How to Lubricate a Treadmill: Step-by-Step Belt Lube Guide

To lubricate a treadmill, unplug it, loosen the belt slightly, apply 100% silicone treadmill lubricant to the deck underneath the centre of the belt on both sides, then run it at a slow walking pace for a few minutes to spread it before re-tightening and centring the belt. The whole job takes about 10 minutes and costs around £10 in lube. Most home treadmills need it every three months or so, but your manual has the final say, and a few decks are pre-waxed and shouldn't be touched at all.

It's the one bit of maintenance that genuinely decides how long a treadmill lasts, and it's also the one most owners skip until something starts squeaking. Here's how to do it properly.

Why a treadmill needs lubricating

The running belt doesn't float. Every stride presses it down onto a flat deck board, and the motor has to drag that belt across the deck thousands of times a session. A thin film of silicone between the two keeps the friction low.

When that film wears off, a few things go wrong at once. Friction climbs, so the motor draws more current to hold the same speed, which heats the motor and the motor control board. The underside of the belt starts to scuff and glaze. And the belt can begin to hesitate under your foot strike, which you'll feel as a tiny stutter every time you land. Leave it long enough and you'll often notice a sluggish start, a louder motor or a faint burning smell before anything actually breaks.

Motors and control boards are the expensive parts. A bottle of silicone is not. That's the whole argument.

How often to lubricate a treadmill

Read your manual before anything else. Manufacturers set the interval for their own deck and belt, and lubricating on the wrong schedule (or with the wrong product) can void a warranty.

Without the manual to hand, these are sensible starting points:

• Typical home use: every three months, or every 130 to 250 miles (roughly 40 to 50 hours on the belt), whichever comes first. NordicTrack's UK advice is every three months or 130 miles under normal use.
• Heavy use or heavier users: check monthly. Daily running, a household with two or three people sharing the machine, or a user near the weight limit all wear the film off faster.
• Light walking a few times a week: a check every three months, with lubrication when the deck feels dry. iFIT still recommends at least annual lubrication even for machines that see little use.

Signs your treadmill needs lubricating

The most reliable test takes 30 seconds. Unplug the treadmill, lift the edge of the belt halfway along the deck and slide your fingers underneath onto the deck surface. A healthy deck feels slightly slick and leaves a faint waxy residue on your fingertips. A dry deck feels like bare laminate.

Other symptoms point the same way:

• A squeak, a rhythmic rubbing sound or a general increase in noise.
• The motor labouring or whining at walking speeds it used to handle quietly.
• The belt hesitating or stuttering each time your foot lands, which often gets mistaken for a loose belt.
• A warm, burning smell near the motor hood after a session.
• The circuit breaker or the machine's own overload protection tripping during longer workouts.

Don't confuse belt slip with a dry deck, though. If the belt slips but the deck still feels slick, the belt probably needs tightening rather than lube. Over-lubricating a deck that's already fine makes slipping worse, not better.

Which treadmill lubricant to use

Use 100% silicone treadmill lubricant. That's the short answer, and it's the one almost every manufacturer gives. NordicTrack specifically says to use silicone-based treadmill lubricant and to avoid standard oil or grease.

What you should never use:

• WD-40. It's a water-displacing solvent, not a long-lasting lubricant, and the solvent can attack the belt's backing and the deck surface.
• Household or hardware-shop silicone sprays. Many contain petroleum distillates as a carrier. Check the label; if it lists anything other than silicone, don't put it on your treadmill.
• Oil, grease or car products. They soak into the belt, attract dust and turn into a sticky paste under the belt over a few weeks.

The best option is always the lubricant your manufacturer sells or names in the manual. If it's out of stock or no longer made, a pure silicone treadmill oil does the same job. Two we've checked are 100% silicone and currently in stock on Amazon UK:

• Prounol Treadmill Lubricant Oil, 200ml. Pure silicone, around £10,. At the dose most manuals suggest, 200ml should cover several applications on a home treadmill. There's also a 500ml bottle if you've got a busy household machine.
• Limino Treadmill Lubricant Oil, 200ml. Also listed as 100% pure silicone and usually a little cheaper. A sensible pick if you just want a spare bottle in the cupboard.

We've assessed these on their listed ingredients and specs rather than testing them on a deck ourselves. Either will do the job; what matters far more is the type of lubricant and how much you use.

How to lubricate a treadmill, step by step

You'll need the silicone lube, an Allen key that fits your rear roller bolts (usually supplied with the treadmill), and a dry lint-free cloth.

