The detailers saving grace, that bottle of product you frequently reach for when you’ve exhausted all other avenues, the most commonly found lubricant in households across the UK. No it’s not Durex, neither is it bovril. It’s WD40. That magical can of mystery that has helped millions of people across the world.
Anyone who enjoys the automotive world whether it be the 2 or 4 wheeled variety (if you are in the 3 wheeled you are some kind of unique hybrid mutant and probably drink it in your morning coffee) you will have definitely come across WD40, a magical, wondrous product whose unique blend of refined mineral spirits and lubricants have led it to become a household name across the world. In this article we delve into why this is the case, and more importantly to us saddos who enjoy cleaning our vehicles how we can better use this product.
So what’s inside the can, well the short answer is nobody knows exactly what that special formula is according to the head honchos at WD40, but we have got a good idea of what it does contain.
The WD in the name stands for Water Displacement, and it is a unique, special blend of lubricants, anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal. In a nutshell, it contains about a 50% mix of refined mineral oils and a load of other magic bits, and as a result it is one of the most useful substances known to the human race.
Before we delve into how it is one of the most useful substances to the human race, I will add that whilst I used to and still use loads of WD40 I do not use it for all the jobs mentioned below, I am lucky to have a load of different products in my arsenal that tackle these issues better than WD40 and as a professional I would always recommend investing in specific high quality products to tackle all the tasks below. However, with that being said, if you are in a pinch or don’t want to spend serious money on products, WD40 is a very good one-stop solution for you.
I promise this is the final side note before the meat of it all. Like all products, please do your own homework before using it, make sure it is safe to work on the surfaces you intend to use it on and always do a small test patch in an inconspicuous area first. If in any doubt, just don’t try it. Give it to a professional if you need. Like me, maybe….
Cleaning & Detailing With WD40
1 - Plastics
2 - Alloys & Wheels
3 - Engine Casings
4 - Titanium
5 - Motorbike Chains
6 - Grease & Grime
7 - Rust
8 - Scratches
1 - Plastics
Whilst there are a million and one different potions and lotions out there used to restore plastics, In a pinch if you don’t have access to the good stuff, then WD40 can be your friend.
Spray onto the area or onto a microfibre cloth, rub the excess off with a clean microfibre cloth and enjoy your factory fresh plastic look, well not quite that good, but they will certainly look much better.
It’s important to note that Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the very few surfaces on which to avoid using WD-40 Multi-Use Product.
2 - Alloys & Wheels
Those shiny round things that help you move from A to B. Whilst WD40 can be used to clean them, I would always recommend getting a proper wheel cleaner to do so. However, if you want an added shine and some protection, this works well. It won’t work on all finishes of wheel, and it should be applied very carefully if you have alloys that are susceptible to scratching, like gloss black or satin finished wheels. Please avoid touching your break discs or tyres with this, especially if you are on the 2 wheeled variety. It won’t be very good for your health.
Seriously, use some brake cleaner on your discs/rotors if you get or even think you might have got some WD40 on them. I still do it, regardless if I have or haven’t.
If you get them on your tyres use some tyre cleaner, or water, and use plenty of it, a clean cloth and brush, then give them a scrub and dry them off with a clean microfibre cloth.
3 - Engine Casings
This is aimed at the motorbike enthusiast who may be reading this, if you are going to sell your bike, or just want to make it look good, applying some of this carefully to your engine casings can work wonders to the overall look of the bike. I wouldn’t go bonkers and start spraying it all over the shop, instead use a detailing brush or soft paintbrush and spray a small amount on it, work it around the various nooks and crannies, and wipe off the excess. Be careful where you apply it and avoid any delicate areas.
Be warned, any excess left on there will burn off in a whiteish smoke when the engine gets hot, it may smell funky, but it should clear relatively quickly.
4 - Titanium
This is more focussed on the parts of your car and motorbike that would make a fighter jet sound like a cat. Your exhaust system. Your motorbike and car may be blessed with a titanium full racing system or end can. WD40 is the recommended cleaner from many of the top brands of racing exhaust systems such as Akrapovič, it won’t necessarily remove baked on grime, but it is fantastic for light contaminants and fingerprints, it removes any leftover nasties that would discolour or bake onto your beloved pipes and helps make them look like new again.
