You may not have heard about all the other uses that a simple bottle of WD-40 can do. The cleaning product has been relied upon for stripping away paint, lubricating door or drawer hinges, and it even has anti-rust properties to keep your items in good shape for longer. But there’s a lot more that you can be doing with your WD-40 than just what’s advertised.
We’re breaking down some of the ways in which a simple bottle of the multi-purpose solution can be put to good – and varied – use. You’ll find that not only does it do odd jobs around the house, like protecting your car in cold weather or decreasing pest problems in your front garden, but it’ll save you from spending time and money on other products as well.
Defrost Your Car In An Instant
It’s true – you can save yourself the time it takes to scrape away ice on the windshield of your car by simply reaching for your bottle of WD-40. There’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning to a frozen car, knowing that you’ll have to grab a bucket of warm water and a scraper before you can start your day.
Using the solution is easy enough, so much so that you might want to keep a bottle spare in your car. All you need to do is spray all of the windows down and then wipe away the product build up. You’ll find it to be far easier to take the ice off than you expected, and it’ll have saved you a ton of time and effort.
Remove Those Crayons Marks On the Wall
Parents have enough to contend with when there are little ones at home. One of the common issues that many parents with young kids face is cleaning up their crayon mess. It’s not uncommon for a toddler to grab one of their coloring tools are start scribbling on all of those clean white walls. Luckily, in this instance, WD-40 is your friend.
Forget taking a brush and some water to the crayon scribbles, as you can reach for a bottle of WD-40 to do the trick instead. All you need to do is spray over the crayon drawing with the bottle and leave it to work its magic for a few minutes. When a few minutes have passed, you can gently wipe over the area with a damp cloth and watch the mess disappear. Undoubtedly, it will save you a lot of elbow grease.
Easily Take Gum Off the Sole of Your Shoe
Everyone’s experienced accidentally stepping on something sticky and feeling it get stuck to the bottom of their shoe. It’s a frustrating feeling as it brings to mind how difficult it might be to clean it off the sole of your shoe. You’ll have to take some type of tool and scrape or scrub with water and some cleaning solution.
In reality, you can just grab for the bottle of WD-40. Simply spray it on the area that is sticky or, if you’re not sure, spray it on the entirety of the sole and let it sit there for a minute or two before rinsing the sole under the tap or wiping it with a damp cloth. You’ll find that that sticky feeling will have been removed entirely.
Polish Your Fishing Lures For Optimal Success
Whether you’re a commercial fisherman or you just like to do some fishing on the side, WD-40 can sure be of use. No one wants to be waiting around for hours on end trying to catch a fish, but as it turns out, you don’t have to if you bring some of this cleaning solution along. It’s recommended to use WD-40 to polish your lures.
Of course, you won’t be using WD-40 as bait and it’s not going to guarantee that you’ll catch a fish right away, but having shiny lures is sure to help catch the eye of a fish. That being said, this technique should be used sparingly if at all – the WD-40 solution can be toxic to marine life and do more harm than good in the long run.
Prevent Grass Build Up On Your Lawn Mower
Mowing the overgrown grass in your garden can be challenging enough as it is. It’s a labor-intensive task that collects challenges along the way, like when a patch of grass gets stuck underneath the lawnmower. But instead of turning off the machine, pushing it on its side and clearing the blockage by hand, you can use WD-40 to save your time and energy.
By spraying some WD-40 on the underside of the lawnmower, you make it extremely difficult for grass to get caught up in the infrastructure. It is recommended to spray the area generously both before and after you use your lawn mower for the best results so that you won’t have to stop everything to fix a blockage again.
Keep Your Bird Feeder From Getting Damaged
You probably never would have thought of using WD-40 to help keep your Bird feeder in tip-top shape. But if you live near the woods, you’re likely all too familiar with birds pecking at the actual feeder and ruining the outside. As it turns out, you can prevent birds from nibbling away at the exterior with WD-40.
By simply spraying some on the outside or spraying a bit of the solution into a hand wipe and smearing the product on, you can avoid getting those pesky dents and scratches. As an added bonus, WD-40 makes the bird feeder slippery, meaning that squirrels wont be able to climb on and scratch the feeders with their claws.
Keep Snails, Slugs and Bugs Away With Strategic Spraying
There’s nothing more unsightly than slime trails around your garden. But it’s even more annoying when snails and slugs take to eating the leaves, stems and flowers of your plants. Luckily, you can count on that bottle of WD-40 lying around the house to help oust the pests from your flowerbeds.
WD-40 is great at pest prevention, even managing to deter bugs from hovering around your plants or laying their eggs in the soil. The WD-40 solution is waterproof, so even when there’s rain it won’t just wash away. If you’re trying to find a suitable area to spray it, the outside of your plant pots makes for a good location.
