15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Use WD-40 For

WD-40 is a household staple, famous for its lubricating and rust-preventing properties. You will find a bottle of the stuff in almost every home or garage – the go-to solution for a squeaky door, a rusted bike chain or a stubborn screw. Scrolling through their fan-club generated list of over 2000 other uses, we’ve discovered these 15 handy and surprising household cleaning hacks that you’re bound to have googled at least once!

1. Remove paint rub from another car.

To remove paint-rub stains on your car and restore its original finish, spray the affected area with WD-40, wait a few seconds, and wipe with a clean rag.

2. Remove glue from carpet.

Craft time often ends up turning into a messy venture, prone to paint, glue or glitter spillages. Glue, especially when dried, can be a nightmare to remove! Try WD-40 – just be sure to test it out on a low-visibility area first.

3. Clean nail polish off hardwood floors.

Nail polish remover is usually the go-to for removing nail polish, however the acetone and alcohol can be damaging to certain surfaces, especially timber. Give WD-40 a go if you ever encounter a spillage.

4. Remove tea stains from countertops.

Stubborn tea and coffee stains will instantly make a kitchen appear dirty. Spray the affected area with WD-40, wait a few seconds and wipe with a clean cloth. Be sure to clean counter top after use.

5. Clean old muffin tins.

Baked-on cake mix will quickly become a part of the cake tin if it’s not removed immediately. WD-40 is known to soften rock hard batter, follow with a scrub with a scourer.

6. Clean newspaper ink from tables.

Wet newspaper and magazines can become a sticky mess that spray and wipe can’t conquer. Spray with WD-40 and wipe clean.

7. Get lipstick off of carpet.

Lipstick can be quite stubborn to remove from any fabric let alone when it’s squished into the carpet. Spray the affected area with WD-40, wait a few seconds, and sponge out with warm soapy water. Repeat if needed. Again, be sure to test on a low-visibility area first.

8. Remove coffee stains from cups.

If you use the same coffee cup day after day, chances are it’s looking well-used on the inside. Remove stubborn tea and coffee stains with WD-40 and give them a good hand wash with hot soapy water afterwards.

9. Remove grass stains from. sneakers.

Keep your white sneakers white by removing grass and dirt stains with WD-40 and a cloth. It will also provide protection from moisture.

10. Remove gum from shoes, hair, etc.

Don’t spend hours trying to pick the stuff out! WD-40 will loosen chewing gum from all surfaces — even hair! Apply in a well-ventilated space and remove immediately with a cloth. Wash hair afterwards.

11. Clean oil from the driveway.

Get your driveway looking like new by spraying stained areas with WD-40. Stubborn stains may need a good scrub, then hose down when you’re finished.

12. Remove paint from leather.

Forgot to cover the leather couch when you were painting the living room? Remove with WD-40 and a cloth — just be sure to patch test an area first.

13. Remove melted plastic from the oven.

Put something in the oven you shouldn’t have? Spray the affected area with WD-40, wait a minute, and wipe with a clean rag. Be sure to clean the oven before use.

14. Clean dirty power chords.

When’s the last time you had a good look at the power cords in your home? Hairdryers, kettles, lamp and other electrical cords are often forgotten when cleaning the house. Grimey power cords can be brought back to life with a spray of WD-40 and a wipe with a dry cloth.

15. Remove ink from blue jeans.

An ink explosion is never welcome, especially on your favorite blue jeans. As well as WD-40, hand sanitizer and a spritz of hairspray is another laundry hack that is known to do the trick.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Homes to Love.