WD-40: The Rocket Science Solution Found In Almost Every Garage

WD-40 is a household name across 176 countries but it's also a name whose meaning not many people know. Since it's a chemical product with a random-numbers-and-letters name, you might think the name is connected to a chemical compound — but you'd be wrong. The name actually refers to the formula's intended use and how long it took to perfect: Water Displacement — 40th attempt. It's a name taken right from the books in the small Rocket Chemical Company lab where those 40 iterations were created and tested.

Before the list of over 2,000 uses for WD-40 was shared, the solution was intended for one specific purpose. It was developed by a team of three people, and it's the exact same formula they created then that we still use today — though no one outside the company is privvy to its exact ingredients. It all started in San Diego in 1953.

When the Rocket Chemical Company began its work in 1953, the goal was to develop a line of "rust-prevention solvents and degreasers."The main method for this is through a process called water displacement, which deploys oils to create an impassable barrier between metals and moisture. Once the formula was perfected, it was used by Convair to protect the Atlas missile from corroding.

Through practical use, though, the staff of Rocket Chemical Company and Convair found many alternative uses for WD-40. They took it home with them and started using it all over the place. Not only did it prevent rust, it also removed it. It lubricated machine parts so they could move freely again. And though oils constitute up to 35% of its weight, it also removes other oil from surfaces — along with glue, gunk, paint, wax, tape adhesive, and so much more. Its water displacement could drive water from electrical equipment, and it could even remove crayon from walls.

Rocket Chemical Company founder Norm Larsen moved to put the solution in an aerosol can and it started selling in San Diego stores in 1958. In 1960, seven traveling salesmen were selling a little under 50 cases of cans each day. In 1968, soldiers in Vietnam were sent WD-40 to help protect their weapons from the moist conditions there. In 1969, the Rocket Chemical Company was renamed the WD-40 Company. It went public in 1973 and two decades later, a can of WD-40 could be found in four out of five Americans households.

Nowadays, WD-40 is available in a range of cans, canisters, sprays, and bottles. There is a Specialist product line and a product line specifically for bicycle maintenance. The company enjoys finding bizarre uses for its products, with two of its favorite stories being about a bus driver who used WD-40 to remove a python from the bus undercarriage, and some police officers who used it to coax out a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.If you have your own wacky WD-40 story, you can even send it in so they can add it to the growing list.