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WD40 - - What is It?

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Does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is?



I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck. I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do -- probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed!



WD-40 . . . . . 'Water Displacement Formula #40' The product began as a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. . They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.



Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that will hurt humans. When you read the ' shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.



Here are some other uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.

2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.

5. Keeps flies off cows.

6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.

7. Removes lipstick stains.

8. Loosens stubborn zippers.

9. Untangles jewelry chains.

10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.

12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.

13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.

14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.

15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.

16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.

17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.

18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.

19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40

20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.

21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.

22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.

23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.

24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.

25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.

26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.

27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans

28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.

29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.

30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.

31. Removes splattered grease on stove.

32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.

33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.

34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).

35. Removes all traces of duct tape.

36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.

37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers. '

38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some locations.

40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.

41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto The lipstick is gone!

43. If you sprayed WD-40 in a wet distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.



The basic ingredient in WD40 is . . . . . . . . FISH OIL:)
 
Actually, the main ingedient is Stoddard Solvent. And as the "solvent" part implies, it will remove any lubrication, not add any. So you can delete any of the suggested uses with "lubricates" in them. Snopes filtered out some of the uses, too.
 
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It helps the elderly with joint pain. Something in it was changed over 10 years ago, because it once was great for cranking engines. Doesn't have the same flamability any more. I do not use it on firearms.
I can remember my Grandfather swearing by it in 1970.
 
Toward the end of the summer while on one of the Mercedes forums, I came across someone looking for a 617 engine, which I just happened to have. He drove up from Virginia with his wife and daughter on a Sunday afternoon in an F-250 with a highly modified twin-turbo 7. 3- claimed it was 500+HP. He parked outside my shop and shut it off. When he went to back in, it wouldn't start, as he was having a problem with his experimantal HPOP. There was a fitting on the intake very close to the engine, and a good shot of WD40 had it going in a flash. He didn't shut it off after that.
 
I have started more than one diesel with WD40 and also a few outboard engines, lawnmowers, etc. Works great without the explosiveness of ether.
 
Just an FYI - I posted this on another site and dit this in return.


Not everything you posted in the wd-40 thread is true... it appears that fish oil is not the main ingredient. WD-40 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the manufacturer does not recommend some of the uses listed. snopes.com: Uses for WD-40 Spray Lubricant

I don't think that it changes much of anything, but, I was concerned about the comment that there was nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. After reading the two links that I was sent, I woul dnot drink it. LOL I did get a response fromt one fisherman that sprays his minniws with it.
 
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I read somewhere that one of the ingredients is banana oil. Don't know if it's true, but at least it doesn't smell too bad.
 
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