Seat Belt Cleaning?

Fellas -

My seatbelts are in sorry shape. Dirty and crusty. I'm not going to pay $1000 to get them cleaned, but any recommendations? Just warm soapy water and a brush or should I run them thru the washing machine or dishwasher?

Thanks,

Scott

Simple green sprayed on them and go to the car wash.Worked good for me.

I have had good success cleaning them up in the kitchen sink. i usually use dish soap and simple green. If you have oxidation on the chrome use a scotch brite very lightly and some chrome polish.

I hand washed with dish soap and then did a couple of rinse only cycles in the dish washer (no soap). Came out great!

I just fill a 5 gallon pail with hot water and laundry soap and let 'em soak - stir with a stick or spoon now and then. Expect the color to bleed out of them a bit - black may come out as a really dark green, blue, a bluish white. If you're brave you can try dying them with Rit fabric dye but I'd wash after that to remove any dye that might seep out onto your clothes over time. I usually work the buckles off them, strip the paint and repaint them.

I cleaned mine with a pressure washer. I was really
surprised at how good it worked. I saw someone
above posted the car wash, I bet that would work
great also. They are nylon, so short of something
acidic it's hard to ruin them. I have used a vinyl
die on some also to brighten them up, but they are
in the back and rarely used.

How do you get the buckles off?

I cleaned mine in a bucket with soapy water and a hand cleaning brush as suggested above. I also redyed mine using rit dye. The secret is to warm a pail of water up to 175 degrees, clean and wet the belts first, then put in pot and stir occasionally for 30 minutes, rinse off in lukewarm water then cold water. Used a packet of the black and half packet of the scarlet (was doing a blue belt on that run---black belts---just used black--all per RIT website). Messes up the paint on the buckles. Had to repaint them. Got rust off a few places using my dremel moto-tool. Just painted over the rust area with some silver paint. Most of these places were in inconspicuous places. Never could fugure how to get the buckle off the belt itself. The dye will also dye the translucent plastic slide. No way to avoid this. Did have to experiment with different paint until I got one that matched the original finish. Don't recall what that was unfortunately. Note that PG Classics and I think BEA now have reproduction belt sets available if you needed all of them. Like potato chips though, you can't buy just one belt. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a belt out of another Mopar product that can be redyed and used.

You can work the buckles off past the stitched together ends - though your fingers will be sore afterwards.I am referring to 1970-vintage belts and metal buckles, not sure on newer ones that might have molded plastic components. It can be done. The pinch rollers are spring loaded - if you work them back with a screwdriver and hold them back you can get the belts off. Just take pics to help with reassembly, and pull plenty of slack in the loops of the pinch rollers.

Fellas -

Thanks for the info. I have a pressure washer that I rarely use, so maybe I'll drag it out and fire it up.

Thanks again,

Scott

I boiled mine and did the Rit Dye thing---Huge difference. Mine are black. If you use a cup of salt in the mix with the dye it makes it 'colorfast' so it won't bleed on your wife's favorite pants and ruin YOUR day. But rinse IMMEDIATELY when you take if off the stove (boil again in rinse water as I recall) and blow dry all the metal immediatley to prevent corrosion.

I then repainted the buckles.

I wrapped mine in a towel (ends and all) and put them in the washing machine. Came out looking like new. ...even the chrome!

I used Oxy Clean and dish soap let them soak in the bath tub

I guy here on moparts restored my seat belts for $375. That included new webbing and repainted buckles. Chroming may have been extra. Can't remember his name, but I stored his cell phone # if your interested. I think he was out of Kentucky.

Quote:

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I guy here on moparts restored my seat belts for $375. That included new webbing and repainted buckles. Chroming may have been extra. Can't remember his name, but I stored his cell phone # if your interested. I think he was out of Kentucky.

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I will see what they look like when I'm done, but $375 sounds reasonable, especially when you consider what Snake Oil charges. Please e mail or pm me with his phone number.

Thanks,

Scott