it to the gum for a few seconds and you’ll see how cleanly your shoes free themselves from the gunk.
12. No more stains on lipstick
A good lipstick can make all the difference when you’re getting ready to go out. What also makes a difference, in a bad way, is when it gets on a garment. Sometimes washing is not enough; the stains are hard to get clean.
We challenge you to put a little WD-40 on it and see it magically removed. After you apply it, put your shirt in the washing machine and you can be sure it will look like new again.
13. Free your fingers
If you are married or wear rings as an accessory, you know how painful it can be when your ring gets stuck. This is why many people take them off before they go to sleep, because of the natural swelling that occurs when they are in bed. You can pull on it all you want, but you know it won’t come off.
You don’t have to almost tear your finger off to get it off. You can hurt yourself and the jewelry won’t even move. WD-40 is useful as a lubricant to remove it quickly and painlessly. No more swollen purple fingers in the morning; give your finger some relief.
14. Shower head maintenance
Here’s a more conventional use for WD-40. It is excellent for cleaning your shower head and removing dust and dirt. After a few sprays, you will see the difference in water pressure; this will allow you to use it longer and more often.
Everyone needs to replace a shower head after a while; that’s inevitable considering how often we use it. But in this way, you can extend that time a little more. With a little maintenance, you can save money on replacements in the long run.
15. Making your car shine like new again
Any car enthusiast will recognize these black spots on their car. It’s an unavoidable fact that yours will get some and if you don’t have a black car, it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing, especially if you like it to look like new.
If you already have stains on your car, you’ve probably spent hours trying to remove them. But as any mechanic can tell you, a little WD-40 will help remove it. It’s as easy as one-two-three and your car will look clean again. Your car will thank you.
16. Set your glasses aside
If you don’t have much shelf space in your home – or maybe because it looks better that way – stack your glassware on top of each other. Sometimes they stick together after a long time in that position. And you know that pulling on them will only end in disaster.
If you are careful and treat them well, you can use WD-40 to loosen the grip on each other. It makes them slippery, so repeat application: be careful! This is an easy way to loosen them and not drink from a pile of stuck glasses. Don’t forget to rinse them afterwards.
17. Repairing cracked screens
A brief disclaimer: we do not claim that WD-40 will magically seal the cracks in your phone. However, it will make the cracks look better, making them less noticeable and allowing you to better see what’s on your screen.
Picking up your phone from the ground and not knowing what the screen will look like is the most dreaded contemporary situation. It’s like playing a game of roulette. Now you can rest easy knowing that it doesn’t have to look that bad.
18. Cleaning scissors
Another versatile tool you should have in your home is a good pair of scissors. You can use them for opening boxes, crafting or even cooking. But the more often you use them and the more things come into contact with them, the more likely you are to get them stuck.
Before you hurt your wrist or get carpal tunnel syndrome, you might want to put a little WD-40 on it. You’ll be amazed when you remember how easy it is to cut things with your scissors again. Remember to always maintain your tools and thank your WD-40!
19. Taking care of your orchard
If you grow vegetables, you don’t want bugs to eat them all. After all, they’re your ingredients; it’s unfair to let a snail feast on something that took you so much work and effort. If there was a way WD-40 would help keep slugs away.
If you spray it around your pots, you will find that the invaders slide right off. As a bonus, the scent will scare away insects because they hate it. So you see: two practical uses for the price of one.
20. Shiny tables
You should always use a tablecloth to protect your surface from stains from cups. But we must admit that sometimes we are lazy or even ignorant. No table is free from a few stains during its life. But don’t worry, there are ways to clean them.
We promise you’ll be surprised when you try this method on your wooden tables. WD-40 is perfect for removing the stains from any cup you forgot while falling asleep while watching TV or got distracted during an interesting conversation. But perhaps you should consider investing in coasters.
21. Caring for your carpet
We prefer wood floors, but many others like the feel of carpet. What they may not like as much is how much dirt can accumulate between them. It’s like a monster that eats everything that falls on it. Dirt, food, hair, it hungers for everything.
A quick maintenance tip is to use WD-40 on it. You can use it to remove anything and it won’t ruin the carpet. It is extremely good at removing anything, no matter how hard it is. Even glue or wax, which are the hardest to remove, are no match for WD-40.
22. AC maintenance
True story: my air conditioning unit caught fire once. Fortunately, nothing else was destroyed and we quickly extinguished it. From that day on, I take maintenance very seriously. You won’t believe how fragile these things can be. So make sure no dust or dirt gets stuck in them.
That’s why I always keep a bottle of WD-40 handy to remove the dust that builds up inside. Take good care of your unit and it will take good care of you. No one wants to spend a hot summer with a broken air conditioner (or worse, a burnt one). Learn from my mistakes.
