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Yes. For best performance, start with a clean, properly degreased, and dry chain. The factory grease on a new chain must be completely removed before your first Hot Wax treatment.

Follow the detailed user instructions here: Squirt Performance Hot Wax User Instructions

This depends on riding conditions. In general, when the chain begins to sound dry or shifting is not smooth, quick and crisp anymore, it is a good indication that a reset is due.

As with all chain lubricants, Squirt Performance Hot Wax lasts longer in dry and clean conditions than in wet, muddy, or highly contaminated environments.

As a general guideline:

• Tar / road riding: typically 800–1000 km (500–625 miles) or more per application.
• Dry gravel and dirt racing: typically around 250–300 km (150–200 miles) or more per application.

These distances are intended as practical guidelines rather than fixed service intervals. Riding style, power output, drivetrain condition, dust, water, and contamination will all influence actual longevity.

1. Remove the chain from the bike and submerge it in approximately 400-500 ml of boiling water with one 30 ml sachet of Squirt Biodegradable Bike Cleaner Super Concentrate.
2. Agitate the chain for 5–10 minutes while the water is boiling. The boiling water helps melt and remove the bulk of the old wax, while the cleaner lifts and encapsulates the remaining dirt and contamination from the chain. If the water was found to be very dirty, repeat this step.
3. Rinse the chain thoroughly with clean water, then dry it as much as possible using compressed air or a clean microfibre cloth.
4. Follow this with a quick 60-second rinse in isopropyl alcohol (IPA). A simple method is to place the chain in a wide-mouthed drinking bottle or glass jar with a lid, add enough IPA to cover the chain, shake the container vigorously, then remove the chain and allow it to dry.
5. Next, follow standard coating instructions from here: Squirt Performance Hot Wax Application Instructions

The remaining IPA can be retained for future rinses. Any dirt or contamination from the rinse will settle to the bottom of the jar in time, allowing the clearer IPA above it to be decanted into a second container for reuse. When using IPA, work in a well-ventilated area and keep it away from heat, sparks and open flames.

To get the full benefit and maximum service life from Squirt Performance Hot Wax, we recommend deep-cleaning the chain before every full hot-wax application. Deep-cleaning before the chain goes back into the wax pot helps minimise the amount of dirt and contamination carried into the wax. The cleaner the chain is, the cleaner the wax bath remains and the longer it will continue to perform as intended. Contamination can accelerate wax ageing and degradation, so keeping the chain clean before each rewax is an important part of maintaining consistent performance.

Yes. This is how we recommend using the two products together.

Squirt Performance Hot Wax is used as the base treatment, and Squirt drip wax can then be applied as a maintenance top-up when the chain begins to sound dry.

As a general guideline, one normally gets the distances below from a hot wax treatment.  The chain can then be topped-up with drip wax.

• Dry road riding: around 800–1000 km (500–625 miles) or more per hot-wax application.
• Dry gravel and dirt riding: around 250–300 km (150–200 miles) or more per hot-wax application.

From anecdotal testing, we have found that you can typically use around 3–4 drip-wax top-ups before having to do another full hot-wax reset.

Avoid applying drip wax too frequently, as excess product can accumulate on the outside of the chain and derailleur pulleys.

• Ensure the chain is dry.
• Clean the chain while on the bike by running it through a microfibre cloth that had been wetted with some isopropyl alcohol (IPA). This removes the bulk of the dust and dirt from the outside of the chain and prevents it from being transported into the chain by the drip wax.
• Shake bottle and apply to inside of DRY chain while turning the cranks.
• It is not necessary to wipe off the excess lube from the chain. However, if you do find that the dried wax accumulates excessively on the derailleur pulleys and cassette after a couple of rides, a wipe-off after application may help prevent this.
• Allow the chain to dry completely before cycling – especially in wet conditions.

Yes, you can do an on-bike clean after a wet and muddy ride if you do not want to do a complete Hot Wax reset. However, dirt is usually transported deep into the internal parts of a chain after a wet and muddy ride, so it is advised to do a full deep-clean reset.

A clamp-on chain cleaner, such as the Park Tool CG-2.4, with Squirt Biodegradable Bike Cleaner can clear most of the dirt. Two cleaning cycles are usually sufficient to remove surface contaminant from the side plates and any dirt trapped inside the chain that can be removed and encapsulated, will be rinsed out by the Bike Cleaner solution.  Rinse the chain thoroughly with clean water, then make sure it is as dry as possible before applying one of our drip waxes according to the product instructions.

Ho do I dry my chain on the bike?

Leave the bike in the sun for a couple of hours to allow as much as possible of the trapped water to evaporate. Alternatively, use compressed air to remove as much water as possible from the chain. If neither option is available and you are in a hurry, bounce the bike several times to shed as much excess water as possible, then wipe the outside of the chain thoroughly with a clean microfibre cloth. Once the chain is dry to the touch, apply a thin coat of Squirt drip wax as top-up and allow it to dry properly before riding.

