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Rexco 50 does five things: it frees seized metal, displaces water, protects against rust, quietens squeaks and lifts light grime. Almost every genuine use is a version of one of those.

Here are a hundred of them, grouped by the job rather than scattered at random. The last section is the one worth reading even if you skim the rest — it is what not to use it on, and it is where people cause damage.

Seized, stuck and stiff (1–15)

Spray, then wait. Penetrating takes a few minutes, and people fail at this step more than any other. On a badly seized fastener, spray, wait ten minutes, tap the head sharply to send vibration down the thread, then try.

1. A rusted bolt or nut
2. A seized gate hinge pin
3. A stiff window latch
4. A jammed sliding window track
5. A seized padlock shackle
6. A stuck bicycle seat post
7. A rusted-in screw, before you try to turn it
8. Stiff joints on a folding ladder
9. The thread on an adjustable spanner
10. Stiff drill chuck jaws
11. New bolt threads before assembly, so they come apart later
12. A seized wing nut on a fan guard
13. A stuck tap aerator
14. The wheel on a rolling gate
15. A jammed letterbox flap

Squeaks and noises (16–25)

16. A squeaky door hinge
17. A creaking bed frame joint
18. A noisy office chair pivot
19. Metal drawer slides
20. A ceiling fan mounting bracket that ticks
21. The oscillation mechanism on a pedestal fan
22. A squeaking void deck gate
23. A creaking metal handrail joint
24. The pulley on a clothes-drying rack
25. Sliding wardrobe door rollers

Rust and corrosion protection (26–37)

This is the one Singapore punishes you for neglecting. Bare steel left alone here will show rust within weeks.

26. Light surface rust on hand tools
27. A circular saw blade between jobs
28. Chisels and plane blades going into storage
29. Garden shears after use
30. A barbecue frame — the frame, not the cooking grate
31. Toolbox hinges and latches
32. Bicycle frame bolts
33. A bench vice screw
34. Air-con bracket bolts on an exterior wall
35. Exposed threaded rod
36. Metal jigs and moulds in storage
37. A gate latch that lives in the rain

Water displacement, which matters here (38–47)

The "displaces moisture" claim is the most underrated thing on the can in a climate like ours. After rain, getting water off bare metal within the hour is what stops rust starting.

38. A tool left out in a downpour
39. Metal fittings after washing a motorcycle
40. A lock that got soaked in a storm
41. A wet derailleur body
42. Metal furniture after pressure washing
43. The outside of a spark plug boot after a wet ride
44. Garden furniture after rain
45. Boat and outboard metal fittings after a trip
46. Tools that went into a puddle on site
47. Roller shutter tracks after heavy rain

Cleaning and unsticking (48–62)

On anything painted, plastic or finished, test a hidden corner first.

48. Sticker and price label residue on glass or metal
49. Tape residue on a toolbox
50. Scuff marks on a metal kick plate
51. Crayon on a painted metal gate
52. Chewing gum stuck to a shoe sole
53. Grease spots on a metal benchtop
54. Tar on lower car panels
55. Marker pen on metal
56. Old wax build-up on metal trim
57. Glue on scissor blades
58. Grime on a chain guard
59. Resin and pitch on a saw blade
60. Soap scum on metal shower fittings, then rinse properly
61. Dirty sliding door tracks
62. Label glue on brand new tools

Tools and workshop (63–74)

63. A hacksaw frame tensioner
64. A drill press column
65. A bandsaw table trunnion
66. A measuring tape that retracts sluggishly
67. Clamp screw threads
68. Rivet gun jaws
69. A staple gun mechanism
70. A caulking gun rod
71. A machinist's square going into the drawer
72. A threading die before you cut
73. Tin snip and aviation snip pivots
74. Hand plane adjustment screws

Bicycles (75–80)

Read the warning in the next section before you touch a chain with this.

75. Cleaning a filthy chain, before you lubricate it properly
76. Derailleur pivots, sparingly
77. Brake lever pivots — the lever, never the pads or rims
78. A seatpost clamp bolt
79. Pedal threads before fitting
80. Cleaning a cassette

Car and motorcycle (81–90)

81. Door hinges and check straps
82. A bonnet latch
83. Boot and tailgate hinges
84. A fuel flap hinge
85. Seat rail slides
86. Battery terminals, as a protective film after cleaning them
87. Number plate screws
88. A towbar ball in storage
89. Wiper arm pivots — the pivot, not the blades
90. A motorcycle side-stand pivot

Garden and outdoors (91–96)

91. Secateur and pruner pivots
92. Lawn mower height adjusters
93. A garden tap thread
94. A hose reel mechanism
95. A gate closer arm
96. Folding garden chair hinges

Around the house (97–100)

97. A sticking metal zip on a bag, applied to the teeth sparingly
98. Shower screen door rollers
99. An umbrella mechanism
100. Luggage trolley wheels

Now the important part: what NOT to use it on

This section matters more than the hundred above, because these are the mistakes that cause real damage or real danger.

Never on brakes. Not discs, not pads, not drums, not rims on a rim-brake bicycle. Rexco 50 is a lubricant, and a lubricated brake is a brake that does not work. If you get any on a disc, clean it off completely with Rexco 82 and let it dry fully before riding or driving.

Not as a chain lubricant. It is excellent at cleaning a chain and useless at lubricating one — too thin to stay on the rollers, and one Singapore downpour washes it off. Clean with 50 or Rexco 70, then lubricate with Rexco 25. Our motorbike maintenance guide goes through the full sequence.

Not on electrical contacts. It leaves an oil film, the film collects dust, and the intermittent fault comes back worse. Contacts, connectors and circuit boards want Rexco 18, which evaporates to nothing — see our guide to cleaning electronics.

Be careful with pin tumbler locks. It will free a seized lock, and that is a legitimate use. But oil inside a lock attracts dust and lint, and over months that can gum up the pins worse than before. Use it to rescue a stuck lock, then clean it out and switch to a dry graphite or PTFE lock lubricant for ongoing maintenance.

Not on screens or clear plastics. Solvents can craze acrylic and polycarbonate and strip screen coatings permanently. Keep it off displays, visors, light lenses and clear covers.

Not food safe. Keep it off cooking surfaces, grill grates, food prep areas and anything that touches food.

Not a structural fix. It will not stop a bearing that has failed, a thread that has stripped or a part that is worn out. If something needs replacing, spraying it only delays the conversation.

Using it safely

Work somewhere ventilated. Keep it away from sparks, flames and hot surfaces. Wipe up overspray on floors immediately — a lubricant on a tiled HDB corridor or a workshop floor is exactly as slippery as it sounds.

And store it out of direct sun and out of a parked vehicle during the day. It is a pressurised can, and the inside of a closed car in Singapore gets far hotter than people expect.

Which size

Rexco 50 comes in 220ml and 500ml. The 220ml suits a toolbox, a car boot or a kitchen drawer. The 500ml is the workshop size.

If you are weighing it against the other brand we stock, see WD-40 or Rexco. And if you want the whole range explained, our guide to what each Rexco number does covers all six cans.

Come and grab one

645 Geylang Road, Singapore 389575 — +65 6546 7446
2 Gambas Crescent #03-19, Nordcom Two, Singapore 757044 — +65 6255 3446

WhatsApp +65 8978 9808, or browse the full Rexco range.