23. Clean refrigerator, happy refrigerator
If there’s mold in your refrigerator, you’ll know right away. Both the appearance and the smell are disgusting and make it inhospitable to food you want to preserve. It’s something you want to get rid of quickly. If not, you won’t be able to keep your groceries fresh.
Again, we have to thank WD-40 for saving the day. Spray some of it on the mold, wait a few minutes and wipe it clean. It’s incredible how effective it can be at so many things, and keeping your refrigerator clean and working is a big help.
24. Looking through to the other side
Do you live in a snowy city in the winter? Then you know the feeling of having to wake up even earlier than usual to remove all the ice from your driveway and the ice from your car. WD-40 can’t help you shovel away all the snow, but it can help get your car ready for the road.
Don’t believe us? We recommend you try it at least once, and you’ll be able to sleep just a little bit more. Spray it on your windows the night before and you’ll wake up without ice sticking to them. Who wouldn’t love to be able to sleep longer?
25. Loosening Lego
Lego was my favorite toy to play with when I was little. Everyone loved making worlds, machines and characters out of all the different pieces. It wasn’t so cool when the pieces fit together so well that they couldn’t be taken apart. Then you immediately knew you would never get them apart.
If I had known WD-40 existed as a child, I would not have given up so quickly. Now that I’ve tried it as an adult, I realize how handy it is for getting the most stubborn pieces loose. If only I could travel back in time and tell myself there was a solution.
26. Shiny piano tiles
Imagine how much gunk from your fingers your piano keys absorb. Even if you clean your hands, bacteria will inevitably build up on them. A dirty piano will discourage even the most talented musicians. And no one should be deterred from practicing such a beautiful art.
By now you have cans and cans of WD-40 all over your house. So why not try using it to keep your piano shiny and spotless? We assure you it will help keep the gunk away. Your tiles will look like new again and you can keep playing and getting better.
27. Making your silver shine
Nowadays, not many people buy silverware. But from time to time we inherit an old bowl or receive a goblet or cup as a gift from a loved one. Frankly, they can look beautiful sitting on the shelf and reflecting everything. But as time passes, it can lose some of that luster.
As with the spirit lamp, a little rubbing can help keep it clean and looking good. Add some WD-40 to the mix and you’ll get the best results. Now you can use your silver bowl as a mirror again – no need to put away all your dishes and cups when you have guests.
28. Keeping fishing lines straight
At first you might think there’s no need to take your WD-40 with you on a fishing trip. But if the following photo scares you, you might want to. There is nothing worse than spending minutes or even hours untangling fishing line from all the knots.
WD-40 can help you pull the cord without getting stuck and getting you frustrated. When you go fishing, you want to spend time well, fishing, not spending a few minutes pulling on a string. Or maybe you can throw it away, but that’s a waste of good line.
29. Cleaning your grill
That’s the grill of your car, to be exact. It is inevitable to get your car full of dead bugs when you drive on the highway. You get a collection of colorful splatters on your windshield and grill. Unfortunately, there is no grill wiper (yet); you have to clean it yourself.
Don’t worry. A little liquid magic will get you a long way. Before you try to remove all the dead bugs, spray it all over the grill and wipe it clean. Everything will come off immediately. Another tip is that you can spray it over to prevent more splatters in the future.
30. Wax on, wax off
On snow or sand, you should always wax your board for a smoother ride. It helps the board go faster and gives the rider more control. But if you’re into sports with boards, you may already know this. But here’s something you may not know yet.
You should always maintain your board to prevent wax from accumulating. In the long run, the wax will deteriorate and make it harder to control the board. Don’t worry; you can use WD-40 to prevent this from happening. Just make sure you always take your can along with your wax; never forget to keep it clean.
31. Bee-gone
A bee nest – or worse, a wasp nest – on a wall of your home can be dangerous. And once the nest is there, surrounded by a hive of bees or wasps, it can be terrifying and turn into a disaster. You’ll probably need to call a professional.
But, as we said before, the smell of WD-40 scares off insects because they don’t like it at all. We recommend spraying some of it around the outside of your house to make sure that no beehive goes looking for a new home and settles down next door.
32. Art Conservation
You may not be a famous chalk artist. But this knowledge may come in handy someday if you want to give it a try. You can waterproof your chalk drawings with WD-40. That way your decorations will last longer than a rainy day.
Unlike crayons, spraying on crayons makes it last longer outdoors. Now all you have to do is buy some crayons, watch some online tutorials and you can get started; you already have WD-40. We wish you good luck!
33. Restoration outdoor chairs
You should always maintain your garden furniture properly. Everyone thinks they are easy to clean because they are plastic. But if you have forgotten them under the rain overnight, you know that they are not. It is quite difficult to remove the gunk that accumulates on them.
You will probably give them back their pristine white color (if they were white). An efficient way to accomplish this is again with WD-40. Spray, wipe, done. In no time, your chairs will be as good as new again and you won’t have to make any more excuses not to invite your guests outside.
