Friday, December 12, 2008

Who Would Have Thunk It...?

I think that most of my fellow preppers are already familiar with this very useful product, but just in case I'm putting it back on the list because of all the uses...


WD-40. Who knew?

WD-40 ! 'Water Displacement #40' ! The product began from 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 Corvair 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 would hurt you.

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/terracotta 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 states.
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 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
44. Removes pricing labels adhesive, and tape adhesives.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Hell, all this is NOT news for most of us "red neck, backwards, make-do country folks". Duct tape and WD-40 are a regular part of most southern tool boxes. If they aren't, they should be, but that's just my opinion for what it's worth.

Now...what do you say to some fresh coffee, my friend?

6 comments:

Lydia said...

Morning Jim!

That stuff is great. (if you can get past the smell.)

Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Fish Oil?? I didn't know that!

I have a bunch here that I do use for many things, but had no idea you can use it for ALL of what is on that list. Made a copy to print and keep by it.

have a great day!
lydia

HermitJim said...

Hey Lydia...you know me! Just a vast warehouse of useless trivia and sometimes (hopefully) useful information!

I appreciate you dropping by this morning...hve a good day!

Cat Melton said...

Yes, good old wd-40. As much as I use it, redneck that I am, I did not know it could do all that!
I have seen a tidbit of wisdom somewhere that said something to the effect that one should use duct tape for anything that should be stuck together and wd-40 for anything that shouldn't.

Thanks for the useful trivia!

Cat
:)

HermitJim said...

Hey Cat...thanks for stopping by. Seems like everyday I find another use for WD40, maybe because everything I own is getting old and starting to squeek...including my joints!

Always glad to share...keep smiling, my friend!

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Seems a lot of us are on the same wavelength there, lydia: duct,tape, bailing wire-- and now water-displacement#40. nothing in the world you can't accomplish with those 3...

new for me is the using of said on fishing lures! man, i can almost taste the crappie now... [wonder if i could use wd40 in lieu of peanut oil?!? second thought, some expiriments are better left untried:)]
Thanks for the beta, hermit

cygnus

HermitJim said...

Hey Cygnus...thanks for coming by...never tried either oil on my fishing equipment. Always seem to catch some fish without them.

Man, give me a pole, some good ole worms or grasshoppers and I'm good to go! Haven't been fishing in a long, long time...