GUIDE TO CHOOSE THE BEST PRODUCT: 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WD-40

WD-40 is an internationally renowned brand. Almost everyone has one at home. But is it really that useful? Let’s start on its name, WD_40. Water Displacement, 40th attempt. W stands for water, D stands for displacement and 40th means 40 attempts. The origin of the name dates back to 1953. At that time, a chemist, Norm Larsen was formulating a formula that could prevent corrosion by removing water and moisture. After 40 attempts, he finally completed the invention. Therefore, he named the formula as WD-40.

(1) What is the composition of WD-40?

WD-40’s formula is a trade secret. But we can be sure that WD-40 does not contain silicon, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) or any known carcinogens. However, some professionals recommend wearing gloves or even goggles when using WD-40.

(2) Is WD-40 almighty?

We know that WD-40 is versatile. There are countless folklore and videos online of its usage. However, being versatility does not mean it is applicable on everything. The almighty phenomena are created by different topics. In fact, there are times that WD-40 isn’t applicable. The general users don’t really understand the functions of the WD-40, thinking that a bottle of WD-40 can solve all problems. When the counter-effects appear, they will have bad words towards WD-40.

(3) The true function of WD-40

The strongest selling point of WD-40 is descaling and decontamination, but not use as a lubricant. If you want to have lubrication effect, you should use WD-40 specialist series products. Some people may misunderstand that the specialist series products are launched to make more money, but this is not the case. To use professional tools in the professional field, this is the slogan of specialist series. What features does each WD-40 specialist have? We will talk about it in next article.

(4) When shouldn’t we use WD-40?

The general impression that WD-40 gives to the public is that it can be applied on any metal surface, especially the metal parts that are often subject to friction, such as door hinges. Is that true?

Answer: WD-40 is not a lubricant. As mentioned above, it is a water displacing tool. Its main function is to remove rust and decontamination by removing water and moisture.

Why WD-40 has a function that is similar to a lubricant?

Answer: The lubricating effect doesn’t come from the formula of WD-40, but the condition that appears after WD-40 dissolves the substance. The most direct explanation is that after using WD-40 to remove rust and decontamination (such as door hinges), as the door hinges are clean, it looks like it has lubrication effect, but this effect will not last. (The material that makes the door hinge no longer smooth is removed by WD-40, so it seems to be lubricated). 

Therefore, if you want to lubricate the door hinge, you can’t do it with WD-40 alone! After applying WD-40 to clean the door hinge, you should apply professional lubricant to complete the entire lubrication process.

(5) Can WD-40 be applied to any metal surface?

There was a situation that a solider used WD-40 to maintain the firearms as he didn’t have any other professional tools to use. In the absence of professional tools, the versatile WD-40 can substitute the professional product. Although this is not a perfect method, it can help achieve the purpose. However, further repair work should be carried out afterwards. Experienced people do not recommend using WD-40 solely to maintain or lubricate firearms, because the moisture absorption of WD-40 will attract dust and dirt. If only WD-40 is used without proper professional lubricating oil, it may accelerate the rust of the firearm.

(6) Never spray WD-40 on bicycle chain!

WD-40 can remove the dirt from the bicycle chain, but it will also damage the bicycle chain, so “Never spray on the bicycle chain! “.

Some people on the Internet recommend using WD-40 to remove the dirt on the chain. Unfortunately, WD-40 will remove the lubricating oil i.on the chain at the same time, causing the chain to lose its lubricating material. Therefore, WD-40 has a lubricant that is specially designed for the bicycle chain.

What is the function of WD-40?

To clean, such as:

• Remove stains from stickers on the wall/cabinet;
• Remove stains or graffiti on walls / cabinets / combs;
• Remove gum or other gum stains (such as gum that sticks on the carpet);
• Stubborn stains that are difficult to clean in the range hood can also be removed by spraying WD-40!

This article was originally published on HKDecoman.

HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation, and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.