You probably grew up with WD-40 — after all, it’s been around since 1953 and is renowned for getting rid of the squeak in a creaky door. But, it can do a lot more.
In fact, the WD-40 website has 2,000 uses for the product alone! Don’t worry, we didn’t list them all here, but we did list ones we tried and can vouch for.
You can check out WD-40’s list at your leisure, because 2,000 uses will definitely keep you busy. Soon, you may have so much fun becoming a WD-40 guru, you may even be going to help friends with their in-need-of-WD-40 issues, too.
Below, you’ll find our culled down list of cool, “Who knew?!” uses for WD-40, because the one container can do oh-so-many different things.
It should be a staple in your house, and out in your garage, if it’s not already. Note: If you use it inside, open your windows — make sure the area is well ventilated.
Banish Rust From Your Gardening Tools
When spring rolls around, that usually means gardening season is here, too — and WD-40 will help your gardening tools stay in tip-top shape all season long. To use WD-40 in the garden, start by removing large chunks of dirt, grime and rust with a metal brush (like the one you use on your grill grate). Then you’ll want to apply a small amount of WD-40 to your tools and wipe off the remaining debris with a rag. Use it on pruning shears, trowels, shovels, weed pullers, rakes and any other metal gardening tool in your shed!
Clean And Soften Paint Brushes
While you’re outside gardening, why not go to your garage or shed and revamp your paint brushes, too? WD-40 can help with tons of other paint-related projects, too. It can also clean spray paint nozzles, remove paint from shoes and help you open stuck paint can lids. You can also spray some on your doorknobs before you start painting to keep them clean and paint-free.
Get Rid Of Dried Toothpaste Stains
You’re cleaning the bathroom, and it takes you forever to scrub a toothpaste stain from the sink. Well, not when you pull out your WD-40. Presto!
If you like to drink a cup of coffee while getting ready in the bathroom in the morning, WD-40 can also help remove coffee stains from tile floors. In the laundry room, it can help remove tomato-based stains from your clothes — so you can eat all the pasta sauce your heart desires without worrying too much about getting some on your outfit.
Prevent Pests
When the warmer months roll around in some parts of the country, that means mosquitos are on the prowl. They’re annoying, cause itchy bites and can harbor dangerous diseases, such as West Nile Virus. But did you know WD-40 can help? Spray a little over stagnant water and you’ll prevent mosquito eggs from hatching. Who knew!
Remove Tea Stains
Aren’t tea stains on your counters the worst? Not anymore! Use some WD-40 on a cloth or sponge and your countertops will soon be stain-free! It can also remove berry stains from patio furniture and remove strawberry stains from your countertops, too.
Untangle And Clean Jewelry
Yep, no need to use soap and water to get off a ring that refuses to budge. Grab your WD-40 and, while you’re at it, you can also go through all your jewelry to untangle the tangled. It can also clean rust off jewelry that’s been sitting around for a while.
Remove Gum And Crayon Marks From Wallpaper And Hair
Oh no — your kids thought it would be fun to put their gum (or crayon drawings) on the wall again! Instead of freaking out, grab your WD-40 and it’ll come right off. Plus, if your child gets gum in their hair, hello, WD-40!
Prevent Damage During Storage
If there’s one thing WD-40 is super useful for, it’s protecting your belongings while they’re in storage. For example, it can prevent rust from forming on blender blades while they’re in storage and keep flower pots from sticking together while they’re stashed in your shed. If you spray a little on the bottom of storage containers, it will prevent them from sticking to the shelves, too.
Stop Squeaks
WD-40 is also super good at keeping your home nice and quiet. It can easily eliminate squeaks from a number of household items, including noise shower curtain hooks, patio doors and baby cribs. It can also help quiet squeaky stove doors and car doors.
Use For Winter Fun
If you live in a place where winter means snow, you might be spending a little time outside with your family. Use some WD-40 to lubricate sleds and toboggans, as well as cleaning the metal buckles on your snow gear.
Remove Ink From Fabric
As a writer, I get ink marks on everything. But not anymore. WD-40 keeps coming to my rescue, and it’ll help you remove ink marks from leather and carpet, too. It even cleans ink from blue jeans! And if you’re a big fan of print newspapers, you’ll be pleased to know it can get newsprint ink off your table. Score!
Remove Dog Poop From Your Shoes
Dogs may be a man’s best friend, but us stepping in dogs’, um, droppings is certainly not the best. But with WD-40, you can clean your shoes right off! If you have a pet with a metal cage or crate, you can also use WD-40 to lubricate the hinges and stop obnoxious squeaking. If you like to take your four-legged friend on car rides, you can also use WD-40 to get rid of slobber marks from your dashboard and your car’s seats.
