Unusual ways to use WD-40

from Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

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1. Treat your shoes
   Spray WD-40 on new leather shoes before you start wearing them regularly. It will help prevent blisters by softening the leather and making the shoes more comfortable. Keep the shoes waterproof and shiny by spraying them periodically with WD-40 and buffing gently with a soft cloth. To give the old “soft shoo” to squeaky shoes, spray some WD-40 at the spot where the sole and heel join and the squeaks will cease.
2. Separate stuck glassware
   What can you do when you reach for a drinking glass and get two locked together, one stuck tightly inside the other? You don’t want to risk breaking one or both by trying to pull them apart. Stuck glasses will separate with ease if you squirt some WD-40 on them, wait a few seconds for it to work its way between the glasses, and then gently pull the glasses apart. Remember to wash the glasses thoroughly before you use them.
3. Tone down polyurethane shine
   A new coat of polyurethane can sometimes make a wood floor look a little too shiny. To tone down the shine and cut the glare, spray some WD-40 onto a soft cloth and wipe up the floor with it.
4. Remove strong glue
   You didn’t wear protective gloves when using that super-strong glue and now some of it is super-stuck to your fingers! Don’t panic. Just reach for the WD-40, spray some directly on the sticky fingers, and rub your hands together until your fingers are no longer sticky. Use WD-40 to remove the glue from other unwanted surfaces as well.
5. Get off that stuck ring
   When pulling and tugging can’t get that ring off your finger, reach for the WD-40. A short burst of WD-40 will get the ring to slide right off. Remember to wash your hands after spraying them with WD-40.
6. Loosen zippers
   Stubborn zippers on jackets, pants, backpacks, and sleeping bags will become compliant again after you spray them with WD-40. Just spray it on and pull the zipper up and down a few times to distribute the lubricant evenly over all the teeth. If you want to avoid getting the WD-40 on the fabric, spray it on a plastic lid; then pick it up and apply it with an artist’s brush.
7. Exterminate roaches and repel insects
   Don’t let cockroaches, insects, or spiders get the upper hand in your home.
   • Keep a can of WD-40 handy, and when you see a roach, spray a small amount directly on it for an instant kill.
   • To keep insects and spiders out of your home, spray WD-40 on windowsills and frames, screens, and door frames. Be careful not to inhale the fumes when you spray and do not do this at all if you have babies or small children at home.
8. Clean and lubricate guitar strings
   To clean, lubricate, and prevent corrosion on guitar strings, apply a small amount of WD-40 after each playing. Spray the WD-40 on a rag and wipe the rag over the strings rather than spraying directly on the strings-you don’t want WD-40 to build up on the guitar neck or body.
9. Keep wooden tool handles splinter-free
   No tools can last forever, but you can prolong the life of your wood-handled tools by preventing splintering. To keep wooden handles from splintering, rub a generous amount of WD-40 into the wood. It will shield the wood from moisture and other corrosive elements and keep it smooth and splinter-free for the life of the tool.
10. Remove chewing gum from hair
    It’s one of an adult’s worst nightmares: chewing gum tangled in a child’s hair. You don’t have to panic or run for the scissors. Simply spray the gummed-up hair with WD-40, and the gum will comb out with ease. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area when you spray and take care to avoid contact with the child’s eyes.
11. Break in a new baseball glove
    Use WD-40 instead of neat’s-foot oil to break in a new baseball glove. Spray the glove with WD-40, put a baseball in the palm, and fold it sideways. Take a rubber band or belt and tie it around the folded glove. The WD-40 will help soften the leather and help it form around the baseball. Keep the glove tied up overnight, and then wear it for a while so it will begin to fit the shape of your hand.
12. Relieve arthritis symptoms
    For occasional joint pain or arthritis symptoms in the knees or other areas of the body, advocates swear by spraying WD-40 on the affected area and massaging it in, saying it provides temporary relief and makes movement easier. For severe, persistent pain, consult a health care professional.
13. Relieve bee-sting pain
    For fast relief of pain from a bee, wasp, or hornet sting, reach for the WD-40 can and spray it directly on the bite site. It will take the “ouch” right out.
