September 22nd, 2026
Every plumbing job throws up the same handful of problems: seized taps that won’t budge, O-rings to seal, exposed metal corroding in the weather, plant that needs greasing and pipe to cut on site. The INOX range covers the lot, but it’s less a single do-everything can and more a set of tools that each match a specific job. Pick the right one for the task and it does exactly what you need it to. Here’s how the range maps to the work you actually do.
Freeing seized taps, valves and fasteners
INOX MX3 Lubricant is the everyday penetrant. It creeps into corroded threads, frees stuck fasteners and valve spindles, then leaves a light protective film. It’s your first move on seized isolation valves, cistern hardware and tapware before any repair starts. MX3 carries no food-grade or potable-water approval, so keep it to general hardware rather than a drinking-water pathway.
Reach for INOX MX3FG Food Grade Lubricant wherever incidental contact matters, whether that’s a food site, drinking water infrastructure, or anywhere else hygiene is a factor. It does the same freeing job but is reformulated to NSF H1 standard, so it stacks up around commercial kitchens, hospitality and aged care, as well as residential and commercial water lines, taps and sinks. Frozen taps, hot and cold water valves and pipe fittings seized by rust all free up the same way, and it’s rated potable water compatible when paired with INOX MX6 Food Grade Grease on O-rings and valve seals. It also doubles as a thread-cutting and tapping lube, and keeps rust off wrenches and hand tools between jobs.
Sealing rubber O-rings and wet components
Tap cartridges, diverter seals, valve O-rings and pump seals need a grease that plays nicely with rubber and won’t wash out. That’s INOX MX6 Food Grade Grease: NSF H1 registered, food-grade approved and named by INOX for plumbing O-rings and pool and spa seals. It’s the one product in the range built and certified for rubber plus water exposure, so don’t sub in a spray here. MX6 is rated from around -30°C to over 300°C with strong water-washout resistance, so it holds up on hot-water gear and wet fittings alike.
One thing to remember with MX6: it’s a clay-based grease. If your grease gun holds a different grease, clean the old product out completely first, since mixing grease types can knock out performance.
Protecting exposed metalwork
Once a repair’s done and the hardware stays out in the weather, LANOX MX4 Lanolin Lubricant is the protect-it step. The lanolin film stops electrolysis between dissimilar metals and sheds moisture, which suits external valves, pipe supports, rooftop plant and anything on a coastal job. The coating is anti-static so it resists dust pickup, and it’s safe straight onto aluminium. MX4 isn’t food-grade and isn’t for rubber seal work.
For threaded fittings and slow-moving hardware that a spray would wash off, LANOX MX4G Lanolin Grease is the thicker option. It shares the same anti-electrolysis chemistry, works as an anti-seize on bolts and threaded rod, and does carry food-grade approval for food-adjacent external plant. It’s also non-conductive, which is handy around metering hardware and exposed control boxes, electrical panels and terminals, though isolate the power first as standard.
Greasing the plant that keeps you working
Your excavator needs daily grease for extended life. Old grease with grit in it turns into a grinding paste, so flush it out, keep it clean and make it last, even when the apprentice is at the controls. Drain machines, jetters, pump units and trailers are assets too, and they need a grease built for load. INOX MX8 Extreme Pressure Grease is a lithium complex, PTFE-fortified grease made for high-load and shock-load grease points. It’s loaded with rust, oxidation and corrosion inhibitors and holds up across a wide temperature range. It isn’t a seal or hygiene product, so keep it to equipment grease points on the manufacturer’s schedule. Give hubs and CVs a proper clean before switching from another grease so the thickeners don’t clash.
Cutting and threading on site
Drilling brackets, tapping holes and threading pipe or conduit goes smoother with INOX MX10 Foaming Cutting Oil. The foam clings to vertical and overhead work instead of running off, which helps when you’re drilling into a plant-room ceiling or up in a roof space. MX10 is low-odour and non-conductive, so it’s manageable around electrical gear, and it stretches bit and tap life when you’re into stainless. The formula is sulphur-free, chlorine-free and solvent-free, so it won’t stain sensitive metals. In aerosol form it’s flammable and pressurised, so keep it clear of ignition sources and ventilate as you work.
Cleaning up at the end
When there’s no basin on site, INOX Mint Grit Hand Cleaner shifts grease, oil and sealant off your hands, and it works with or without water. It’s built for cleanup, not a stand-in for proper handwashing on food or medical sites where the site’s own hygiene rules still apply.
A typical tap or valve repair, in order
The range is meant to be layered, not used as one catch-all. A standard job runs something like this:
- Free it. INOX MX3 Lubricant, or MX3FG on a food site, gets into the seized fastener or spindle.
- Do the repair under your normal isolation procedure.
- Seal it. INOX MX6 Food Grade Grease goes on any rubber O-ring or seal on reassembly, where the manufacturer allows lubrication.
- Protect it. LANOX MX4 Lanolin Lubricant goes on sparingly to exposed external hardware, especially coastal or high-humidity work.
A note on food-grade and drinking-water claims
Only INOX MX3FG Food Grade Lubricant, LANOX MX4G Lanolin Grease and INOX MX6 Food Grade Grease hold NSF H1 and Australian Type A food-grade status. INOX describes MX3FG and MX6 as potable-water compatible, but that’s food-contact positioning, not AS/NZS 4020 or WaterMark certification. For anything touching a customer’s drinking-water pathway, run your own compliance check as you would with any product.
Sort your van kit
The takeaway is simple: match the product to the job and the range does the rest. Freeing goes to MX3 or MX3FG, seals to MX6, exposed metal to LANOX MX4 or MX4G, plant to MX8, and on-site cutting to MX10. Every product here is stocked through INOX resellers around the country, so find your nearest stockist on the INOX store locator and grab the right can for each job.