8 Surprising Ways to Use WD-40 at Home

WD-40, named for its "water displacing" properties, is commonly used to displace moisture, prevent rust, and lubricate surfaces (if you have a can at home, you have probably used it to fix squeaky door hinges). But like many other staples, you can use WD -40 creatively at home. Do you have a basically full can of WD-40 on hand or just want to try something new? Here are 8 surprising ways you can use WD -40 to solve some everyday household problems.

1. Wipe dirt from tile grout lines.

A few sprays of WD -40 will magically remove dirt from your tile floors or backsplashes. Just spray the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe with warm soapy water.

2. Remove gum from just about anything.

Keep a can of WD -40 on hand in case you (or a small child in your home) have an incident with gum. Spraying on a little WD will make it ten times easier to remove sticky substances from anything you need to, whether it's hair or your dining room carpet.

3. Scrub stains from stainless steel sinks.

Do you have stubborn stains that prevent your stainless steel sink from shining? Try spraying WD -40 and then scrubbing with soap and water to make the stain disappear.

4. Remove sticky label residue from glass jars.

The same thing applies here as with the gum trick: WD -40 can remove sticky residue from almost any surface. If you want to reuse jars, use WD instead of the usual warm soapy water and you'll spend a lot less time at the sink.

5. Remove tea stains from a kitchen countertop.

Tea stains are no problem for a squirt of WD -40 You can spray it directly on the countertop or put a little WD -40 on a sponge or cloth and wipe the stain off.

6. Separate stuck glassware.

What's more frustrating than a stack of fragile drinking glasses that stick together? Spraying some WD -40 into the crevices will lubricate the glasses and make them easier to separate. Just be sure to wash the glasses thoroughly before using them again.

7. Remove scratch marks from hard tile floors.
Tile floors are easy to clean, but they are also easy to scratch. Remove scratch marks by spraying some WD -40 on the affected areas and scrubbing with a damp cloth.

8. Take some of the shine off wood floors in the dining room or kitchen.

Do not like the ultra-shiny look after coating your wood floors with polyurethane? You can tone it down quite easily. Simply wipe dry floors with a rag sprayed with WD -40.