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Treadmill silicone oil: under the belt, and only if the manual allows it

Updated: 23 October 2026

The belt squeaks, and the search for treadmill silicone oil turns up bottles plus a warning that some machines must stay dry. Oil is a thin film on the deck under the belt, unplugged, and only when the manual allows a silicone lubricant. It is not a dressing for the surface you stand on, and it is not a repair for a belt that walks off to one side. The scored rows are on the [silicone oil comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/silicone-oil). Prices are the amazon.co.uk listing figures. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The belt squeaks, and the search for treadmill silicone oil turns up bottles plus a warning that some machines must stay dry.

Our top picks

Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 100 ml

Best overall

Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 100 ml
8.6/10about £6.49
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Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 200 ml

Rank 2

Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 200 ml
8.2/10about £10.49
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Viscos-350 Viscos-350 treadmill oil, 100 ml

Rank 3

Viscos-350 Viscos-350 treadmill oil, 100 ml
9.3/10about £4.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Check the deck before you buy oil
  2. 2.Where the oil goes
  3. 3.How much and how often
  4. 4.Bottles on this shelf
  5. 5.What oil will not repair

Check the deck before you buy oil

A squeak is not automatically a dry deck. Some belts are waxed from the factory, and some makers tell you not to add oil. Argos tells you to follow the manual and to use silicone oil if the supplied bottle has run out. NordicTrack’s UK guide says to check by hand and, if the deck is dry, to use a silicone lubricant rather than a grease made for another job. A UK forum post, owner experience rather than a standard, says ordinary WD-40 can strip silicone. If the manual says the deck is maintenance-free, a bottle will not improve it. A torn edge or a belt that rubs the frame is not a lubrication job.

Where the oil goes

Unplug the treadmill. Lift one edge of the belt enough to reach the deck, without forcing a tension system the manual does not mention. The oil goes on the deck, in a thin line inboard of the edges. Walk the belt by hand once your hands are clear. Wipe any oil that reaches the top. NordicTrack and Argos describe that spread. They do not describe painting the walking surface. Viscos-350’s 15 cm pipette misses the middle of some belts. Prounol lists a 16 cm neck. If you cannot reach the middle, do not flood the edge you can reach.
Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 100 ml

Testsieger

Prounol Prounol treadmill oil, 100 ml
8.6/10about £6.49
View offer

How much and how often

There is no single UK interval. NordicTrack’s UK guide says about every three months or about 130 miles. Argos tells you to follow the manual. Prounol’s own blog says 5 to 10 ml a side and a repeat every 30 to 60 hours. One shared review mentions about 15 to 20 ml on a walking pad. Those pictures can be true for different machines and still wrong for yours. When the manual is silent, start below 5 to 10 ml and stop if the deck feels sticky. Do not use standard WD-40. Forum users say it can strip silicone already on the deck.

Bottles on this shelf

Viscos-350 at £4.99 for 100 ml is the top pick when you oil occasionally and the listing states 350 cSt. The sample is 4.5 from 675 ratings. The same page also prints 75W-140. Prounol is £6.49 for 100 ml and £10.49 for 200 ml, both showing 4.6 from 18,501 because the texts are shared. Limino and DecorRom are £8.99. Limino also says the oil is for equipment needing non-silicone lubricant. FloraVigo states 140 ml in the title and 100 in another field, on 8 ratings. Roles for the litre are on best silicone oil.

What oil will not repair

Oil will not centre a belt that walks off to one side. Tracking is a tension adjustment in the manual. Oil will not stitch a torn edge. If the motor is hot, smells of burning, or trips a breaker, unplug the machine and book a technician. A sticky belt after oiling is a wipe-down, not another 20 ml. Use a spray only if that manual allows spray. The 400 ml 3-IN-ONE can is built for hinges and uPVC. If the squeak remains after a thin, manual-approved film, the next step is the maker or a repairer.

Common questions

Is 350 cSt required?
Only if your manual or the old bottle says so. Viscos-350 is the listing in this set that states 350 cSt, as a seller figure, at £4.99 for 100 ml. Other treadmill bottles here leave centistokes blank. An SAE grade such as 0W-20 or 75W-140 on those pages is not a substitute for centistokes and is not an engine-oil specification you should follow for the deck.
Can I use silicone spray instead?
Only if the manual allows a spray. Some manuals and a UK forum tell you not to. The spray in this comparison is a 400 ml 3-IN-ONE can for hinges and uPVC, with a wide pattern. A neat oil with a tube can place a film under the belt. Ordinary WD-40 is a different product, and forum users say it can strip existing silicone.
What if the manual says the deck is waxed?
Leave it dry. A waxed or sealed belt is a different system from a deck that expects silicone oil. Adding oil because a neighbour’s machine needs it can make the belt slip or collect dirt. If the manual is missing, ask the manufacturer with the model number before you buy a bottle.
The belt stuck after I oiled it. What now?
Stop the machine, unplug it, and wipe the deck and the belt edges. One Viscos-350 review describes a belt that stuck. Do not add more oil the same day. If the belt still will not move once the excess is gone, the dose was too heavy or the deck was not meant to be oiled, and a technician is the next call.
Does oil fix a belt that walks off centre?
No. Centring is a roller adjustment described in the manual, done in small turns while the belt runs slowly and you stand clear. Oil under a wandering belt makes the deck more slippery and does not pull the belt back to the middle. If the edge is already frayed from rubbing the frame, oil will not restore it.

Related pages

How to use silicone oil

Silicone oil buying guide

Silicone oil or silicone spray

Silicone oil

Best silicone oil on Amazon: a role for each bottle

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the figures in the listing files scored on 21 October 2026, not a live check on the day you read this.

  1. HSE, GB CLP (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Aerosol Dispensers Regulations 2009 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. NordicTrack UK, how to lubricate a treadmill (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Halfords, 3-IN-ONE Professional silicone spray hazards (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Pébéo Studio acrylics silicone oil, 45 ml (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. ECHA, polydimethylsiloxane (retrieved 21 October 2026)