Any pointers/suggestions on cleaning recovery/tow/tree straps after getting them nice and dirty? Is a good powerwash with a water hose good enough? Obviously the dirt will still be stained in the strap, but I was just wanting to know if those with experience do anything more. Thanks.
How do you properly clean recovery straps after getting muddy/dirty?
- Thread starter brasskey
- Start date
I wash them as I do my ropes. Loosely in a washer with some fabric softener. Hung to dry out of the sun.
I have the advantage of a commercial washer at the fire station and a hose tower for drying
Thanks for the help. I always heard not to put straps in the washer as that is harder on the fibers. I guess that's not true? Obviously a light wash and hang dry would be easiest, but I was just hesitant of putting in the washer.
off-roader
Expedition Leader
Good question and I wonder what others do too.
As for me, I use my strap pretty regularly because I do a lot of of rock crawling/ +3 trail 4 wheeling where I'll either need a strap or someone else will.
I haven't washed it ever since I began wheeling/using it over 10 years ago..
When it gets dirty I simply shake off the loose/dried dirt on when I get home and store the strap accordingly.
FWIW, today I still have & use the same Procomp 4" recovery strap I originally purchased back then.
I only recently (4 weeks ago) purchased and began also using an ARB snatch strap. Perhaps I'll wash this one to retain it's pretty orange color.:sombrero:
As for me, I use my strap pretty regularly because I do a lot of of rock crawling/ +3 trail 4 wheeling where I'll either need a strap or someone else will.
I haven't washed it ever since I began wheeling/using it over 10 years ago..
When it gets dirty I simply shake off the loose/dried dirt on when I get home and store the strap accordingly.
FWIW, today I still have & use the same Procomp 4" recovery strap I originally purchased back then.
I only recently (4 weeks ago) purchased and began also using an ARB snatch strap. Perhaps I'll wash this one to retain it's pretty orange color.:sombrero:
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HenryJ
Expedition Leader
I don't wash frequently. Only if they are getting really dirty or had a mud bath. The imbeded dirt is going to do more harm than a wash. A rinse with a hose for the mild stuff. We use the normal cycle and warm water, not hot. Cold on gentle would probably be the best? The main thing is no soap. The fabric softner helps to keep from drying out the fibers.
I realize that Kern mantle rescue ropes are of a different construction , but the same washing techniques seem to work well.
off-roader
Expedition Leader
You could always ask the manufacturer what they recommend?:ylsmoke:
kai38
Explorer
I wash them as I do my ropes. Loosely in a washer with some fabric softener. Hung to dry out of the sun.
I have the advantage of a commercial washer at the fire station and a hose tower for drying
I wash mine like we would fire hose also.
Lay it out on a oil free drive way hose it off, use some liquid laundry detergent and a stiff push broom. Flip it over scrub that side and rinse with the water hose. Snake it back and forth on its edge to dry. Don't leave the strap out in the sun longer then you need to dry it. The sun will harm the straps.
cnynrat
Expedition Leader
I haven't had a chance to get my recovery strap that dirty yet, but face a similar problem with my canyoneering ropes. In both cases you want to get the small particles of grit out of the rope/strap so they don't work down inside the rope and cut individual fibers which can weaken the rope over time. I don't really care about staining.
Since I don't have convenient access to a commercial washer, I use a different technique that would probably also work for a recovery strap. I wash my canyoneering ropes in a large plastic garbage can filled with water. I may use a small amount of mild soap if they are especially grungy. Lot's of hand agitation and a few water changes and they come out pretty clean. I usually dry them loosely laid out in the shade as opposed to direct sunlight.
Does anyone worry about washing their synthetic winch line? Seems like that may benefit from the same treatment.
Since I don't have convenient access to a commercial washer, I use a different technique that would probably also work for a recovery strap. I wash my canyoneering ropes in a large plastic garbage can filled with water. I may use a small amount of mild soap if they are especially grungy. Lot's of hand agitation and a few water changes and they come out pretty clean. I usually dry them loosely laid out in the shade as opposed to direct sunlight.
Does anyone worry about washing their synthetic winch line? Seems like that may benefit from the same treatment.
I agree with Caj driveway bath; also WOW I like the washing machine mild soap idea A LOT; I would toss em in a mesh bag (concealment only), and take em to de laudry though for their front loaders. I also have to share that there are huge differences between "soaps" and "detergents". Not sure if I'd stick with my simple green, or suggest woolite, or what, you may want to read up on the differences between powder laudry soap, and liquid, which I think is almost allways a detergent.....(detergents being chemical based, and soap being stabalized lye based).
That was my first thought and I tried to find a website for Black Rat, but I had no luck. The strap in question is a tree saver strap I recently used, but the label on the strap doesn't say anything about proper care of the strap. It only mentions the load rating and not to pull a load larger than capacity. If you can point me in the direction of their website, if they have one, I'm sure that would help. But, I didn't feel like digging around on google when it didn't come up after a few searches.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Very helpful.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Woolite is what I've read being recommended for climbing ropes. Given their similar (generally) construction I would do the same with a strap until there is info to the contrary.
A 10 year old strap, unless it has lived it's whole life inside and has rarely if ever been used, sounds to me like it's due to be retired.
A 10 year old strap, unless it has lived it's whole life inside and has rarely if ever been used, sounds to me like it's due to be retired.
off-roader
Expedition Leader
Contact Extremeoutback.com. They resell the straps and should either have an answer themselves or can contact the vendor for you.:victory:
Also from the ARB site... "Clean your straps in warm water with a mild detergent and allow to dry thoroughly before storage. The ingress of foreign material such as sand and grit can permanently damage the fibres of the strap."
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Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
At Masterpull we tell people they can throw their Superyanker ropes into the wash as long as the washing machine doesn't have a center blade (I am totally blanking on what that is called at the moment). We have found that those tangle the ropes and can pull on the fibers.
For the winchlines we recommend that they are checked and washed frequently, this includes pushing the rope together (think how you undo a finger trap) so you can wash the sand and dirt out from between the strands.
-Alex
For the winchlines we recommend that they are checked and washed frequently, this includes pushing the rope together (think how you undo a finger trap) so you can wash the sand and dirt out from between the strands.
-Alex