Proper seat belt cleaning

[Paul Sparks]

As the title infers , what is the proper technique for seat belt cleaning ? Personally I have tried a variety of methods but have no idea if the integrity of the material is being affected. Available to me in my arsenal I have a vx5000 steamer, commercial extractor,wet-dry shop vac,compressed air and a variety of brushes and apc's and cleaners.Previously I have soaked belts in a apc and scrubbed , steamed them after a pre-soak and or extracted them.So is more damage or harm being done with these methods or should I continue with whats worked so far? Open to learning any new or safer methods you may have to accomplish this task. Also interested in hearing from those that may use a Tornador for belt cleaning.

[Ron Ketcham]

Paul, you are doing the right thing!
Several years ago, back in the early 90's, Nissan was involved in a major lawsuit regarding their vehicles and the seat belts.
The investigation of the belts failing in an accident was traced to a majority of vehicles which were "off lease" vehicles that had been put through car auction houses recon.
There were a few that could be traced to "dealer reconditioning" as well.
They found that the auctions and the identified dealers, were using hydrocarbon solvents, such a Prep-Sol, Acir-Sol, etc to clean the seatbelts.
The use of any hydrocarbon solvent was found to "weaken" the nylon fabric which then failed.
Additionally, another manufacturer was finding that some used vehicles were experiencing failure of the retractor mechanism, and this was traced to use of "dyes" used on the belts to either cover up deep stains or discoloring, etc. The dye would flake off and jam the retractor.
In the late 90's, I assisted both Ford and Chrysler in writting changes to their owners manual's regarding cleaning of seat belts. You can read in the manuals today where the owners are cautioned to not use hydrocarbon solvents, not sure if the dye thing is still there, but to clean using only water based all purpose type cleaners.
If the belts can not be cleaned the companies spec that they should be replaced with new ones.
So, water based cleaners only, no re-dying of belts, it's a legal safety issue.
Grumpy

[detailfanatic]

Could you possibly list a few water based cleaners that are seat belt safe?

[Paul Sparks]

Thanks Ron, I guess it makes sense to use a water based cleaner. What about the application method ? Does strength or length of pre-soak come into play ? Is steam harmful to the integrity of the nylon ?

[Ron Ketcham]

Don't know about using steam on them. I would assume as long as the nylon is not gotten too hot, it would not weaken the fibers.
Back when the issue came up, the use of steam was not considered.
Grumpy

[TOGWT]

For spot stains use a fabric cleaner (303 Cleaner & Spot Remover™)

1. Pull the belts from the retractor and gently close the door on the belt, clean with a Limonene-based cleaner (P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash) and a med-stiff brush.
2. Allow to air dry before opening the door and retracting the belt. Do not use bleach, strong detergents, or dye on the seat belts as this may severely weaken them and render them ineffective in a crash.
3. Dry vapour steam or a Tornador® are alternative methods for cleaning.
4. Once fabric is dry apply a fabric protection (303™ High Tech Fabric Guard)
5. While you are cleaning the belts, take the opportunity to closely inspect them for damage and security of attachment, ensure here are no cuts, tears or abrasions (you should always inspect for damage etc if they get caught by a closing door)
6. After a while the seat belt mechanism becomes slow and / or will not retract when released. This can be avoided by cleaning the upper anchor; as the seatbelt retracts it leaves behind a film of dirt, which builds up over time. Use compressed air to remove dust and then using a Q- tip and some Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) you can clean the seat belt anchor / retracting mechanism. Once clean add some Plexus Plastic Cleaner to provide lubrication.

Maintenance - clean seat belts with a 5:1 P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash / distilled water solution, ensure they are thoroughly dried before use

Alternative products – C-28 Seat Belt Cleaner and Spot Remover from PRO® is a non-flammable and non hazardous concentrated cleaner that safely removes dirt, oil, grease and stains from seat belts

Caution: Do not use bleach, solvents or other strong chemicals on the seatbelts as these may compromise the webbing leading to subsequent failure.

[C. Charles Hahn]

gently close the door on the belt

I've never been a fan of that method because you end up missing quite a bit of the belt that way. I've found that a large binder clip (available from any office supply store) keeps the belt extended and gives easy access to the entire length of the material.

[Paul Sparks]

Thanks for the info and tips guys.

[salty]

I generally don't clean them for safety reasons, as stated. But if i do, Pull all the way out, close door, spray with carpet pretreat, dwell, hold firmly and Pressure wash.

[salty]

Oh and leave outside car or wrap around steering wheel to dry.

[Accumulator]

If the belts can not be cleaned the companies spec that they should be replaced with new ones...

That's often a much quicker approach anyhow (says the guy who buys too many used vehicles with light gray interiors ).