You should use WD-40 if you want to clean or need to displace water and prevent rust.
And if you're lubricating plastic and rubber parts and want to create a water resistant barrier you should use silicone.
WD-40 is best used when you want to clean and need water displacement and rust prevention and silicone is best when you need to create a water resistant barrier and lubricate rubber parts and plastic parts.
WD-40 is a penetrating oil and solvent and is not good for long term lubrication although silicone does offer a longer lasting and non oily lubrication.
Basically if the item that you're lubricating has any plastic you should use silicone.
The WD in WD-40 stands for water displacement and the 40 stands for the 40th time that it took to make the successful WD-40 we use to today.
The WD-40 trick that everyone should know is that you can use WD-40 to easily remove gum from several different surfaces such as clothing, carpets and even shoes.
The oil based formula of WD-40 helps to break down the gum's adhesive which makes it easier for the gum to be removed without causing damage to the surface.
To remove gum with WD-40, spray the WD-40 onto the gum and allow it to soak for a couple of minutes.
Then use a cloth or a scraper to gently loosen the gum from the surface and wipe away any residue of WD-40 that remains using a clean cloth.
WD-40 also has other uses as well which includes keeping wasps away and keeping wasps and preventing them from returning.
WD-40 can also remove dead bugs from your car grille, make snow shoveling easier by helping snow slide off a snow shovel more easily, prevents snow buildup on windows, cleans carpets and removes stains and odors from carpets, removes crayon marks from carpets and other surfaces including walls, cleans toilets and even loosens stuck zippers.
The WD in WD-40 stands for water displacement and the 40 stands for the 40th attempt that it took the inventor of WD-40 to create a solution which actually works.
WD-40 is a type of water displacement spray which contains a blend of anti corrosion properties and lubricants.
WD-40 was originally developed to prevent corrosion and rust in the aerospace industry.
WD-40 also can double up as a degreaser and solvent which makes it very versatile.
While WD-40 is a lubricant, people say it's not a true lubricant because WD-40 lacks the film strength and viscosity that is necessary for heavy duty lubrication.
Using WD-40 in place of the proper lubricants required can cause increased wear and tear on moving parts over time.
The W in engine oils stand for "winter" which also indicates that the oil's viscosity or thickness at cold temperatures and most specifically at engine start up, when the engine is cold.
The lower the number before the "W", the thinner the oil is at colder temperatures, which means that the oil flows more easily and also lubricates the engine more quickly when it starts in cold weather.