WD-40 is now in Armenia and could be in a store near every Peace Corps Volunteer in these (squeaky) parts. I predict both a stampede and a sell-out, for Americans who have spent months wrestling with recalcitrant locks, stubborn bolts, and rusted everything will be overjoyed to know they can now buy the  caretaker’s cure-all, launched in the Caucasus just days ago.  I bought my first 330 ml this morning at Rainbow hardware in Goris–and may go back for the rest.

Artur is already looking covetously at my can. He was resilvering a hubcap when I came home with my blue and yellow bounty. Through enthusiastic mime and a squirt or two of the miracle substance I showed him that I could help if the other three wheels seemed sticky. He is still sniffing the fumes appreciatively.

Rainbow Hardware, Goris, Armenia:   Scene of first WD-40 sighting

I have already eased every lock and bolt in my apartment, and am about to start on an overly  stiff hinge, and a noisy castor or two. Later I may clean some tar off Natalie’s socks, and give her bike and its oily chain a once-over with the magic mist. I kind of wish there was some gum stuck on something, so I could amaze Armenia by removing it with ease. I can hardly wait for winter now, so I can unfreeze locked cars for friends and neighbors…

I even tried to work out how to spread the word about WD-40 (that’s WD-karasoon here) in Armenian–

գտեկ այս արտադրանք խանղտղմ  սհատ լավ ե ուճէր է սարկէկ ձէզ բանալի կողպեք

Find this product in the shops. It is very good and strong. It will fix your sticky keys 

–but I needn’t have worried. In preparation for global domination, WD-40 has a highly graphic website that details how to use WD-40 and shows about 2000 problems it can solve.    Artur has abandoned Operation Silver Spray and is studying it now. Lubrication beyond language. Long may it last.