The WD-40 formula is stored in a secret vault and its CEO went 30 years not knowing it

WD-40 is a staple of American life, with the versatile lubricating product solving issues from squeaky brakes to keeping doors sliding – but it has a closely guarded secret.

The blue and yellow can was first available in the 1950s, but despite its popularity, few actually know what’s really inside the can.

Many have speculated on the ingredients, but only a select few know the truth – including those who’ve devoted years of service to the company.

In fact, even the CEO was left in the dark for over 30 years before gaining access to the secret Californian vault containing the ingredients of the unique WD-40 formula.

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WD-40: what do you really use it for?

W-D in the product name actually stands for ‘water displacement,’ and what is now in the can was the 40th version of the formula.

It was developed in 1953 to protect the Atlas missile from corrosion.

The specialized, fast-acting formula displaces moisture by creating a protective, non-conductive barrier.

This makes it ideal for drying out electrical systems, preventing rust, and giving objects a new lease of life.

But it turns out that the product has actually been used in some rather unconventional ways, too.

In fact, the official site explains that the WD-40 Multi-Use Product has been used to remove a python by a bus driver in Asia, as well as by police officers when they needed to remove a burglar trapped from an air vent.

There are over 2,000 uses listed by users in a special PDF, too, which include removing Play-Doh from hair, removing melted jelly beans from carpet, and even being sprayed on a watch band to keep it from pulling out arm hairs.

However, the forumla to the product is such a big secret, which only a few people know.

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The staple product’s formula is kept in a secret vault

Yes, you read that right.

The CEO didn’t even know the ins and outs of the formula for a whole 30 years.

The goodness inside the blue-and-yellow can is kept strictly under lock and key.

According to the Wall Street Journal, to get into the vault where the WD-40 formula is kept requires steps such as signing nondisclosure agreements before passing through a bank vault.

“Actually getting in there, it was like getting into Fort Knox, quite frankly,” CEO Steve Brass said.

Many have tried to guess the ingredients, with some people getting some right to a certain extent, but not fully.

In fact, the version kept in the vault is the only real copy that has the ‘full makeup of the original formula’.

Not even most employees are privy to the information, including scientists, with people using coded versions to create new products in-house.

So, it seems that the formula is more secret than what goes on in Area 51; after all, it’s only left the bank vault three times in the past 30 years.

But hey, as the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

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