14. Remove stuck prostheses
    If you wear a prosthetic device, you know how difficult it can be to remove at times, especially when no one is around to help. Next time you get stuck with a stuck prosthesis, spray some WD-40 at the junction where it attaches. The chemical solvents and lubricants in WD-40 will help make it easier to remove.
15. Remove tough scuff marks
    Those tough black scuff marks on your kitchen floor won’t be so tough anymore if you spray them with WD-40. Use WD-40 to help remove tar and scuff marks on all your hard-surfaced floors. It won’t harm the surface, and you won’t have to scrub nearly as much. Remember to open the windows if you are cleaning a lot of marks.
16. Clean dried glue
    Clean dried glue from virtually any hard surface with ease: Simply spray WD-40 onto the spot, wait at least 30 seconds, and wipe clean with a damp cloth.
17. Degrease your hands
    When you’re done working on the car and your hands are greasy and blackened with grime, use WD-40 to help get them clean. Spray a small amount of WD-40 into your hands and rub them together for a few seconds, then wipe with a paper towel and wash with soap and water. The grease and grime will wash right off.
18. Remove decals
    You don’t need a chisel or even a razor blade to remove old decals, bumper stickers, or cellophane tape. Just spray them with WD-40, wait about 30 seconds, and wipe them away.
19. Remove stickers from glass
    What were the manufacturers thinking when they put that sticker on the glass? Don’t they know how hard it is to get off? When soap and water doesn’t work and you don’t want to ruin a fingernail or risk scratching delicate glass with a blade, try a little WD-40. Spray it on the sticker and glass, wait a few minutes, and then use a no-scratch spatula or acrylic scraper to scrape the sticker off. The solvents in WD-40 cause the adhesive to lose its stickiness.
20. Wipe away tea stains
    To remove tea stains from countertops, spray a little WD-40 on a sponge or damp cloth and wipe the stain away.
21. Clean carpet stains
    Don’t let ink or other stains ruin your fine carpet. Spray the stain with WD-40, wait a minute or two, and then use your regular carpet cleaner or gently cleanse with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Continue until the stain is completely gone.
22. Get tomato stains off clothes
    That homegrown tomato looked so inviting you couldn’t resist. Now your shirt or blouse has a big, hard-to-remove tomato stain! To remove stains from fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce, spray some WD-40 directly on the spot, wait a couple of minutes, and wash as usual.
23. Clean toilet bowls
    You don’t need a bald genie or a specialized product to clean ugly gunk and lime stains from your toilet bowl. Use WD-40 instead: Spray it into the bowl for a couple of seconds and swish with a nylon toilet brush. The solvents in the WD-40 will help dissolve the gunk and lime.
24. Clean your fridge
    When soap and water can’t get rid of old bits of food stuck in and around your refrigerator, it’s time to reach for the WD-40. After clearing all foodstuffs from the areas to be treated, spray a small amount of WD-40 on each resistant spot. Then wipe them away with a rag or sponge. Make sure you wash off all the WD-40 before returning food to the fridge.
25. Condition leather furniture
    Keep your favorite leather recliner and other leather furniture in tip-top shape by softening and preserving it with WD-40. Just spray it on and buff with a soft cloth. The combination of ingredients in WD-40 will clean, penetrate, lubricate, and protect the leather.
26. Pretreat blood and other stains
    Oh no! Your kid fell down and cut himself while playing, and there’s blood all over his brand-new shirt. After you tend to the wound, give some first aid to the shirt too. Pretreat the bloodstains with WD-40. Spray some directly on the stains, wait a couple of minutes, and then launder as usual. The WD-40 will help lift the stain so that it will come out easily in the wash. Try to get to the stain while it is still fresh, because once it sets, it will be harder to get rid of. Use WD-40 to pretreat other stubborn stains on clothing, such as lipstick, dirt, grease, and ink stains.
27. Remove marker and crayon marks
    Did the kids use your wall as if it was a big coloring book? Not to worry! Simply spray some WD-40 onto the marks and wipe with a clean rag. WD-40 will not damage the paint or most wallpaper (test fabric or other fancy wall coverings first). It will also remove marker and crayon marks from furniture and appliances.

Submitted by Peggy Jo -
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