Apply WD‐40 to Door Hinges

WD-40 can be applied to door hinges in your home or on your vehicle to reduce squeaking. When applying WD-40 to hinges in the home, it’s best to use the smart straw. Spray the hinge, then clean it off with a damp microfiber cloth. When applying WD-40 to hinges on your vehicle, spray them well, then open and close your door several times to work the substance into the hinge mechanism.

Steps

Applying WD-40 to Home Door Hinges

1. Use the smart straw, if available. Like any other aerosol spray, WD-40 distributes its contents as a kind of cone-shaped cloud. With the smart straw in place, however, you’ll be able to emit WD-40 in a thin precision stream. This is ideal for applying WD-40 to a door hinge.
   • The smart straw is a long red tube that, in its undeployed state, remains snug against the WD-40 cannister.
   • If your WD-40 comes with a smart straw, snap it into place by pulling up on the gray base of the red tube. This base is located near the top of the WD-40 canister.
2. Hold the nozzle an inch (2 cm) from the hinge. With the WD-40 smart straw in place, position the canister so that the end of the tube is about one inch (two centimeters) from the door hinge to which you wish to apply WD-40. If you’re using a WD-40 canister that doesn’t have a smart straw, identify the location of the actuator orifice (the place from which the WD-40 issues) and aim it toward the door hinge. The actuator orifice should be one inch (two centimeters) from the door hinge you wish to apply WD-40 to.
3. Spray the WD-40 in quick bursts. Once you’ve positioned the smart straw or actuator orifice appropriately, you’re ready to apply the WD-40 to the door hinge. WD-40 canisters emit their contents quite quickly, so do not hold the actuator down for prolonged periods. Instead, press down on the actuator using your index finger, then release it quickly. WD-40 will leave the canister. Apply the WD-40 in quick bursts, moving from the top of the door hinge to the bottom.
4. Wipe away the excess WD-40. Clean the door hinge off. Applying WD-40 to your door hinges will cause them to attract dust and turn black. After applying WD-40 to the door hinge, wipe it clean by dipping a microfiber cloth in some hot, soapy water. Wring it out, then wipe the door hinge with the cloth. To prevent rust, wipe the hinge down with a dry microfiber cloth.

Applying WD-40 to Automobile Door Hinges

1. Locate the actuator orifice. The actuator orifice is the hole from which WD-40 leaves the WD-40 cannister. If you WD-40 canister is equipped with a smart straw (a long movable red tube), the actuator orifice will be a round yellow circle on the top of the cannister’s actuator (the button you press down to utilize the WD-40). In other WD-40 canisters, however, the actuator orifice is a round black dot on the top of the cannister’s actuator.
2. Aim the nozzle at the door hinge. Point the WD-40’s actuator orifice toward your automobile’s door hinge. The actuator orifice should be about one inch (two centimeters) from the door hinge.
3. Spray the WD-40 on the door hinge. When you’re ready, place your index finger over the actuator. Squeeze the actuator in a series of quick bursts across the surface of the vehicle’s door hinge. You can move from left to right, or from right to left across the hinge.
   • If you have access to two door hinges, be sure to coat them both.
4. Open and close your door several times. In order to adequately coat the internal portion of the hinge with WD-40, you’ll need to open and then close the door a few times. This ensures that it will lubricate the entire hinge mechanism.

Trying Alternatives to WD-40

1. Rub soap on the door hinge. You can use either liquid soap or bar soap. If using liquid soap, squirt a bit onto a sponge, then wipe the sponge across the surface of the door hinge. If using bar soap, apply the bar of soap directly to the hinge, especially the joints around which the hinge turns.
2. Smear petroleum jelly over the hinge pin. Dab a clean paper towel in a tub of petroleum jelly. Remove the hinge pin from the door by placing the pointed end of a nail at the bottom of the door hinge, then tapping the nail gently upward with a hammer. The hinge pin will come out the top of the hinge. Wipe the hinge pin with the paper towel, then slide it back into the hinge.
3. Coat the hinge pin with paraffin wax. Light some paraffin candles. After an hour or so, remove the hinge pin on the squeaky hinge by placing the pointed end of a nail beneath the squeaky hinge, then tapping the nail gently upward with a hammer. Slide the hinge pin from the top of the hinge. Blow out the candle, then dip the hinge pin in the melted wax. After it’s well-covered in wax, slip it back into the hinge.
   • You can wear rubber gloves during this process if you don’t want to get wax on your hands.

Tips

• WD-40 has over 2,000 uses.
• White lithium grease is superior to WD-40 for lubricating both home and auto door hinges.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Replace a Doorbell Chime
• Keep Windows from Fogging
• Clean Wood Doors
• Hang a Prehung Door
• Replace Old Double Hung Windows With Vinyl Replacements
• Install an Interior Door
• Repair a Damaged Hollow Core Door
• Install Glass Block Windows
• Replace a Pre Hung Door
• Paint an Exterior Door

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