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Is WD-40 a miracle product? (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world to c/bicycling@lemmy.world

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Looking for some maintenance advice.

I'm about to embark on some touring. I don't have space to take more than one canned product. Is WD-40 what I need?

As I understand it from some research, WD-40 is by some magic both a degreaser and a lubricant. This is mysterious to me. In my mental model of chemistry, you degrease with detergent, not more grease. So now I'm imagining that WD-40 is a sort of "light grease" which dissolves "heavy grease". Is that right?

So if I can only take one product, is WD-40 it? PS: If not, then what? Also, is there a generic name for it, or cheaper similar products to look for which do the same thing?

PPS: The consensus seems to be that WD-40 is not a miracle product, by which really I meant "a single portable product that can somehow de-gunk and lubricate" and is less risky than what I was doing before: using chain oil for the lubrication and dish soap for the cleaning.

PPPS: This question was asked in the best possible faith. I have been a cyclist for decades and always been curious about this product. And yet still I get downvoted. What is about social media that makes people so toxic and mean-spirited? It's almost as mysterious as WD-40.

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[–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for the tips.

[–] plactagonic@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 months ago

Just a tip for using WD-40 on bikes for regular maintenance it is good to know what for it was developed - protective oil coating for steel/stainless steel plates.

So it can be used to give nice shine to the frame paint after cleaning or it is excellent for coating cassette and chain before longer storage (it leaves the oil coat and protect it from rust).

The side effect of needing to cover every craves of the surface means that it is penetrating quite deep so people started using it everywhere - stuck bolts, hard to oil parts...