How do I clean dirty, smelly seat belts?

[PadawanPrime]

Beige seat belts, dirty, actually moldy in some places. Also, smells bad (mold???).





I'm thinking of using Folex. If that's not enough, I'm thinking of getting a steam cleaning (Bissell Little Green Machine???). Do I need an ozone generator (and if so, what do you recommend? Something from Sharper Image???)?

TIA.

Peace.

[White95Max]

Try some Woolite and warm water. It's worked on seatbelts for me. Just rub the solution into the belt with a cheap MF towel.

[HomicidalSloth]

Steam would be nice, but the LCGM is a carpet extractor, not a steamer. I'd just use some woolite like Maxy-pads said.

[White95Max]

Geez I get a new nickname every week!

[Spilchy]

The mold needs to be killed or it will come back. Woolite won't do it.

I would dillute a Tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water and pre-clean them. Wipe with a damp towel. Then I would use a dilluted APC like 10:1 or Folex with a nail brush to clean them. Then wipe clean with a damp towel

[White95Max]

Can I ask how they got moldy in the first place?

[EdLancer]

Seatbelts are made of nylon so they are pretty much water resistant. I just use a tub of luke warm water with dishwashing detergent and dip the whole belt into the tub and rinse dry with a MF.

[Black240SX]

I would think twice about using bleach on seatbelts. You don't want to find out the hard way that it has weakened the material.

[Spilchy]

I would think twice about using bleach on seatbelts. You don't want to find out the hard way that it has weakened the material.

A Tablespoon in a gallon is neglible and kills the spores that cause mold.

[Anthony Orosco]

Extract the belts all the way, place a clamp or clothes pin at the top so the belt does not retract and then remove them outside of the car as far as possible, close the door so that the seat belt material is now outside of the car.

I did this with my car once at the local coin op car wash. With the seat belt outside of the car I just hit it with the pressure washer and soap, then rinsed, dried them with a towel and allowed them to air dry...but not in the sun.....and yes be cautious when using bleach.

I now clean seat belts with my steamer which makes it very simple.

Anthony

[mirrorfinishman]

Personally, I would buy new belts to replace those dirty, moldy seat belts. I don't think I would want to be riding around in a vehicle wondering whether mold or the cleaning solution used to clean the belts reduced there effectiveness.

[Murat]

As far as I can remember ALL the user's manuals of ALL the cars I bought till now state that you are to use NOTHING ELSE but neutral soap and water to clean seat belts. Probably because the polypropylene used to weave and ultimately manufacture those belts are affected adversely by any other thing.

A steamer does not sound safe to me regarding that synthetic fibers tend to sag and degenrate / distort / warp under high heat...

I would ask my dealer' s workshop if I were you... It is safety more than appearance in this case..