WD-40 - What is it actually good for??

[FuzzyTiger]

The question is in the title. What is WD-40 even good for? I know the standard answer their marketing team has drilled into people is "everything".

But seriously. I've found it to be pretty bad at everything. Its not a good rust penetrant. I'd never use it to lubricate anything. Its a pretty lousy anti-corrosion coating.

For me at least, I don't think it even makes the "better than nothing" or the "deserted island and you only get to take one can of something with you" cut offs.

 

[zendriver]

It's "magic in a can" for my restoration projects.

If you don't like it you probably shouldn't use it.

 

[4xdog]

It's a pretty good stain remover. One can spray greasy stains and put them in the laundry with a better chance of removing the stain.

It's not a bad degreasing spray for mechanisms otherwise hard to get to or inconvenient to take apart. I recently returned to service some Shimano RapidFire shift levers with a good dousing of WD-40 to dissolve the 15 year old original grease.

 

[mn700vforce]

It is a great hand cleaner.

 

[measuredtwice]

Water Displacement

 

[Ralf11]

it's good at W D

 

[77thor]

It probably kills COVID, too

 

[tym]

I pretty much only use it for cleaning/degreasing these days. If I actually need a penetrating oil, I use AeroKroil.

 

[ike]

I mostly use it for cleaning up my tools.

 

[Davefr]

It's actually decent at cleaning metal with light grime and some surface rust when used in conjunction with a scotch brite pad. It's also good for soaking adhesive labels which make them easier to peel off.

 

[jjkrjh]

We have older Kaeser air compressors at work. They are in large metal enclosures that the paint has really faded. We started wiping them down with WD-40 and they look great. Have to do it once a month but makes them look new. works on old tool boxes too.

 

[Iowafox]

I like it for soaking new to me used tools in t clean them up and quickly lubricate them to get it working better. I also like it for when working under the hood with wiring connections and such. Spray or drip a little and it will Displace Water and help the connectors click together smoother. I also really like the now discontinued WD40 Pens. They make precise application with no mess easy.
I have also use WD40 to shine up the plastic under the hood and keep it looking nice and shinny.

 

[richfinn]

It's really good at cleaning up grubby car interior switches, if you are into detailing cars or want to use salvaged parts!!!

We use it for cleaning and removing water from recovery equipment mostly to stop it rusting after using it in the rain, spray it down and wipe off

 

[darkzero]

I pretty much only use it for cleaning/degreasing these days. If I actually need a penetrating oil, I use AeroKroil.

Same here on both accounts.

I only use WD40 for cleaning my machines & cosmoline that comes on new tooling. I bought a gallon of it & don't buy the aerosol anymore. It's also good for machining alumnum but I don't use it for that. I find that it is true but when fresh. When it evaporates it leaves behind an oil that tends to gum up things.

Only penetrating oil I have around is AeroKroil also.

 

[ducksface]

'Pretty bad at everything....'
Blaming the tool seems trendy.

You really can't work wd40?

 

[63roundbody]

It works well for cleaning the oxidation off aluminum on under hood parts.

 

[Bogie1632]

I mainly use it to clean....

-my hands
-my tools
-my wood toolbox top
-grimey parts (before the parts cleaner)
-any parts I used water on

I also use it as a quick lube on all sorts of items before assembly. I stopped using the propellant cans a couple years ago and use the WD40 squirt bottles instead, trimmed so they can be refilled from a gallon can.

Many moons ago we also used WD40 as the propellant for our tennis ball cannon. You could really shoot those far.

V/R
Bogie

 

[larry_g]

Great for getting adhesive left behind from stickers off of a product. A lot of machinists use it for aluminum cutting fluid.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[brollona]

Aside from cleaning hands, tools. I also use it for cleaning machine parts. Boiler nozzle filters, or any small mesh filters, for cleaning fuel injector nozzles from particles or water, from cleaning any sort of diesel or heavy fuel, grease... Lubricating rusty threads.

But I don't care is it WD40 or some other product, I just need something that can clean surfaces or penetrate trough rust or similar ****.

 

[darkzero]

 

[PelicanPines]

Lubricant for manscaping.

 

[lardy1]

I worked on merchant ships for many years. WD40 isn't something used much in that environment. Kroil is the penetrant preferred by most. Any protectants are way out of WD40's league.

 

[marinusdees]

It's "magic in a can" for my restoration projects.

If you don't like it you probably shouldn't use it.

Amen. And, the question is??

