What do you clean seat belt webbing with!!

[auburnseeker]

I bought a relatively new vehicle that used to be a work truck and I was wondering if anyone on here has had luck cleaning grime from seat belt webbing without damaging it. Not alot of Grease but grime in general.

I know this is about a newer vehicle but I figured it might be of help to guys with older cars as well. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[KDirk]

My best results have been from removing the belt, extending it fully and then submerging it in a vat of 50/50 warm water and woolite (a very gentle detergent). Since most seat belt webbing is synthetic, this will not harm it and have yet to find a color that is faded damaged by woolite, as it is supposed to be gentle enough to ensure color-fastness in virtually all materials. I am reluctant to use anything stronger since it may degrade the strength of the material or damage the color. Also be careful of the thread used to sew it around the buckle, this is usually a different material from the webbing itself and may not react well to some stronger cleaners.

Once it sits in the detergent solution for a couple of hours, I take a soft cloth and wipe the webbing to get off any heavy grime. May need to "dip" a second time, rinse then pat dry. Allow to dry fully before reinstalling the the vehicle and usually they will look nearly new, unless they are a very light color that was soiled by grease or some inorganic chemical that is dark in color. Usually skin oil and general grime will come out pretty easily.

I suppose this approach could be adapted for use in the car, as long as you can get a vat of detergent to sit level on the seat and find a way to keep the belt from retracting. A spring clip (like used in offices to hold stacks of paper together) would probably work if placed at the upper end of a should belt after it was fully extended. The large ones are pretty strong, so unless your car has a very aggressive retractor, it shouldn't pull through.

KDirk

[Guest Foggy norm]

windex, short bristle brush and finish with a terry cloth towel (scrap piece) seat belts are nylon.

[rocketraider]

Remove from car and soak in medium-hot water and mild detergent for a while. Rinse under running water and repeat the soak if needed. You will see the water turning brown.

This is where an outdoor clothesline comes in handy. Hang them on the clothesline and allow to air dry. They may not look new, but they'll look much better and you'll probably notice a fresher smell in the car.

I've known people to put them in a washing machine or dishwasher, but that always seemed a little hard on the materials to me. Plus buckles slinging around aren't easy on a washer either.

I have also known people to take them out and take them to a wand-type car wash. Hang 'em on the floormat clips and pressure wash 'em. I've done that with carpeted floormats, but again, the buckles will be slinging around and may get damaged.

Those magic-wand car washes do a great job on carpet mats though. They get the sand and grime out of the carpet pile.

[Shop Rat]

..... Plus buckles slinging around aren't easy on a washer either. ....

Nylon halters for horses present the same challenge when they get grubby. They also have metal hardware.

The trick I use is to have two of the net type bags that oranges come in. First take the wrap-around label off of the bags so that they don't come loose and jam up the inside of the washer. Then I put the halter(s) in one net bag and use an old fashioned diaper pin to make sure it stays closed. Then I put that bag into the other bag and close it the same way. The soapy water flows through and the dirt will too as it comes out.

Next they get tossed into the washing machine with Woolite and go through a soak for about a half an hour and then two agitations (leave the lid up so that the water won't spin out too soon) and an extra full cycle rinse. I hang them out of the direct sun to drip dry and most of the time they look like new and no damage to them or my washer.

[Amphicar BUYER]

Wait until the wife leaves, Extend them out fully, tie strap the buckles to the rack in the diswasher at one corner, snugly string the belts around the fingers up one row and down the next making sure not to overlap them. Be sure they are tight enough not to come off and get cught in any moving parts. Then use a small amount of dishwasher soap and a dash of woolite. Repeat if required. Be sure to turn off the dry cycle, hang out to dry.

[Guest bkazmer]

whatever you do, dry them thoroughly. Polyamide ("Nylon") is normally used and it absorbs water with the loss of strength