‘Smells Like WD-40’ – lubricant spray now a fragrance

The smell of WD-40 – the multi-purpose lubricant spray used by mechanics and home handymen – is now available as a fragrance.

Those who like to tinker with older cars will no doubt be familiar with the lubricating spray WD-40 – the penetrating oil that helps helps loosen, degrease, and protect nuts and bolts.

The product is so versatile it’s become the stuff of legend, but it’s the smell of WD-40 that is arguably its most memorable feature – so much so, people on the internet have pretended to turn it into a perfume for years.

Now, a very real cologne has been launched, called Smells Like WD-40.

The Eau De Parfum is made by New York art collective MSCHF, who are known for creating spoof products designed to point out the absurdity of a particularly industry – in this case, the multi-billion-dollar world of luxury fragrances.

According to Business Insider, MSCHF used to run non-traditional advertising campaigns for brands, but stopped in late 2019 to focus on its own projects.

The (real) WD-40 Company released a statement on its social media pages confirming it has no affiliation with MSCHF, but added “[we are] incredibly impressed by their DIY skills!”.

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It’s not the first time MSCHF have released a fragrance – in March 2021 the group launched Axe No 5, which was essentially Lynx body spray (marketed as Axe in the US) in a Chanel No 5 glass bottle.

It was priced at $US400 ($AU562) and sold out in 20 minutes.

At $US48 ($AU68), Smells Like WD-40 sold out almost immediately too, and isn’t expected to be restocked.

While WD-40 Company didn’t appear to have any problem with MSCHF’s perfume, it also stated it does not recommend or condone the use of actual WD-40 products on the skin or body.

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