One of the most important survival skills is the ability to take basic home items and use them for a survival situation. One of these items is WD-40, which can definitely fill the gap if you don’t have the right lubricant or other materials.
Did you know that there are over 2,000 uses for WD-40, as Sensible Prepper points out? Here are twenty-five of them that could be useful in a survival or grid-down scenario.
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1. Get rid of rust from tools (such as hammers) and drive the moisture out of the tool to keep moisture out.
2. Spray on buildings to keep wasp nests down.
3. Use as a fire starter by spraying on cotton balls or kindling, and then lighting up with matches or a lighter.
4. Use for splitting wood:. If you’re having a hard time using a fixed blade knife to split through wood, spray the knife and the wood with WD-40, then whack the back of the knife blade to give it another go and see what happens.
5. Use as a torch. In one hand ignite a lighter, and with the other hand spray your WD-40 into the flame (just be careful to keep your face a good distance away so you don’t get burned).
6. Get a ring off your finger. If your finger is swelling due to an injury, spray the ring down with WD-40, and the spring will come right off.
7. Remove duct tape residue (just spray over the affected area).
8. Remove dirt and grime from kitchen tools and gardening tools (this preserves the tools as well).
9. Lubricate your firearms and keep the surfaces clean from rust (it’s a suitable alternative to gun oil, but be wary of using it all the time).
10. Remove grease from your hands.
11. Protect leather from cracking.
12. Keep locks working if they get clogged up after being used outdoors a lot.
13. Spray over hinges to loosen them up (it also reduces squeakiness).
14. Spray over zippers to loosen them if they become hung up.
15. Remove sap from a surface.
16. Lubricate saw blades to improve cutting ability.
17. Spray over nuts and bolts to help protect them.
18. Remove ice from your car’s windows.
19. Keep your car working: remove carbon buildup from spark plugs and clean the ignition wires.
20. Remove moisture from electrical equipment.
21. Protect fish hooks and lures (there’s also an old legend that spraying your WD-40 overfishing lures will attract fish – whether this is true or not is certainly up for debate).
22. Waterproof your shoes and boots (WD-40 is water dispersant).
23. Make it easier to dig with a shovel (if you spray WD-40 over your shovel, the dirt will glide right over it).
24. Protect your survival food: insects and pests can easily climb up plastic storage containers, but they will have a very difficult time if you spray WD-40 over it.
25. Protect wood from splintering. If you spray WD-40 directly over wood, it will make it very hard to splinter into smaller pieces.
For a more detailed summary, please check out the video below:
Don’t de-ice car windows with it. It can damage coating and makes windows blurry and attract dirt. It’s also bad for wiper blades.
Many gunsmiths do not recommend WD40 for use on firearms. While it is a great multi-purpose product, it is a solvent, not a lubricant. Over time is can build up and cause malfunctions. Use only lubricants for firearms.
WD-40 will also kill ants instantly. They almost melt on contact. Haven’t tried it on other bugs.
Definitely a thumbs up for wd40. My only disagreement is using it on wood handles of tools. The wd stands for water displacement. It will draw moisture from the wood , thus making the surface fibers likely to become more prone to damage. My father insisted that you protect his tool handles with wax . At 74 I still do the wax on wood , wd40 on metal routine, so that I don’t get a mental dope slap from the long past old man. I also prefer wax on leather for the same reasons.
As a follow up 8 months later , l see l missed one other : #9 on firearms DO NOT get wd 40 on wood stocks . Just like my previously mentioned tool handles . It will do exactly what it was originally designed for. It will pull moisture out of the wood stock . In stead use paste wax or an oil intended for wood , especially in any part of the stock that touches metal . If you don’t have wax or oil for wood , use vegetable based oil , NEVER petroleum based on wood .
I am looking at a home built in 1984. The structure is solid, as are the original heavy clay tile roof.
The roof is dull, discolored and really dry looking. Would a mild spray washing with mildew remover help restore the original color? Is WD-40 an option to condition dried clay tiles after washing? (similar to lemon oil for dried wood furniture). Or could lemon oil be used to spray the roof with when weather cools to around 70? Please advise…interested in any solutions you may offer!