PSA: don't spray lithium grease in your shredder.

[Thrift Store Scott]

rich in distress wrote:
I actually have used wd40 with no explosions... was that wrong? should I not do that?

While WD40 is a decent temporary lubricant/penetrating oil suitable for loosening stuck bolts and nuts (although in my personal experience Liquid Wrench is far better in this capacity), WD40 is just about the worst thing you could use for a permanent or semi-permanent lubricant because not only does it not stay where you put it, it also washes out any remaining good lubricant from precision machined parts like locks and hinges.

The only task I ever found WD40 to truly excel at was removing built-up gunk (a combination of lug nut grease and brake dust baked to the consistency of tar by the heat of disc brakes) from auto lug nuts. Just placing the gunkiest of lug nuts in a small container of WD40 for a minute or two and swishing them around a bit would render them clean, shiny, and ultra-easy to install.

I have no WD40 in my home at all. I do, however, have Lock Ease (a graphite-infused penetrating oil) for lubricating locks and hinges, Liquid Wrench for loosening stuck nuts and bolts, and 3-In-Oil for lubricating things where using Lock Ease is not appropriate.