if your using NEW traps, clean the oil off them, and wax them for the first season, you will need to get a light coatin of rust on them to dye then the right way,
I take my NEW traps and just wax them, let them rust while in the ground waiting for that critter to come by. after the first season, they will have a nice coatin of rust, so when I get then out to clean, I clean all the stuff off them and then dye and wax them.
if you buy USED traps, then clean them, dye them and wax, then your ready to go. good luck and happy trapping.