Have any of you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well I love that movie and I always have to laugh about her Dad's obsession with Windex as a cure-all for anything.
My Mother sent the following article to me a while ago and it brings to mind the "Windex" joke. However, I actually found a use for WD-40 myself just a few days ago. We've had a leak in our roof which my husband has been trying to fix off an don for a while. He's done a bit here and there with a special leak sealing tar but his first few efforts didn't solve the problem. He suspected that the problem area was actually in gap down between the wall of the house and the chimney so finally last weekend he went up on the roof again to fill this gap, however his tar spreading tools wouldn't reach it well enough so he ended up using his hands to seal the area with this roof tar stuff. Needless to say, he came inside with his grimy gloves and warned me that the hands underneath them were even worse. I spent the next half hour helping him get over to the tub, turn the water on and try multiple products to try and get the nasty back grime off of his hands, after trying dish soap, peroxide and salt I was rummaging under the sink trying to find something else and I saw that we had some WD-40. I remembered having read the following article months before and so I ran back to the bathroom with it and we tried it and immediatlt the tar began to break down and wash off of his hands! It was awesome! So between generous amounts of WD-40 and some dish soap to finish it off my husband had extremely clean hands. We even cleaned the tub with the WD-40 right after and it even took of a lot of the mold and lime that we'd been unable to remove. This really could be a miracle product!
Anyway, here's the article from my Mom:
Origin of WD-40.......interesting!!
Did you ever wonder why WD-40 is called WD-40 and how it got its name?
Well, here it is:
The product began as a search for a rust preventative insolvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts (Wouldn't you just know it!).
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. The workers were so pleased with the product, they began smuggling it out to use at home. The executives decided there might be
a consumer market for it and put it into aerosol cans. The rest, as they say, is history.
It is a carefully guarded recipe known only to four people. Only one of them is the "brew master". There are about 2.5 million gallons of the stuff manufactured each year. It gets it's distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew. They say there is nothing in WD-40 that will hurt you.
Here are some of its uses:
Protects silver from tarnishing.
Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
Gets oil spots off concrete driveways.
Gives floors that "just-waxed" sheen without making them slippery.
Keeps flies off cows.
Restores and cleans chalkboards.
Removes lipstick stains.
Loosens stubborn zippers.
Untangles jewelry chains.
Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
Removes tomato stains from clothing.
Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
Keeps scissors working smoothly.
Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease in handling riding mowers.
Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
Lubricates cracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as Vinyl bumpers.
Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons and bicycles for easy handling.
Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
We're not through!! Here's more.....
Removes splattered grease on stove.
Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
Removes all traces of duct tape.
I have even heard of folks spraying it on their arms, hands, knees, etc., to relieve arthritis pain.
One fellow claims spraying it on fishing lures attracts fish!?
WD-40 has been designated the "official multi-purpose problem solver of NASCAR,"
a ringing endorsement if there ever was one.
No wonder they have had 50 successful years!
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