By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Seems like every RV has at least a can or two of WD-40 for lubricating various parts. But there’s more use for WD-40 than just the occasional thread loosening. Here are a few tips that may make for slicker RV trips.
Galley and household tricks
Why on earth do RV manufacturers use light-colored carpets in RVs? Maybe they’re in cahoots with the carpet cleaning industry. But if you have ink or other hard-to-lift stains in the carpet, here’s something to try: Hit the stain with a squirt of WD-40, let it stand for a couple of minutes, then use a sponge and warm soapy water to work over the stain. You may need to repeat a few times.
When we put our new RV vinyl floor in, we hadn’t even got our first road trip in when “you know who” left those nasty old heel scuff marks on the new floor. Too bad we didn’t know about the quick removal tip of shooting them with WD-40 and buffing them with a rag. Use plenty of ventilation if there’s a lot to remove.
If the stuck-on food in the RV fridge won’t come loose, then shoot it. Not the refrigerator – the stuck food – with WD-40. Wipe out the remains with a rag or cleaning sponge. Take after the area with soap and water before reloading the chiller with food.
Rattling down the road, it’s easy for “nested” glasses to get stuck together in an almost death-embrace. Don’t smack those glasses, squirt WD-40 around the rim of the stuck glassware, wait a few moments, and gently unstick ’em. And unless you’re the Tin Man of Oz, be sure to wash the glassware before taking a drink.
Does your barbecue need a resurrection? With time, grills can look like “death and Hades.” With a COLD, NOT LIT UP barbecue, shoot the grids down, wait, scrub with a wire brush.
Working around outside the rig
Rig license plate looking a tad rusty? Spray with WD-40 and wipe away with a rag. Small amounts of rust will come free, and new rust will be discouraged from settling in. Too bad it doesn’t wipe out the high cost of license tab renewals!
Got stickers stuck on your bumper or elsewhere on your rig where you don’t want ’em? Phaser-blast the offending “cling-ons” with WD-40, let ’em sit for a minute, then wipe them off. Really hard ones may require more than one application and a gentle nudge with a plastic scraper.
Did your RV come from the dealer lot loaded with window stickers? Don’t scratch the glass – or the UV blocking film. Shoot the offenders, wait, then use a plastic scraper to remove.
Bug splats on the grill of your tow vehicle or the end cap of your rig will come off easier if you “pretreat” the areas with WD-40. Newly smooshed bugs may slide off on their own, or be convinced to come free a whole lot easier than without treatment.
Mechanical tricks
Greasy hands but no hand cleaner? Shoot a bit of WD-40 on your hands, rub together, then wipe off with a rag or paper towels. Follow up with water and soap.
Got a stuck spark plug in the generator or tow vehicle engine? A shot of WD-40 near the threads, allowed to soak in, will often loosen a stuck plug.
Rainy day hard-start problems? Sometimes humidity can creep into ignition wires. Spray WD-40 on the plug wires and try starting again. WD-40 can displace the unwanted moisture, helping the free flow of healthy electrons.
Did your motorhome or tow vehicle do a “doo-doo” on your concrete driveway? Shoot oil or tranny fluid drips copiously with WD-40, brush with a stiff brush, then shoot the whole mess with a high-pressure stream from a garden hose.
Use a bed liner on your pick-em-up truck? Before you slide in that bed liner, spray the bed thoroughly with WD-40. When you need to pull the bed liner back out, it’ll come out much more easily.
And others you never would’ve thought of
Got your fingers stuck in the glue? Grab the WD-40 and shoot a bit on your stuck pinkies, rub them against one another until they’re freed up. It’ll take glue off other places where you don’t want it, too. Shoot a little on a rag and rub away.
As RVers, all of us are soooo careful about cleaning up after Rover, right? Well, sometimes the neighbors don’t read the memo, and, hey! You’ve got something on your shoe you don’t want there. If your tennis shoes get doo-dooed, spray with WD-40, and use the dog owner’s tooth brush (kidding!) to clean the crevices. Rinse off under the tap and let ’em dry.
Get too close to another car and now you’re “mixing paint”? A paint rub from another vehicle can often be removed by shooting it with WD-40, letting it sit for a half-minute, then buffing down with a clean rag.
Got bugs? If you don’t have a can of Raid available, shoot those bugs directly with WD-40. If the critters insist on returning despite this warning, shoot a little around screen and door frames, but NOT if there are little ones or babies around!
Editor: Here’s a link if you want to stock up on WD-40 from Amazon. (Did you know it’s available from pen-size to gallon-size?)
##RVDT2055
>Phaser-blast the offending “cling-ons” with WD-40, let ’em sit for a minute, then wipe them off.<
😁😂🤣👍
JB-80 is all around twice as good as WD-40
All interesting hints; thank you!
We used WD-40 to combat ants while camping. We woke up to a couple dozen ants roaming throughout the galley. We cleaned them up, then sprayed WD-40 around the tires and levelers to keep more ants from entering.
To safely remove bugs, use wet Bounce sheets. They leave a white residue that rinses off but the bugs dissolve and appear to be dirt on the sheet. No danger to the vehicle or the environment!!!
I wouldn’t spray WD40 on my driveway and wash off putting the environment at risk use Dawn it breaks down the oil then absorb with kitty litter place clean up in plastic bag and deposit at your recycle center.
WD-40 is wonderful stuff. The best way to think about WD-40 is that is that it is a slippery water repellant and solvent, rather than viewing it as a lubricant. Meaning, be careful what you spray it on as it will attack many oils – including beneficial ones – and don’t expect it to stop squeaks or part friction for very long.
Walking the beach ? Got tar on your feet ? WD 40 works great on removing it
Don’t use WD40 on any RV or vehicle paint jobs as it will eat into to the paint. WD40 also eats up Teflon seals and a few other seals. I find Goof Off does a better job on tar, asphalt, paint scuffs on your vehicle.
WD40 is tough on certain rubbers and plastics. Also, if you have decals on the front, don’t spray the WD40 on the decals. It will soften the adhesive and make them peel around the edges.
To remove bug splatter, spray some hydrogen peroxide, cheap store brand, on the bugs. They will foam up and then can be wiped or washed off. Won’t hurt the paint of decals.
Never use on your pvc plumbing to unstick valves that will not open..will destroy pvc..use silicone spray..not as toxic as wd40..
I was a engineering technician for nearly 40 years and did lots of road work dealing with asphalt.
Getting asphalt splatter on your vehicle is not uncommon.
Two things that works well to remove that mess are Decal and WD-40. Both are safer than using more flammable solvents and more readily available.
WD40 is flammable. Read the label. Great for getting rid of hornet nests. Spray towards the nest and light the stream! Flame thrower!