WD-40 – Lasting the Test of Time

Consumer products come an go during our lives. Most products are popular for a time but then something comes along to replace it or someone comes along to buy the company and the once popular product seems to disappear into a catalog of other goods.

However, there is one household product that has lasted the test of time since its beginning in 1958. San Diego’s own WD-40, with their namesake product for eliminating the squeaks in doors, cases, cupboards and anything else with a hinge, is still used by just about every home in America. Not only is it a great lubricant, it also prevents corrosion and helps clean various surfaces.

I recently figured out by accident it does a great job cleaning my steel screen door. I used to spend for what seemed to be forever using a sponge and soap to clean the door as part of my spring cleaning. One day I sprayed the hinges on the door and noticed shortly thereafter, the area of the screen near the hinges looked immaculate. Realizing it must have been due to the WD-40, I quickly grabbed the can and sprayed some more on to the steel screen. Lo and behold, what used to take me forever to do a decent job of cleaning the screen now takes a matter of minutes to make it look new again!

WD-40 was initially developed for use in our local defense industry. Its first application was used on the Atlas Rocket to prevent corrosion. Employees of the company started using WD-40 at home. This led the company to expand their market by providing a consumer friendly version of the product.

Fifty years later, WD-40 the product, and WD-40 the company, continue to thrive. They are based just off the I-5 in Linda Vista, have offices throughout the world, are listed on NASDAQ, and have been on a buying spree of other household cleaning product companies in recent years. You can visit the WD-40 web site to read more about the history of WD-40, find more uses for its amazing product and even join a WD-40 fan club.

What are some of your favorite uses for WD-40?

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