WD-40 isn’t just for loosening rusty screws, it can be used in so many more ways around the house. From cleaning up grease and grime to helping you get rid of pet hair, here are some of the most unusual uses for WD-40 that you probably didn’t know about.
Remove stickers
You can use WD-40 to remove stickers from glass, plastic, and metal surfaces. Simply spray on WD-40 any sticker residue left behind and let it sit for a few minutes.
Then wipe off with a clean cloth or paper towel and your surface will be free of any residue or marks left behind by your stickers.
Cleaning crayons off walls
Crayons are super easy to clean up from walls by using WD-40! Just spray some WD-40 onto the wall, let it sit for about 20 minutes and then wipe it off with a rag.
The crayon should come right off the wall without any effort at all. This is especially useful if you have kids who like to draw on your walls.
Loosen a ring
If you have a ring stuck on your finger or hand, spray some WD-40 on it and let it sit for a few seconds before trying to remove it. This should loosen it enough that you can easily pull it off.
Remove gum from hair
Gum in hair is one of those things that no one looks forward to removing from their hair. You can use WD-40 to get rid of gum without damaging your hair or scalp by spraying a liberal amount onto the gum in your hair, then combing through with a fine comb (or fingers if necessary). The gum will come out easily without damaging your locks.
Splinter-free wooden handles
If you have a wooden handle on your patio furniture that has splinters, spray some WD-40 on them and then wipe it off with a rag.
This will leave behind a protective layer of oil that keeps the wood from drying out and cracking.
Remove dog poo
If your dog has an accident in your home, use WD-40 to remove it from your carpeting or flooring. It will break down the waste so you can easily clean it up with a paper towel or rag.
Get rid of strong glue
If you have something stuck on your hands from super glue or another strong adhesive, use WD-40 to get it off immediately without harming your skin in the process.
The oil base in WD-40 will dissolve any sort of strong glue holding onto your skin or clothing so you can easily get rid of it with no mess left behind at all.
Removes wax from vinyl surfaces
If you’ve ever had trouble removing a wax residue from a vinyl surface, like your car’s dashboard, WD-40 can help. Spray the area with WD-40, let it sit for about five minutes, and then wipe it clean with a cloth.
The wax won’t come off completely, but it will loosen up enough so that you can easily wipe away what remains with a little elbow grease.
Prevent wasp nests
Use WD-40 instead of insecticides to prevent them from building their nests in the area where they’re currently hanging around.
They don’t like the smell of it and will stay away from sprayed areas because they don’t want to get sprayed again by humans later on down the road.
Cleans bathroom tub
If your bathroom tub is stained from hard water or soap scum, spray some WD-40 on a rag and wipe off the tub. The stain should come off easily without having to scrub too hard.
Spray it directly on the stain and let it sit for about 10 minutes before scrubbing it with a sponge. The spray will break down the stains and make them easier to clean off.
Get rid of tea stains
WD-40 works well at getting rid of stubborn tea stains from cups and mugs by spraying directly onto the stain and allowing it to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
Cleans and softens paint brushes
If you’ve ever painted with brushes before, you know that they can get clogged with dried paint. To clean them, soak them in warm water mixed with a few drops of dish soap.
Then spray some WD-40 into the bristles and let it sit for 30 seconds or so before rinsing out the brush under running water. The WD-40 will help loosen up any dried paint in there while restoring the brush’s flexibility and softness.
Keep clay from sticking to molds during crafting
Clay can be tricky to work with because it sticks so well to just about anything, including itself if you don’t keep it separated properly.
A little bit of WD-40 will keep your clay from sticking together while working on your project or craft, making it much easier to work with and preventing any wasted pieces from falling off into oblivion when trying to separate them later on down the line.
Remove old duct tape and its residue
Did you know that WD-40 can help remove old duct tape residue? You just need to spray a little bit on, let it sit for a few seconds, then wipe it off with a rag or paper towel.
This will loosen up any sticky mess so you can easily wipe it away with minimal effort.
Get tree sap off a variety of surfaces
Tree sap can be really difficult to get off various materials, from leather shoes to painted surfaces like cars and RVs. WD-40 will not only loosen up the sap but also break down its stickiness so it wipes away easily with minimal effort on your part.
Just spray it on and let it sit for several minutes before wiping it off with a clean rag or paper towel.
Get grease stains out of clothes
WD-40 is a solvent, which means it can remove stains from clothes. Apply some WD-40 directly to the stain and then scrub with a toothbrush. Let sit for 10 minutes before washing as usual.
Remove scratches from your car
You can use WD-40 to remove scratches from cars as well! If you have a car that needs some cleaning up before winter comes along, just spray some WD-40 onto a rag and wipe away those pesky scratches until they disappear completely.
Clean a license plate
It’s not always easy to clean dirt and grime off of your license plate when it’s stuck on your bumper year-round.
Cleaning it with soap and water just leaves streaks behind, but WD-40 will penetrate deep into the crevices of the plastic so that they’re easier to wipe away without leaving any streaks behind at all.
Just spray it on a paper towel and wipe down every inch of your license plate until it shines like new again.
It’s A Wrap!
There you have it! A collection of some of the more unusual uses for WD-40 around the house. Some are helpful, others less so.
And, while these are surely not the only unusual uses out there, we can still take away a valuable lesson from this list: WD-40 does a lot more than just fix squeaky hinges.
If you give it a chance and look around your home, you may be surprised by how many other uses you can find.
