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

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 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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[-] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 months ago

WD40 is closer to a cleaning product with an oil in it to prevent rust than a lubricant. It's brilliant if you want to strip away old and dirty lubricants when dismantling and/or storing parts, but you do not want it as permanent lubrication.

You need grease for bearings and anything that moves, since it'll stay in the component for long enough to coat the moving parts and create an oil based bearing surface to stop them from rubbing.

this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2026

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