Ah, the trustworthy can of WD-40. It seems a spray of this age-old “lubricant” can resolve just about any issue. Their website boasts of over 2,000 different uses – and we believe them!
But one area that WD-40 should never be used in is lubricant for your garage door parts.
And let’s clear up this myth now: WD-40 is not a lubricant at all. It contains a mixture of lubricants and solvents that penetrate and clean very well. The reason it may seem to work at first is because it thoroughly removes grime and leaves a very light amount of lubrication. However, the lubrication does not last due to the solvent-like qualities of WD-40. You may have run into this issue yourself if you ever sprayed a creaky door with WD-40. It performs well initially, but later the door ends up with even more problems.
In the case of garage door springs, WD-40 will strip all the lubricant off the springs which will lead to further corrosion and eventually a broken garage door spring.
The Correct Way to Lubricate Garage Doors
Feel free to use WD-40 to clean off grime and remove rust from the parts on your garage door. But after the parts are clean, you’ll want to apply a light coat of lubricant. There are many different types to pick from but we recommend either white lithium grease or a silicone spray. They both work great and will keep your garage door operating smoothly for years to come.
Just be sure to reapply the lubricant every few months or as needed.