The Little Red Straw

by Susan Merritt ​

From do-it-yourself attempts to makeshift gizmos, the challenge was at last put before a designer who had the skills, experience, and tools to solve the problem.

In 1953, Iver Norman Lawson of Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego invented a lubricant to protect U.S. Navy ship gears from corrosion. After thirty-nine attempts, he discovered a successful formula, which he named WD-40: Water Displacement — 40th attempt. Lawson’s formula also went on to protect the outer surface of the U.S. Air Force’s first Atlas rocket.

By 1958, Rocket Chemical had recognized the lubricant’s commercial potential and started packaging WD-40 in aerosol cans. To make it easier for users to target specific areas, a little red straw taped to the side of the can could be inserted into the spray nozzle. However, customers complained that inserting the straw was tricky. Even more frustrating, the straw often went missing.

For decades, users proposed workarounds. One suggested buying a second can and cutting the straw in half, then taping one half to the can that lost its straw and the other half to the new can. Another proposed using the plastic rod from a cotton swab.

Finally, in 2000, the company (renamed WD-40 in 1969) responded with the Rubber Strap, a flexible loop that encircled the can’s neck. A hole in the loop’s strap held the straw in place. In 2001, WD-40 introduced the NotchCap. The straw snapped into two notches on the cap’s raised rim, where it stayed put until needed.

However, neither option addressed the need to manually insert the straw into the nozzle. ​So WD-40 brought in industrial designer Gad Shaanan to devise a more permanent solution. In 2005, they launched the Smart Straw. The straw is permanently attached to the cap. Flip the straw up for a steady stream. Push it down for a wider spray.

The Smart Straw was such a success, Home Depot reported that caps were stolen from cans in stores to snap onto cans at home. As a deterrent, Shaanan redesigned the cap so it wouldn’t snap off.

From do-it-yourself attempts to makeshift gizmos, the challenge was at last put before a designer who had the skills, experience, and tools to solve the problem. The Smart Straw has now replaced the little red straw on most WD-40 cans.

…

This piece was written for the “Narrative Strategies for Objects” workshop instructed by Rob Walker during the 2024 D-Crit Summer Intensive Residency at the School of Visual Arts. The next Summer Intensive session will take place June 2–13, 2025. Apply by April 15th.