Removing Candle Wax From Carpet Has Never Been Easier
Having some candles burning in the house is supposed to be relaxing, but there’s nothing less relaxing than seeing the wax drip onto a surface it shouldn’t. Sometimes you’re lucky and it drips onto a smooth surface, but sometimes it can get on the carpet, and removing it is no easy feat whatsoever.
You may have stumbled upon various hacks that claim you can remove wax easily, but none of those methods compares to the ease of just spraying some WD-40 onto the area. It’s best to leave some of the solution on the waxy area for a few minutes, and only after some time has passed, use a sponge to wipe away the residue.
Get Your Scissors Back In Tip-top Shape
Scissors can be a pain after a while when they get sticky on the inside. That’s because the glue from sellotape or sticky residue from another product can leave behind a thin layer of gummy adhesive that builds over time. But you don’t need to live with scissors that resist when you open and close them.
You can get your scissors back to a like-new condition if you simply use some WD-40 along the blades. You can also clean around the handle and screws with a bit of the solution to get rid of any other dirt and bacteria. Either way, a couple of sprays of WD-40 onto the stainless steel areas will have it cutting smoothly just like it used to.
Swiftly Oust Those Unsightly Beer Stains
Having your friends over the night before is great until you see the many beverage stains left behind the morning after. Somehow the stains always seem to set in on wooden surfaces more than most. But luckily, your WD-40 will be able to easily clean the discolorations from your surfaces, even if its wood.
Whatever they put in the WD-40 solution, it works miracles on wooden surfaces that are blighted with beverage stains. All you need to do is spray directly onto the blemishes and take a rag to wipe the area. The chances are that you’ll find the stains wipe away easier with this spray than with your typical surface cleaner.
Keeping a Cleaner Air Conditioner Filter
WD-40 certainly has some surprising uses around the house. One of which is its use in capturing dust and leaving your home with fewer dirt particles for those use an air conditioning unit. It may even be so effective that you find you need to hoove and sweep less than usual. By this point, you’re probably wondering just what you’d need to do.
It’s simple – all you need to do is just spray some WD-40 onto your air conditioner filter. The sticky qualities of the solution will latch onto dust and dirt particles that make it through your filter and result in less dust overall in your home. And who could say no to breathing in less debris?
It’ll Have Your Showerhead Looking Like New
The chances are you’re going to have more than one showerhead in your lifetime. They don’t last forever, but they do need replacing every now and again if they’re not properly maintained. Luckily, when it comes to keeping your showerhead in good working condition you can rely on WD-40.
By spraying some of the solution on your showerhead, you’ll not only be giving it a good old shine, but you’ll also be clearing away any dirt and residue that builds up around the seams. Also, you only need a tiny amount of the product if you want to go into the crevasses of your showerhead nozzles to give it a really deep clean.
The Ring That Got Stuck Will Slip Right Off
Here’s a good one to remember if you find yourself caught in the awkward situation of not being able to remove a ring from your finger. Sometimes it can happen because you slip on a piece of jewelry that’s a bit too small for you, or if you sleep with rings on, you may find that by the morning, your hands have swollen to a much larger size than the night before.
Regardless of how it happened, you can use a bit of WD-40 to help you get out of that situation. Next time something like this occurs, just remember to apply some of the solution around your finger and the ring and watch how much easier it is to slip it off. It’s far more effective at removing rings than dish soap or even vegetable oil.
You Can Remove Mildew and Prevent It From Growing Back
When you discover mildew growing in your home, it can be a nightmare to remove it and keep it from growing back. Most likely, you’ll have tried expensive mildew removal solutions that claim to prevent it from returning, but as you’ll have discovered, it doesn’t really work. Luckily, there is an alternative.
Mildew is not only gross; it’s also a health hazard. But a bottle of WD-4 works excellently at removing the fungus and preventing it from returning to the same spot. It’s certainly worth a try before you go out and spend another $10 on a spray when you’ve got WD-40 lying around at home anyhow.
Those Tar Stains Will Wipe Away In a Flash
Tar stains can really ruin the appearance of your car, and if you’re someone who takes pride in what they drive, you’re going to want to wipe those away as quickly as possible. But as you may already know, they aren’t so easy to remove with just a wipe and some water. You can lift up those streaky black stains and prevent them from sticking as much in the future.
Using WD-40 to remove those marks will save you a ton of effort as it helps the tar easily lift from the surface of your car. It’s best to leave the spray solution to sit on the surface of the stained area before attempting to wipe it away, but it should only take a few minutes for WD-40 to loose the tar and work it’s magic on your car.
Chalk Art Can Be Protected From the Elements
While this WD-40 use may be a little more specific to chalk artists, it’s still pretty to cool to know about nonetheless. Those who create chalk art and want to preserve it should know that you don’t need any special product to keep your chalk creations from getting ruined in the rain or being blown away.