Get Off Stickers From Credit Cards
You know how every time you get a new credit card, you have to peel off the sticker, but the sticker doesn’t always cooperate? Yep, WD-40 to the rescue again! The same thing applies to pesky price tag stickers on just about every item you buy. This handy stuff can also remove sticker residue from your clothes and can remove stickers from crystal.
Take It Fishing
Love fishing? Then WD-40 will be your friend. It can polish fishing lures and prevent fishing flies from rusting. It can also be used to clean your boat and prevent corrosion on your boat trailer axle. It can also help rejuvenate soft plastic fishing lures, as well as refurbish antique fishing lures.
Get Glue Off Your Hands
Whether you were using Super Glue or Elmer’s or another kind, some WD-40 will help remove the stubborn residual glue from your hands. WD-40 is really glue’s worst enemy, as it can also remove glue deposits from linoleum and from your refrigerator. It can even remove glue from your carpet — now that’s impressive!
Send Away Pigeons
Yep, you read that right — WD-40 can help shoo pigeons from your balcony or patio. Apparently, they hate the smell of the stuff. Hey, whatever works!
As a bonus, you can also spray some on your bird feeder so that squirrels slide right off!
Polish And Shine Sea Shells
If you’re planning a trip to the beach and, while there, planning to collect some sea shells, here’s a fun tip. To polish them up, just use some WD-40! Are you surprised by all the stuff WD-40 can do yet? You can also spray it on the hinges of your family’s beach chairs to prevent them from seizing up or getting rusty. If you should ever get tar on your beach toys, WD-40 can help easily remove it, too.
Use It For Biking
If your family loves spending time outdoors, chances are you have a few bikes in the garage — and WD-40 can come in handy in a number of ways. It can remove bike skid marks from the driveway, clean and protect your bike chains and protect your bike frame from salt water corrosion.
Get Rid Of Scuff Marks
Yep, WD-40 is your savior again. A little bit of it, and a little bit of scrubbing, will get your floor scuff mark-free. It can also remove scuff marks from lawn furniture, which tend to get a little banged up over time. In the garage, it can also help buff out scuff marks from your vehicle’s bumper.
Clean The Toilet (And Tub!)
Since you’re in cleaning mode anyway, head to the bathroom. A bit of WD-40 and a toilet brush are all you need for this toilet bowl-cleaning trick! While you’re in the bathroom, you can also some WD-40 to clean your fiberglass bathtub! It can also remove copper water line stains from your bathroom fixtures and remove rust stains from your tub.
Soften New Baseball Mitts
Before heading to tee-ball or baseball practice, soften your new glove with some WD-40. While you’re at it, apply a little WD-40 to your bat to protect it from rust or use it to remove ball marks from aluminum bats. If you plan to do a lot of sliding into bases this season, spray a little on your cleats to give you some extra “oomph” at the plate!
Use It On Piano Keys And Guitar Strings
WD-40 will also help soften piano keys, as well as clean your guitar strings. Use a cloth, though, instead of spraying it right on the instruments.
Spruce Up Your Front Porch
Be sure to take WD-40 out on your front porch because you’ll find lots of valuable uses for it there, too. For instance, it can help keep your wicker chairs from squeaking and can prevent rust from gunking up your wind chimes, which are out in the elements all day and night. It can also help clean your windowsills and prevent your hanging metal plant baskets from rusting.
Use It While Doing Yard Work
No matter what season it is, WD-40 is here to help you. This magical substance can prevent clay from sticking to both hoes and rakes, so if you live in an area with a lot of clay in the soil, this is a super useful trick. It can also prevent really wet snow from sticking to your shovel, which causes you to do more work than you need to after a big storm. Put a little on the ends of your garden hoses and it will help keep them from corroding, too.
Protect Your Collectibles
Whether you’re a casual collector of antiques or just inherited some really nice older pieces, you can use WD-40 to protect them. For example, WD-40 can help polish and protect brass candlesticks, as well as cleaning and protecting antique kitchen tools. It can also protect silver from blackening, and clean and polish gold and brass lamps.
Keep Your Artificial Plants Looking Good As New
We all know how hard it is to take care of plants if you weren’t blessed with a green thumb. There is no shame in filling your home and your porch with beautiful artificial flowers. To keep them looking brand new, you’ll want to use a little WD-40. Yep, you read that right. Simply apply a little to remove dust from artificial flowers or shine the leaves of artificial houseplants.
Keep Your Vehicles Running Like New
You likely know about the importance of regular vehicle maintenance already — oil changes, tire rotations, etc. But did you know that you could use WD-40 on your vehicles too? Use it to clean and protect the engine compartment or to clean rearview mirror balls and sockets. It can also lubricate your oil filter gasket and lubricate your license plate bolts and screws. Inside the car, it can lubricate child safety seat buckles.
