3-in-One Oil
3-in-One Oil is a general-purpose lubricating oil sold for household and do-it-yourself use. It was originally formulated in 1894 for use on bicycles, and remains a popular lubricant for their chains. Its name, given by inventor George W. Cole of New Jersey in 1894,[1] reflects the product's triple ability to "clean, lubricate and protect".
 | |
| Type | Lubricating oil |
|---|---|
| Inventor | George W. Cole |
| Inception | 1894 |
| Manufacturer | WD-40 Company |
| Website | 3inone.com |
The product changed ownership many times throughout the 20th century and was bought by its current owners, the WD-40 Company, in 1995. The current marketing slogan is "The Tool Kit In A Can," with the logo of the text "3 in" inside a large numeral "1".
A few other products are now produced under the 3-in-1 brand, including a white lithium grease, silicone spray, and oil with added PTFE.
In 2000, the can was redesigned to look like the early 20th century oil can design (hemisphere base with tapered straight spout).[2]
An advertisement found in The Church Standard magazine (April 13, 1901, p 867) offers 3 in 1 Oil as a perfect polish for pianos. It claimed that the oil was "long lasting" and did not come off on the clothes.[3] An advertisement found in Good Housekeeping (March 1930) suggests using 3 in 1 Oil as a furniture polish, by wringing out a water-soaked cloth and putting 3 in 1 Oil on it, wiping the dirt off the surface with the oiled cloth, then polishing the surface clean with a dry soft cloth.
References
- Munsey, Cecil (2006). "The Oldest "3-IN-ONE-OIL" Container" (PDF). Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- HDPE oil bottle squeezes another prize, Packaging Digest, 11 November 2000 (from dfenginc.com, retrieved 19 July 2010)
- 3 in One Polishes Pianos Perfectly, The Church Standard, 13 April 1901 (from books.google.com, retrieved 15 April 2014)