WD-40, the stuff you use to fix a noisy door hinge, the solution that removes rust and the product you use to lubricate your tools, has got many cleaning uses!
Find out what you can clean with WD-40 below. You’ll be blown away when you discover how many of this item’s 2000 confirmed uses relate to cleaning!
Tips Before Using WD-40 for Cleaning
WD-40 is an incredible lubricant that has many uses and it’s been around for ages!
However, just because it’s a popular, traditional product, it doesn’t mean that you can just use it whenever and wherever you like.
So, before you start spraying WD-40 around your home, check out the handful of tips below:
- Patch test – Before you spray WD-40 on a surface do a small discreet patch test to see if the solution reacts well/badly with the surface you intend on cleaning.
- Check with the manufacturer before you spray WD-40 onto a surface – If you’re concerned about cleaning a particular surface with WD-40, you can always send a quick email to the manufacturer of the item/surface you need to clean to hear their opinion. They may advise you on a better cleaning product to use that will protect your purchase.
- Don’t add too much WD-40 at once (unless instructed to do so) – Use a few squirts of WD-40 at a time, holding down the button to release gallons of the solution at once is just wasteful.
- Don’t use WD-40 on unsealed surfaces.
- If using WD-40 on a coated floor, remember that the WD-40 solution may remove the protective coating on the surface, so you’ll need to reapply it to keep the area safe.
- WD-40 can make surfaces slippery, so wait for the surface to dry before walking over it.
Now you know how to use WD-40 safely, let’s get into these 14 uses for WD-40 in cleaning.
1. Remove Crayon Marks
It’s not uncommon for kids to discard their much-loved colouring book in favour of colouring in the living room wall.
Of course, you can’t be too angry at your child for showing some creative flare, but at the same time you want to scream at the artistic monstrosity before you.
In reality, there’s no need to panic because there’s a really quick solution to your issue.
Simply spray some WD-40 onto the wall and then use a cloth to wipe the surface down. (Wipe in circular motion.)
Continue to do this until the entire area is clean and free from crayon.
This also works on toys, carpets, plastics and wooden furniture. Just remember to wipe these surfaces/items down with a clean, damp cloth before they are used again.
2. Clean Scuffs Off Floors
If someone has been rubbing their soles along your floor, you might have a couple of scuff marks to get rid of. Here’s where a can of WD-40 can help you!
To get rid of the scuffs simply squirt some WD-40 onto a soft cloth, then wipe the floor in soft circular motions. Continue to reapply and wipe the floor until the marks are gone.
When you’re done, clean the floor with a soft, damp cloth to remove any WD-40 residue.
3. Bring Back the Shininess to Stainless-Steel Items
If you’ve got a dulling stainless-steel sink, or pans that are in need of some TLC, WD-40 is your new best friend.
Just spray some WD-40 onto the stainless-steel surfaces you need to clean, and wipe them in a circular motion with a soft cloth.
When you’re done, just wash the stainless-steel items as you would normally with water and soap. This will ensure that they are safe to use when you start cooking again!
4. Remove Ink from a Carpet
If someone’s biro starts leaking over your carpet, you can kick and scream about it or you can grab some WD-40 and get rid of the marks!
To remove the ink simply spray some WD-40 onto the infected area and wait about five to ten minutes. Then dip a clean cloth into some soapy warm water and dab the inky spot. You’ll need to continue to blot the stain until it is completely gone.
Try not to oversaturate the carpet with water as it will take a long time to dry, and wet carpets are susceptible to mould growth.
5. Clean and Polish Gold and Brass
If your gold isn’t looking as striking as it once did, and your brass has seen better days, just grab a can of WD-40 and start cleaning the surfaces.
All you need to do is squirt some WD-40 onto a clean cloth and then start massaging the gold/brass surface. The objects will be glowing in no time at all.
6. Remove Adhesive Residue
Adhesive residues can be a pain to get rid of if you haven’t got WD-40 at home. But if you’ve got a can lurking about the house, you need to break it out, so it can eradicate those sticky spots for you once and for all.
Just spray the WD-40 onto the gloopy spot, let it rest for a few minutes and then you can either wipe away the mess with a cloth, or tease it off with a plastic spatula. You can then clean the surface down one last time to remove any lasting residue with a damp cloth.
This works well on duct tape, wallpaper and sticker marks.
