We Could See a WD-40 Shortage This Halloween in Texas

There's an old saying in Texas, "If it can't be fixed with duck tape and WD-40 then it can't be fixed." It isn't true but it does show the versatility of both of those products and how much they're used here. Another use of WD-40 for many, especially around this time of year, doesn't involve rusty bolts, garden tools, squeaky door hinges or anything close to that, it involves pumpkins. Wait! What? Yeah. Here's why you could see less WD-40 on store shelves this Halloween.

WD-40 and Carving or Decorating Pumpkins

Carving or decorating a pumpkin is a popular tradition for many around Halloween. Those gourds-turned-into-works-of-art are then placed on the porch for others to take a look at. After Halloween time, some take those gourds and toss them into the woods for a lonely forest creature to nibble on while others are simply discarded of. If you have a pumpkin that you want to last for most of October on your porch, WD-40 may be the product to do just that.

Yes, if you spray a layer of WD-40 on your pumpkin, it will not only give it a nice shine but will also keep it from rotting away so quickly. Of course you want to do this before lighting a candle inside that carved pumpkin since WD-40 is very flammable before drying. This has become one of literally thousands of uses for WD-40.

Invention of WD-40

WD-40 was developed in San Diego, California in the 1950s. The staff of three at Rocket Chemical Company wanted to make "rust-prevention solvents and degreasers" to use for the new aerospace industry. WD-40, which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try, was first used on an Atlas Missile in the 1950s. Employees snuck out a few cans to find uses for it in their homes. Eventually, they were able to put WD-40 in aerosol cans and sold it to the public for the first time in 1958.

From that time on, people have found more, and very inventive, ways to use WD-40 in the home, in garages and in the industrial industry. Keeping your pumpkins shiny and without decay is just one of those thousands of uses.

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