That’s because spraying WD-40 on the chalk areas of the outdoor space will keep your images stuck in place. By applying the solution, you can enjoy vibrant and durable chalk art even in the face of rain, dew, or other weather conditions. WD-40 has waterproof qualities that will protect your chalk art from the elements, ensuring its longevity.
Effortlessly Free Your Zipper From Being Stuck
Whenever a zipper gets stuck, whether it’s the front pocket of your backpack or the fly on your jeans, it can be a pain getting it unstuck and back in working order. You may be unsurprised to hear, however, that this is a prime opportunity for WD-40 to show just how useful it can be for random jobs.
When using it on a zipper, you’re gonna wanna see the spray with the thin nozzle attachment so that you can direct the placement of the solution. Once you’ve sprayed the area, be gentle when tugging the zipper back and forth, allowing the solution to sink in. Once you’re sure that the stuck area is covered, you should find your zipper working soon enough after some toggling.
Pry Apart Those Legos With Ease
Cleaning up after your kids is tiring enough as it is. But there’s nothing worse than having to pry your child’s Legos apart before packing them away. It can hurt your fingers, nails, and waste a lot of time, but luckily a bottle of WD-40 can help make tidying up a faster and more painless experience.
Save yourself the frustration next time you’re trying to take apart your child’s Lego creations by spraying some of the WD-40 solution straight onto the stuck area. Something about the liquid eases up the hold the Legos have on one another and allows for them to come apart easily. No broken fingernails here!
WD-40 Is Perfect For Cleaning Hairbrushes
Those of you who have attempted to clean a hairbrush will know that it’s no easy task. Whether or not your hairbrush if more of the plastic or the bristle variety, WD-40 can come in very handy for get into all the corners and lifting away the dirt. Keeping your hair management tools is breeze with WD-40.
Naturally, you’ll want to wash your hairbrush thoroughly after giving it the once over with WD-40, but using the cleaning solution will still save you a ton of time. Spray the solution into the bristles of your hairbrush and use a cotton bud to get to those hard-to-reach places. Your hair will thank you for it.
Your Vinyl Records Won’t Skip Anymore
It’s no secret that vinyl records have seen a huge resurgence in popularity over the last few years. Many people have welcomed a return to listening to their favorite songs the old-fashioned way, investing in turntables and vinyl records for that warm, authentic sound that’s so hard to replicate with digital sound streaming.
Owning vinyls means that you need to take care of them properly, and amazingly, WD-40 gets the job done. Instead of buying some special vinyl polish to have your wax discs playing like new, you can just reach for your bottle of WD-40 to wipe away dust and debris. Your records won’t have sounded better.
Get Those Piano Keys Sparkling Again
While this tip is specifically for piano players, it’s a total lifesaver for amateurs and professionals alike. It doesn’t take long for piano keys to build up a layer of grime, ruining the appearance of your expensive instrument. As it turns out, it’s not necessary to stand there scrubbing away for hours with a toothbrush after all.
Using some WD-40 should have your piano keys sparkling again if used correctly. Make sure not to use too much product so that you don’t flood the interior mechanics, and let the solution sit for a while to really get the best out of the product. After a few minutes, you’ll find that the dirt and grime lifts right away with a damp cloth.
Splinter-Proof Your Gardening Tools
Wooden gardening tools that have been exposed to the elements can be a pain when it comes to splintering. Rain and temperature changes often cause the handles to become prickly and jagged, making you go out and purchase another pair. Luckily, WD-40 can extend the lifespan of your tools.
Rather than throwing away your old splintered pitchfork and shovel, you can grease up the handles by spraying some WD-40 and see how much smoother it becomes. At the very least, it’s sure to extend the shelf life of your tools by getting rid of the splinters, saving you the money and time it would have ordinarily taken you to get new tools.
Offers Amazing Protection For Leather Furniture
One of WD-40’s best-kept secrets is that it works wonders at nourishing and protecting your leather furniture. Whether you have a leather couch or a leather headboard for your bed, the spray works wonders for your leatherware. In fact, it’s even possible to use it on clothes if you apply a sparing amount.
Not only will WD-40 give it a high-shine gloss, but it will also wipe away dirt and debris and leave it with a protective layer to help prevent wear and tear. And don’t be shy about trying it on your favorite leather jackets, shoes, or baseball gloves. It will prevent leather cracking on your clothes as much as it will prevent it on your furniture items.
A Safe Way To Unstick Glassware
If you’ve ever wondered why your glasses get stuck inside one another when you stack them after doing the dishes, there’s a perfectly good explanation. It’s not because of the way the cups fit into one another; it’s due to the warm and wet air inside the cup that creates suction. Just ensure you have a bottle of WD-40 handy next time in the kitchen.
Instead of prying the glasses apart and risking breaking them, you can apply some WD-40 to the places where the two glasses meet to lubricate the area. Of course, it should only really be used when the glasses are tough to pull apart from one another, but it’s good to know that you have this option next time you’re struggling.
