How to Wax Skiis and Snowboards at Home
December 16, 2021
Written by Casey Reed, Facilities Coordinator
Keeping your equipment waxed will not only make it last longer, but it will make for a more enjoyable time on the hill. With just a few items and a little practice, you can wax your board at home with ease! Here are the items you’ll need:
- Waxing Iron
We recommend against using a clothing iron as there are a few disadvantages. Most have holes in them, which can retain wax. Also, clothing irons can have a higher variance in temperature, so it’s likely for the equipment to get damaged. After waxing with a clothing iron, due to it retaining wax, you cannot use it again on clothes. - Ski/Snowboard Wax
When purchasing wax, make sure it is ski/snowboard wax and not candle wax. Snowflex has some wax bars available to purchase if you’d like to go a safe route! - Scraper
A plastic scraper is another thing you’ll need and is available online for a low cost. - Base cleaner
You can get some ski/snowboard base cleaner online, or you can use Simple Green. Simple Green is a universal cleaner/degreaser and should be available to you locally and works well. - Paper Towel or Rag
Getting Prepared
If you’re waxing skis, get a thick rubber band and place it around one brake arm, over the heel piece, and around the other brake arm to hold it up out of the way. For snowboards, make sure you remove your bindings before getting started.
Next, take your base cleaner and a paper towel or rag to clean off the base. The goal here is to get rid of any dirt or oils, as well as remove any old wax that’s still on the base.
Waxing
Start by making sure you’re in a well-ventilated area. When heating up your iron, it is recommended to start at a low temperature and move up as needed. Place the bar of wax on the iron and let it melt the wax and drip onto the base, dripping it up and down the base to spread it out. If your iron starts smoking, the temperature needs to be turned down.
Once you’ve dripped the wax, place the iron flat on the base to start melting and spreading the wax you dripped. Be sure to move the iron around and not let it sit in one spot. Once the whole base is covered, it sit and cool for at least 30 minutes.
Scraping
A hot hand wax is used because it expands the pores of the base and allows the wax to penetrate deep into the base. The built-up wax on the surface of the board needs to be scraped off. Take your plastic scraper, holding with two hands at a slight angle, and scrape from tip to tail, removing all the excess wax. You’ll likely need to repeat this multiple times to make sure all the surface is removed.
Conclusion
Waxing may seem a little intimidating at first, but it’s a simple process! After doing it a few times, you’ll get more confident with it. If you’re still not comfortable with it, Snowflex does offer a hot hand wax for $20 as well as a basic machine wax for $5. Learn more about Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre at Liberty.edu/Snowflex.