7. Remove Chewing Gum from Surfaces
Removing chewing gum from carpet
To remove chewing gum from a carpet, spray the gummy surface with WD-40 and leave the solution to rest like this for a few minutes. Then use a tool, something like a brush you use to clean your fingernails, to brush the chewing gum off the carpet.
Continue to add WD-40 to the chewing gum stain and keep brushing the carpet. When all the chewing gum is gone you can clean the carpet with a regular carpet cleaner, that can be bought from a supermarket.
Removing chewing gum from the sole of a shoe
To remove chewing gum from the sole of a shoe just pour a small amount of nail varnish remover over the gum and wipe away excess liquid. Be careful not to get the liquid on the actual shoe though.
After 5 minutes, wipe the gummy surface down and then spray the chewing gum spot with WD-40. It would be better for you to use the red Smart Straw to apply the solution in this case because you don’t want the lubricant to squirt everywhere.
Once you’ve done this wipe the WD-40 off the sole with a cloth. Repeat the steps above if need be.
When all the chewing gum has been cleaned off the sole of your show, grab a damp cloth and give the sole a good scrub to remove any leftover residue that could make your shoe slippery.
8. Revive Plastic Furniture
If your plastic outdoor furniture is looking worse for wear, squirt some WD-40 over the surface, wait a minute or two, and then massage the solution into the plastic.
The furniture will be summer-ready by the end!
9. Remove Paint from Tiled Flooring
If you’ve got a paint splodge on your tiled flooring, don’t worry about it.
Squirt some WD-40 over the paint, wait a few minutes, then use a plastic spatula-like tool to remove the paint, or wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
10. Remove Rust and Restore the Shine to Metalwork in the Bathroom
The appliances and fixtures in your bathroom will start to rust and age because they’re exposed to water and steam on a regular basis. And if these surfaces are not maintained, they’ll decay even faster.
To slow down this damaging process, and to give your metal fixtures a glow, wipe them with some WD-40.
Just squirt some WD-40 onto a cloth and massage the solution into the metal. As WD-40 is known for its anti-corrosion properties, it’ll also help to keep rust at bay in your bathroom because it’ll act as a water repellent on the surfaces.
11. Remove Rust and Limescale Deposits in the Toilet Bowl
Limescale isn’t an uncommon visitor in toilet bowls, but it can be particularly problematic if you live in a hard water zone. Rust, likewise, is a frequent visitor if there’s a lot of iron in the water.
One quick way to rescue your toilet bowl from limescale and rust is to squirt WD-40 into the bowl. You don’t have to put a whole load of WD-40 down the pan for this cleaning exercise to work effectively.
Once you’ve added the WD-40, you leave it for a few minutes, and then you use a toilet brush to scrub at the bowl’s sides.
When you’re done you just flush the loo as normal.
12. Remove Oil Spots from a Driveway
Has a car leaked oil onto your driveway and you want to get rid of the horrid spot it’s left?
Well, you’re in luck, WD-40 has come to rescue your drive.
Squirt the oily patch with some WD-40, wait 20 minutes for the solution to break down the oil and then pressure wash the driveway.
13. Remove Stickers
Stickers can be really fiddly to remove and they usually come off in tiny gluey chunks.
But this won’t be the case if you have WD-40 at hand!
To remove a sticker, just squirt some WD-40 over the entire sticker, lay a paper towel over the top of the damp sticker, wait 5 minutes and then peel the sticker off. You can use a spatula-like tool to help you, if you like.
Remember to wipe the surface where the sticker was with a clean, damp cloth when you’re done.
14. Remove Dog Mess from the Sole of a Shoe
If you’ve just returned home from a lovely walk with your pooch, and you notice that you’ve stood in dog mess, you’re probably furious!
But WD-40 will come to your rescue!
Take your shoe off and go outside. On route, grab some paper towels, an old toothbrush and some WD-40.
Begin cleaning your shoe by scrubbing large pieces of poop off the sole with a toothbrush. Then squirt WD-40 all over the sole. Wait a few minutes and then start scrubbing the poop stains again, they should slip right off thanks to the lubricant you’ve just used.
(Make sure you only squirt the sole of the shoe with WD-40. If you get the lubricant over the rest of your shoe you may ruin it.)
Rinse and dry your shoe with some paper towels before you pop it on again. And, of course, it goes without saying, dump the toothbrush in the rubbish bin.
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