No. The important thing is to use enough wax to completely submerge the chain during the Hot Wax treatment. In many cases, using only a portion of the bag, such as one-third to one-half, is good practice. This limits the amount of fresh wax exposed to any contamination that may be introduced into the melting pot during repeated treatments. When the wax in the pot shows clear signs of excessive contamination or performance degradation on the bike is noticeable, discard the old wax and replace it with fresh wax from the remainder in the bag. This approach can help extend the useful life of the full 500-gram pack.

As a general guideline, around 25–30 reheating cycles is reasonable.

The wax does not suddenly stop working after a specific number of cycles, but repeated heating, oxidation and contamination will gradually affect its condition and performance. Ensure the chain is cleaned as per these FAQ guidelines before every rewax and avoiding temperatures above 100 °C will help maximise the useful life of the wax.

Heat Squirt Performance Hot Wax to 85–95 °C, with 93–95 °C being the preferred operating range. Do not allow the wax to exceed 100 °C. It is important that the chain itself also reaches the target temperature. If a cold chain is added to already-hot wax, leave it submerged for around 3–5 minutes while gently swishing it. This allows the chain and wax to equalise in temperature and ensures proper penetration. This is especially important if only a small amount of wax is used as the wax cools down quickly, often by as much as 10 °C, when a cold chain is submerged.  If a clean chain is placed in the pot from the start and heats together with the wax, around 30-60 seconds of swishing is generally sufficient once the target temperature is reached.

A brief accidental temperature overshoot does not necessarily mean the wax is ruined. The 100 °C limit is there to minimise accelerated oxidation and degradation of the wax and its additives. Prolonged or repeated overheating is more of a concern than a brief accidental spike.  If the wax has briefly exceeded 100 °C, it can generally still be used. Avoid repeated overheating and use a digital thermometer to monitor the actual wax temperature.

A temperature-controlled multi-cooker or cooker with a sous-vide function is the easiest option because it provides good temperature control.  Dedicated small wax melting pots can also be used, but it was found that some cases, these pots do not have adequate heating capacity or accurate temperature control, and we recommend using a separate digital kitchen thermometer.

A basic slow cooker can also work well, but we recommend using a digital kitchen thermometer to check the actual wax temperature and determine which setting keeps it within the 85–95 °C range.

An old pot on an electric stove can also be used if the wax is heated slowly and monitored carefully. Avoid high heat, which can create local hot spots, and avoid using an open flame.

Rice cookers are generally not recommended because they can heat aggressively and overshoot the required temperature.

Yes. Some discolouration of the wax over time is normal. The colour can change because of dirt and wear particles carried back into the wax by the chain, as well as oxidation and general ageing caused by repeated heating cycles.

A darker wax bath does not automatically mean the wax is unusable. Good chain-cleaning practices before every rewax, such as the Deep-clean explained elsewhere in these FAQ’s, will help keep contamination to a minimum and extend the useful life of the wax.

Yes. Some colour variation between batches is normal and is no cause for concern. The wax may range in appearance from pale yellow to light green.  This variation can occur because the natural colour of the raw waxes may differ slightly from batch to batch, as can the colour of some of the additives used in the formulation.  The variation is more noticeable with Squirt Performance Hot Wax because our additives and friction modifiers do not turn the wax dark grey or black, as is the case with some other hot-wax products.

This is normal — you’re just seeing what also happens on the road or trail (but goes unnoticed). Due to the softer wax composition of the Hot Wax, much less shedding occurs when compared to some other immersive waxes.  The black pieces are shed wax being released as the wax is pushed out of the chain internals and breaks down. On trainers, more wax may accumulate on the chain because there’s less vibration to help it shed.

Excessive wax build-up usually occurs for two main reasons:

The wax or chain was too cold during coating.

If the chain is removed before both the chain and wax have reached the recommended 85–95 °C range, the wax can begin to solidify too quickly on the outer surfaces. This leaves a thicker external coating instead of allowing more of the molten wax to penetrate into the chain. That excess wax, which is now on the outer surface of the chain, rubs off onto the chainring, cassette and derailleur pulleys.

Too much or too frequent drip-wax top-up is applied.

If drip wax is added before the chain actually needs it, or if too much is applied at each top-up, it may lead to excessive buildup on the other drivetrain components.  This is because the amount of wax remaining inside the chain from the Hot Wax plus the top-up maybe too much for the chain to absorb entirely into the cavities. It then remains on the outside of the chain, where it is carried onto the cassette and pulley wheels and gradually builds up.

A hard-bristled brush can be used on the cassette and derailleur pulleys after the first ride to remove excess wax that has been pushed out of the chain and is no longer contributing much to lubrication.

We have not formally tested compatibility with other brands’ drip waxes, as our recommendation is to use Squirt Performance Hot Wax together with the Squirt drip-wax range.

It is recommended to dry the chain as soon as possible after washing.

If available, use compressed air to remove trapped water from between the rollers and side plates. Alternatively, wipe the chain thoroughly with a clean microfibre cloth and allow it to dry.

Generally, leaving a wet waxed chain standing for extended periods can result in light surface rust, particularly on exposed chain surfaces.

A typical hot-wax treatment removes approximately 3–4 grams of wax from the pot.

This means a 500-gram bag can coat many chains when done simultaneously, especially if the wax is kept clean and is not overheated.