Hiking strap maintenance

RogerMusser

RogerMusser

Member
Our sailing club has 5 Sunfish boats with hiking straps. I have taken them off with the intention of cleaning them up, they have been out in the weather for years.

I’d like to hear some suggestions as to how to safely clean them. Washing machine? By hand?
 
I’ve never heard of anyone cleaning a hiking strap. But if it can stand up to hiking it better be able to stand up to a washing machine! That said, it seems like that is unnecessary abuse. Since they are already off the boats, I’d just swish them in a bucket of hot, soapy water.

More importantly, be sure to get them solidly remounted with plenty of silicone to prevent leaks.
 
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Hi Roger, You should give this a try. Pretreat with something like Oxyclean and give it a firm scrub with a soft bristle brush. Let it soak in for at least five minutes then put in a pillow case and tie it off. I put a couple of towels in the washing machine with it for agitation and cold wash. Remove and if you like the results just air dry, or repeat if necessary.
 
Beldar: The straps were gray originally. Now after exposure to lake silt and stewing in a mixture of rainwater and leaves they are gray-brown. I’ll be sure to seal the mountings when I reinstall the staps.

Country: I don’t have any Oxyclean nor any pillowcases or towels that I would want to expose to these hiking straps. Otherwise I do like the idea of pretreatment with the scrub brush and cold wash in the washing machine.

Thanks
 
OK, so full treatment will be:
Gentle pre-wash scrubbing with dish detergent and soft brush.
Machine washing with liquid laundry detergent with cool water and no bleach.
Air drying.

Thanks
 
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