 

[CR888]

Wd40 is just fine if you know what to use it for, where it gets a bad name is by dills who think it's great for rust removal or lubrication or penetrating oil. It's like using a hammer in place of a screwdriver, it won't end well. Some things outside of displacing water that wd40 does well is cleaning soft grip screwdriver handles or to remove bubble gum out of a girls hair or to dissolve glue from a label in a jar. It's probably the most misused product that I'm aware of, people will start a thread about it, yet won't read the friggin label. I feel like I'm trying to fix stupid answering this thread.

 

[Wyoming09]

Works great for cleaning fingerprints and smudges off stainless steel appliances. We use it at work to wipe down stainless electrical panels and machines. Most everything at work is stainless.

 

[Olafur]

WD-40 isn't good penetrating oil, but most of the others are equally bad as such so, there is that. And it doesn't leave enough film to protect metal parts for the long term in corrosive environment. So don't rely on it for rust prevention unless you apply it frequently.

After parting with it decades ago I started using it again several years ago when we had a fire in the shop and my toolbox and tools were covered in soot. Worked great to clean up that mess. I still use it to wipe down the box after nasty jobs.

The best thing about it is; it's harmless to most things. Meaning, I can spray whatever I am working on without worrying about damaging things. Cleaning or lubricating: electronics, connectors, rubber hoses, o-rings (it's fantastic lubricant for rubber and therefore great for assembly work) WD-40 is safe to use in pneumatic and hydraulic systems etc.

And after years of testing I am still unsure if many of the 'contact cleaners' I have used on variable resistors and switches are any better than just WD-40. Honestly I am not sure about that. WD-40 is certainly much more than useless in that arena as well.

I am not sure what happened, but it seems cursing WD-40 has become like a badge of honor for many people. And not using it is associated with professionalism.

 

[Air21]

It is a nice lubricant for cutting aluminum, bit I find it really shines when displacing water!

 

[Dumber than lumber]

For when you a going to “b___ his w___”
You have a one track mind!!

 

[Slednut]

IMO not much, I've had the same can sitting in the cabinet for over 15 years. The last time I used it is when I pressure washed the engine bay of a project car I was about to start on. Sprayed the distributed and cap so it would run enough to get it into the shop.

 

[Olafur]

Last year I bought new 44" tires for my 4x4. Since my home-made wheels have internal bedlock system - designed and made by yours truly - I mounted the tires by hand in the shop. This is rather serious rubber and getting them on the rims was a bit difficult. After fooling around with soap, and the stuff they recommended at the local tire shop - I ended up using WD-40 to lubricate the rims and the beads. Like I said earlier, great lubricant for rubber.

 

[brandonsmash]

It's really not a bad penetrating oil. It's also decent cutting fluid, particularly for aluminum.

Some of their "specialty" formulations are also useful, such as the silicone or PTFE blends.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Water displacement
Cutting, tapping, machining aluminum
Removing light surface rust and grime
Short term lubrication for troubleshooting
Sticker removal
Cleaning dirt and metal shavings out of locks and similar mechanisms without disassembly

 

[minke]

I use it to spray paper occasionally to "lube" my paper shredder. Does it help? Who knows, but it makes me think I'm doing something sensible.

 

[Wakefield]

Is it any good for cleaning Wahl hair clippers?

 

[PelicanPines]

Lubricant for manscaping.

Is it any good for cleaning Wahl hair clippers?

Yes... you missed my post. Spritz it... Wipe it... The significant other will think you worked out in your shop all day.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

It is a great hand cleaner.

Damn straight. It doesn't rip my skin off like Fast Orange either.

 

[Ilikeike]

I used for a prelube cleaner on my dirt bike chains, I use to also wipe my dirt bike down with it between rides/races, bikes looked new when I sold them.

Hose down the entire underside of my 2001 GMC Z-71 with it, still looks new underneath.

Mostly a "Pre" cleaner lube for me. I buy it by the gallon.

 

[darkzero]

Oh and I like the flip straw tops. I keep them whenever I can to reuse them on other cans. Ok, well I've only repurposed one so far to use on Kroil but if I had more I'd put em on other things too.

 

[Noworries]

As has been said the original is a water displacer hence the "WD"-40... as a lubricant in the short term it is pretty effective. For me, as a locksmith, it's major drawbacks are it attracts dust/dirt and when it dries it gets gummy. The one plus i have found id it works well for removing labels...

 

[SweetD]

For my sheathed knives with plastic sheaths, like fishing knives, filet knives, even my Leatherman - I really like to clean them with WD-40 and then spray and wipe them down. And spray a little in the sheath itself. Works really well to clean and protect in an mostly-enclosed environment.