system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Eli5: Why does WD 40 work? And why does it have such a huge scope of application?

It just tried it and it's insane, now I want to know how it works.
gpt
WD-40 isn't actually a lubricant, it behaves more like a solvent. 

It doesn't make things slippery, it cleans off the stuff that keeps things from being slippery.

So if your door hinge squeaks, instead of covering the hinge in lube, it's kinda like you're *cleaning* the hinge instead.