Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: robcrx
If you consistently use it, yes, it can be harmful, but this was a 1 time cleaning job !
Really? What will it do? I`ve used this technique once before and had thought about doing it again,but not if it can mess something up.
WD-40 is a mix of mineral oil and stoddard solvent with a small percentage of DMSO. The combination of the unrefined stoddard solvent, ie mineral spirits and the very active DMSO solvent tend to penetrate and loosen many organic coatings like enamels and lacquers.
An occasional spray down won't harm anything but consistent soaking without removal will eventually soften the coatings and they can rub off.
In fact WD-40 is so good at penetrating various polymers that it's actually quite useful at temporarily softening rubber tires on some of the remote control cars I race.