After I wash mine in hot soapy water, and dry them with a hair dryer, I spritz them with Houdini 4 way lock spray from Walmart. I dunno, just seems to work fine for me. The side of the can says it cleans, lubricates, and protects. Has no teflon no silicone, no grease, no oil, no graphite and doesn't gum up. and puts an anti-rust/corrosion protection on things. I'd really like to try pure beeswax spray and the bicycle chain lube mentioned above, but my wallet never opened up that far haha. I think ultimately it's up to you. I'd try 30-40 pellets with various protectants and see what satisfies you.