It is used as a lubricant, rust preventive, penetrant, and moisture displacer. Additionally, it helps to ‘fix’ hinges, wheels, rollers, chains, gears, and more around their homes
However, many people were astounded by what WD-40 stands for after 70 years.
It turns out that many have been using this household degreaser for decades without understanding the name.
However, the true meaning behind the name of this product has left numerous people baffled.
The spray has been a go-to product as a household degreaser for decades. Addionally, its initial purpose was far from what it is commonly associated with today.
On social media, many users wonder what WD-40 stands for
This newfound knowledge has sparked questions among Reddit users asking: “What does WD-40 actually stand for,” and “What is WD-40 actually used for?”
Many people submitted their guesses, with some suggesting that the spray was an abbreviation for water displacement. While, others were unaware of what ’40’ stood for, leaving it a mystery.
Social media creation
One person said: It lubricates (although not well) displaces water and prevents rust.
A second wrote: Take off your distributor cap, spray the inside of the cap with WD-40, and wipe all the moisture out. Your contacts and the inside of your distributor will remain moisture-free.
A third commented: The spray in the blue can is a general-purpose lubricant with water-displacing capabilities. It is not a rust penetrant. In fact, WD makes a special product for rust. It’s called WD-40 Specialist Rust Release Penetrant Spray.
Another said: It’s a quick cleaner and degreaser that leaves behind a thin oil residue, that you don’t have to follow with something else. Unlike degreasers like soap and water.
Someone else wrote: It’s stands for water displacement, the 40 stands for the number of tries it took to make this product.
Another added: WD 40 = Water Displacement 40th Formula. What little lube it adds is a plus but not much. WD = water displacement.
WD-40 is a household name, renowned for its versatility and effectiveness.
Origins at Rocket Chemical Company
In 1953, a dedicated team at the Rocket Chemical Company set out to create a series of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers tailored for the aerospace sector. While, they worked in a modest laboratory in San Diego, California.
Addionally, their goal was to develop a product that could protect metal surfaces from corrosion
The journey to develop WD-40 was anything but straightforward.
According to WD-40’s website, it took the team 40 attempts to perfect their water-displacing formula. Finally, on their 40th try, they succeeded, leading to the creation of WD-40 Multi-Use Product.
A statement on WD-40’s website reads: “It took them 40 attempts to get their water displacing formula to work, but on the 40th attempt, they got it right in a big way. WD-40 Multi-Use Product was born. WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula. That’s the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed the product.”
Convair, an American aircraft manufacturing company, was the first to recognize the potential of WD-40. Addionally, they used it to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion.
The product’s effectiveness was so impressive that Convair employees began sneaking cans of WD-40 out of the plant in their lunchboxes for personal use at home.
Meanwhile, Norm Larsen, the founder and president of Rocket Chemical Company, saw even greater potential for WD-40 beyond the aerospace industry.
Addionally, he experimented with packaging the product in aerosol cans, making it more accessible for everyday use.
He not only recognized its potential in a home environment but also to ‘fix’ problem spots around people’s homes.