5 - Motorbike Chains
This is an area often neglected by motorbike owners, a clean chain, free from gunk and rust is a good indication whether or not the rest of the bike is in good condition, keeping it clean and lubricated is in the motorbike maintenance for dummies guide book. I would always advise getting a specific motorbike chain cleaner and a specific motorbike lube for the chain, but, in a pinch, a microfibre cloth with a generous spray of WD40 on it can help clean and prevent rust from going on your chain.
There will be those armchair keyboard warriors at home who will be erupting in their gaming chairs right now, clearing the Mountain Dew bottles and Dorito bags from their keyboards to start furiously typing away at how wrong I am. Before you do, I do not advise doing this as a replacement for a proper chain cleaner/lube, however in a pinch it is absolutely fine to do. It will not make your chain simultaneously explode, neither will it disintegrate all the O-rings immediately. There have been plenty of well respected motorbike journalists who have tested this and have determined that it is okay for your chain. However, I still advise getting a proper chain cleaner & lube.
6 - Grease & Grime
WD40 is a fantastic product for cleaning areas that get stuff like this on them, whilst certain types of contaminates like Tar would be removed very quickly with a specific product designed to target it, WD40 will work as well. There are not many things that WD40 cannot remove, or at least help in the process of removal. As a one-stop product, this will help to save you having to buy thousands of different products to target the variety of nasty things you would encounter whilst using your vehicle.
7 - Rust
A motor enthusiast’s worst nightmare, rust, nobody likes a rusty vehicle, it is a sign of a poorly protected incorrectly maintained vehicle. Whilst it is difficult to stop it on some hidden parts of your vehicle, at least on the bits you can see it is preventable. WD40 is incredibly good at getting rid of rust, put in combination with some 0000 grade steel wire wool or a green/red coloured scotch bright pad, you can remove pretty much most surface rust. Not only does WD40 help to break down and remove rust, it will also help prevent it in the future.
WD40 and many other brands also make a specific product designed to target rust and protect your metal work for the long run, but your bog-standard issue WD40 will still work well and is far better than nothing.
8 - Scratches
Scratches, believe it or not WD40 can help the overall appearance of light to moderate scratches on your car’s paintwork, whilst it will not fix it in any way and as a professional detailer I would always recommend getting it professionally sorted, it will help to make it less visible to the naked eye by helping to dissolve the top layer of paint allowing the underlying paint to come through. As a detailer I have never used this one professionally, but I have tested it on some crashed motorbike fairings of mine, and by no means does it make the scratches disappear completely, however it does work relatively well at making the scratches blend in and become less of an eye soar. Simply get a clean microfibre cloth, spray a moderate amount onto it and wipe the effected area, and then with a clean microfibre cloth wipe the area dry and voilà, the WD40 has worked its magic again.
9 - Water Sport Marks on silver trim
A bit of niche area, but those bits of silver trim that you typically find around the outside of your car doors become cloudy and get horrid water spot marks. Whilst it is a small detail on your car, it can really make the difference to the overall appearance of your car if you came to sell it. Get a clean microfibre cloth and put a very small amount of WD40 on a part of it, with your finger wipe over the silver trim in one direction, don’t rub, or do a circular motion because you will end up seeing the leftover film from it. Whilst this does not remove the water spots, it certainly helps to make them less of an eyesore. The coating will not last long though and when it gets wet the effects of it will diminish quickly.
These are just some of the things that WD40 can help with when it comes to cleaning/detailing your pride and joy. The list goes on, and I am sure there are many more things it can do that I haven’t even thought of.
Conclusion
In conclusion, whilst there are thousands of products out there that would do a better job than WD40 in some of the areas discussed above, they all come with a price and pain of storing them somewhere, for a one-stop product that does as much as this in a can, you cannot get better, this is why so many of us use it, as a detailer and enthusiast of the motoring world I would always have a can or bottle of it lying around somewhere and so should you.