34. Boat maintenance
Do you have a boat? Maybe not, but if you do have one, I’m open to invitations to sail with you. Let’s make a deal; if you have one and find this tip useful, you may thank me with an invitation. People with boats should be wary of barnacles; no matter how harmless they are, they can become a pest and slow down your boat.
A good tool to get them right off is WD-40. When you maintain your boat, you should always have a spray can nearby to spray them on so they don’t stick to the hull and become part of it forever. I await your invitation.
35. Rust Fear
Rust can be a sign that it’s time to buy new tools. After much use, even with major maintenance, no metal can escape it. Sooner or later, it will come. But maybe there is a way to extend the life of your tools, at least a little more.
You won’t believe how well WD-40 works on rusted metal. True, you won’t get them back to their original glory days. But maybe you can use them a few more times before you throw them away. At least then you won’t have to go to the hardware store so often.
36. Smooth as butter
We have all gone through the same phases in digging. The first shovels are not so bad; we think we can keep it up all day. But after each shovel, the task gets harder and harder, and when we finish, we vow never to lift another shovel. What if I tell you it shouldn’t be like this?
It almost sounds like it’s from a cartoon. But try smoothing out the whole process with some WD-40. If you think about it, that’s what it was meant for: to grease everything to make it smoother. You’ll see how easily the shovel goes into the ground next time.
37. Easier than tattoo removal
Need to remove a bumper sticker? Maybe you bought a used car with a family sticker, or your soccer team isn’t doing so well and you’re reconsidering your loyalty. Either way, you want to remove it right away without leaving adhesive residue.
WD-40 is also good at removing stickers; so is removing any political campaign stickers you have on. We won’t judge. This doesn’t just apply to bumpers; you should try it on any surface you have a sticker with regret on it. A little spray and you can rip it right off.
38. Clean floors
No, you’re not looking at a grounded WD-40 canister. It didn’t misbehave or anything; it’s there for a reason. Turns out, this magic liquid is also suitable for cleaning tiles and in between. Good for making your floor shine!
Just spray and wipe before applying soap and mopping the floor. You’ll see results right away. And just like your carpet, it also helps remove any glue, wax or nail polish you’ve dropped on it. Who knew WD-40 would be so useful on floors.
39. Shiny shoes
These days, white shoes are in fashion. What is not fashionable is that they get dirty immediately when you take them out of the box. It’s so easy to see when they’re dirty; it’s almost embarrassing. And you can’t just throw them in the washing machine; they might break.
Once again, the surprise cleaner comes to the rescue. Spray and wipe them with some WD-40 and watch how easily those stains come off. This way you keep your shoes clean and don’t have to be embarrassed when other people see them. Who would have ever thought that WD-40 would keep everything so clean?
40. Fishing equipment on the line
Yes, we’ve already told you about using WD-40 to untangle fishing lines. So this means you already have a spray can with you on your fishing trips. So this tip can also come in handy. After all, you don’t want your big catch to escape after a long day of fishing due to faulty equipment.
You should spray and wipe all your fishing gear with WD-40 to maintain it. Remember to always take good care of your gear, fishing, gardening, cooking, all of it. And know that WD-40 will help you with everyone in one way or another.
41. Crystal clear bathroom
Why is it so hard to keep your bathroom clean? After one shower, it looks like a Scotland Yard movie, all wet and steaming. Then you put on clothes and come back to scrub away all the water stains, and after all that hard work you might as well take a shower.
But all kidding aside, one way to make cleaning your bathroom more bearable is to help yourself with some WD-40. You should have a room full of cans of WD-40 by now. Or at least make sure you always have one on hand. As you may have already seen, it is indeed very handy.
42. Waterproof shoes
It seems that WD-40 is a good friend to have during snowy days. Just like your windows, you can spray your shoes with it to keep your toes dry until you get back home. It may look funny, but the results speak for themselves.
It helps not only to keep your feet dry and warm, but also to walk through the snow and maintain your shoes. Remember when we used it to clean stains? Again, you can use WD-40 twice with just one spray.
43. Crackless joints
I once had a neighbor who had squeaky joints on all their doors. I remember jumping up scared every time they opened something. It felt like I was living with a ghost in the apartment next door to them. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so scared if they had used WD-40.
Lubricating hinges is one of the most conventional uses of WD-40. But it is nevertheless effective. Remember, you may not be bothered by squeaky hinges, but your neighbor may be frightened by the sound.
44. Repelling spiders
Nobody likes spiders. At least I don’t know anyone personally. Still, it’s better to find the most humane way to chase them away than just squashing them with an old magazine or a boot. For the last time, you know what the solution is here.
As we already used on wasps, bees, snails and slugs, WD-40 is an excellent solution to repel any kind of insect. Although we know that spiders are not technically insects, they have the same aversion to the smell of the liquid. So you can spray it on surfaces around the house to prevent unwanted visitors.