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Hello, Does anybody have any tricks or tips that they would like to share on cleaning seat belts other than just scrubbing them? I have a set of grey belts coming and they are really dirty. Thanks in advance.
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belt washers
Maybe the next time you drop something off at the dry cleaners you could ask them. They might even be able to do it if you removed them from the vehicle. Don't know if it would weaken them or not though......I've had good results cleaning other things with Wesley's Bleach White. It's in a white/red pump sprayer with all the other cleaners at the parts store. -
I soaked a couple of sets of seat belts in a mixture of water, laundry
detergent and GoJo hand cleaner. They came out nice. For real tough
stains.... there is a product called Carbona Spot Remover you could try
but I'd suggest trying it on an inconspicuous area of the belt first.
JohnComment
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having repaired aircraft seatbelts for a living once, I would hesitate to use anything other than soap and water or dry cleaning, if you can find a place to do that. Here is an exerpt from a seat belt manufacturer regarding cleaning seat harness (belt) assemblies. Cleaning with the wrong chemical composition can cause the web to degrade and not perform it's intended load function.
1. Task
Clean the Restraint System to remove dirt and unwanted oil and grease. This helps the Restraint
System to last longer and prevents corrosion of the metal parts. The webbing is to be cleaned with fresh
water and a mild soap. The metal fittings are cleaned with a cloth moistened with isopropyl alcohol.
After cleaning the assemblies, protect them from moisture, dirt, or other contamination. Keep them
protected until you do a visual check and return the Restraint System to service.
2. Equipment and Materials
WARNING BEFORE YOU USE A CLEANING MATERIAL, YOU MUST KNOW THE
HAZARD CODE AND OBTAIN THE NECESSARY PROTECTION. REFER
TO THE PAGE ABOUT HAZARD CODES FOR MATERIALS IN THE
FRONT OF THIS MANUAL.
NOTE: Equivalent alternatives are permitted for the equipment and materials in this list.
Isopropyl Alcohol- Optional source, HAZARD CODE 130D
Mild Soap – Optional source (household dishwasher liquid soap, household laundry detergent)
Lint-free cloth - Optional source
Sponge or soft brush - Optional source
3. Procedure
CAUTIONS: 1. THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MUST NOT BE MACHINE WASHED, BECAUSE THE
WEBBING WILL SHRINK AND ITS PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS WILL BE
CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY.
2. THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY BE DRY CLEANED. HOWEVER, THE WEBBING
WILL LOSE ITS ABRASION RESISTANT COATING AFTER EACH CLEANING AND
ITS SERVICE LIFE WILL THEREFORE BE DECREASED.
3. REFER TO THE “CHECK” SECTION OF THIS MANUAL TO DETERMINE
WHEN THE WEBBING OF A RESTRAINT SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED BY
AMSAFE OR AN AMSAFE APPROVED REPAIR STATION.
4. WHEN CLEANING THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM, CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO
KEEP AWAY FOREIGN MATTER AND CLEANING MEDIA FROM THE
HARDWARE ASSEMBLIES.
5. NO SOAP OR WATER IS TO BE USED ON METAL PARTS.
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More
3. A. Cleaning the webbing.
(1) Attach pieces of cloth to cover the metal fittings
(2) Either:
(a) Dry clean the webbing, (see cautions) or
(b) Hand wash the webbing: gentle scrub with a soft brush and cold soapy solution is
permissible.
(3) Dry the Restraint System in an area that has a good flow of air. Do not dry the Restraint
System in sunlight or near any source of heat.
(4) Inspect the dry Restraint System.
B. Cleaning hardware.
WARNING WHEN USING ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND
WARNINGS GIVEN BY THE MANUFACTURER. AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH THE
WEBBING MATERIAL.
(1) Clean the hardware with a lint free cloth moist with isopropyl alcohol.
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A bit about wear
Now, granted we are not required by law to meet the continued operational safety requirements of an aircraft and the load ratings upon crash, but a seat belt's intent is the same, no matter what it is on. So, when assessing seatbelts, here are a few guidelines to use to see if the belts need replacement. I would not use any seatbelt that comes from a crashed car, or any that show lots of sun fading.
1. Taskthe webbing needs replacement.
Use visual checks to find damaged or worn parts and parts that show signs of near failure. If you find
and correct possible conditions of failure, you can prevent failures in the aircraft and make the
equipment more reliable.
2. Equipment and Materials
No equipment required.
3. Procedures
A. General
(1) Make sure that the Restraint System is clean and does not contain dirt, oil or grease, other
unwanted particles or substances.
(2) Make sure all parts are satisfactorily attached.
B. Webbing
NOTE: Slight wear of the webbing is permitted. However, excessive web wear that has
progressed to cut or worn edges must be replaced, as described below.
(1) Examine webbing for cut or worn edges, damaged stitching, broken fabric threads, tears,
excessive chafe marks, excessive wear, excessive fusing.
(2) Replace webbing if any of the following are observed:
A limited amount of “frayed” webbing will retain sufficient strength necessary to meet the
required strength. Frayed webbing is defined as broken filaments from either the warp
(longitudinal) yarns or the filler (transverse) yarns. The number of broken filaments should
not be sufficient to obscure the identity of any yarn when viewed from a distance of about 8
inches.
Any web that is cut or torn on the edge should be replaced. The amount of fray should be
limited to an amount that is less than 10% of the width of the webbing and not to exceed 8
inches in length. Webbing with more than 15 broken yarns in locations other than the
edge. Webbing that is frayed or distorted sufficiently to cause improper operation of any
portion of the shoulder harness. A total of 15 stitches can be torn in a stitch pattern before
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