1. Unplug the treadmill. Switch off at the wall and pull the plug, not just the safety key. You'll have your hands under a belt connected to a motor.
2. Wipe the area. Clean the belt edges and the floor around the machine first. Any dust you leave will end up in the fresh silicone.
3. Loosen the belt. Turn both rear roller bolts anticlockwise by the same amount, about one to two full turns each, so you can lift the belt edge a few centimetres off the deck. Count your turns; you'll reverse them later. Some walking pads have enough slack that you won't need to touch the bolts at all.
4. Lift the belt and apply the lube. Raise one side of the belt and apply the silicone onto the deck under the centre of the belt, about halfway between the front and rear rollers. Work towards the middle where your feet land, not just along the edge. Do the same on the other side. NordicTrack's guide suggests 3 to 5 applications per side.
5. Re-tension the belt. Turn both rear bolts clockwise by the same number of turns you loosened them. Equal turns on both sides keeps the belt tracking straight.
6. Walk it in. Plug back in, start the belt at a slow walk, around 3mph (5kph), and let it run for 3 to 5 minutes. Walking on it for a couple of minutes helps press the silicone into the full width of the deck.
7. Check and centre the belt. Look at the gap between the belt and the side rails on both sides. If the belt drifts left, give the left rear bolt a quarter turn clockwise (or the right bolt a quarter turn anticlockwise) while the belt runs slowly, then wait a minute to see it settle. Small adjustments only.
8. Wipe off any excess. Any silicone that's crept out at the edges should come off with the cloth, otherwise it collects dust.

How much lubricant to use

Less than you think. The aim is a thin film across the deck, not a puddle. As a rough guide, a full-size home treadmill takes a few short squeezes per side, while a walking pad needs maybe half of that.

If you're unsure, start small. You can always add a little more after walking it in and re-checking with your fingers. Taking excess out is far more annoying, because it means wiping under the belt and running the machine until the surplus works its way to the edges.

Common mistakes

Using the wrong product. This is the big one. WD-40 and petroleum-based sprays feel like they're working for a day or two, then the belt starts to drag and the deck gets sticky. It can cost you a belt, and sometimes the deck as well.

Lubricating a pre-waxed deck. If the manual says maintenance-free, adding silicone won't help and can make things worse.

Squirting lube on top of the belt. It goes underneath, between belt and deck. On top, it's just a slip hazard.

Uneven bolt turns. Loosening one side three turns and the other side one turn is the fastest way to a belt that wanders and frays against the side rails.

Overtightening to fix a hesitating belt. If the belt stutters because the deck is dry, cranking the bolts won't fix it. It just loads up the motor and bearings. Check the deck first.

Never checking at all. Plenty of the faults covered in our guide to treadmill mistakes to avoid come down to maintenance that nobody did. Put a reminder in your phone for every three months.

Walking pads and under-desk treadmills

Walking pads need the same care, arguably more. Their motors are small and their decks are short, so a dry belt shows up quickly as noise and strain. Plenty come with a small bottle of silicone in the box, which tells you the manufacturer expects you to use it.

The process barely changes. Most have two hex bolts at the rear, a belt you can lift by hand, and a deck that needs a lighter dose than a full-size machine. If you use yours for several hours a day under a desk, check the deck monthly rather than quarterly, because those hours add up faster than most running routines. If you're still choosing one, our guide to the best walking pads in the UK compares the current options.

Also think about where it sits. A treadmill on thick carpet pulls fibres and dust into the underside of the belt, which mixes with the silicone and grinds away at the deck. A firm mat helps, and we've covered the details in our guide to using a treadmill on carpet.

Other quick maintenance while you're there

Since the belt's already loose and the machine's unplugged, it's worth a five-minute once-over:

• Vacuum under and around the treadmill, including under the front motor hood if your manual says it's safe to remove.
• Wipe the belt and side rails with a damp cloth (no cleaning sprays).
• Check the power cord for kinks or damage, particularly on folding models where it can get trapped.
• Tighten any frame bolts that have worked loose, especially on the uprights and console.

Better-built treadmills tolerate neglect for longer, but none of them tolerate it forever. Even a premium folding machine like the one in our Sole F80 review still needs its deck checked and lubricated on schedule. If you're shopping for a new machine, our best treadmills for home use guide covers the models that hold up best.

Recommended reads

• The best treadmills for home use
• The best walking pads in the UK
• Can you put a treadmill on carpet?
• 6 mistakes to avoid on a treadmill
• Sole F80 treadmill review