Between regular interior detailing services, we understand that you will need to clean a small stain or disinfect surfaces to protect against COVID and other pathogens. One commonly forgotten area to clean thoroughly is the seatbelt. While commonly forgotten, your seatbelt has regular contact with your hands, body, and whatever you might spill while in your car, so it’s important to keep it clean and disinfected.
The first step to properly clean your seatbelt is to make sure you are cleaning the entire belt. To do this, firmly pull the belt toward you just like you would if you were fastening it but continue to pull until the belt is stiff and stops moving. Remember to hold onto the belt tightly, so that it does not quickly retract!
Once you have the entire belt out, make sure you hold it tightly while you follow the belt up to the reel, which is where the excess length of belt is stored. Use a clamp as close to the reel as you can; this will let you clean the entire belt without having to worry about it retracting into the reel. Once the belt is secure, you’re ready to start cleaning!
What you do next will depend on the kind of cleaning you want to do:
General Cleaning & Odors
Spray the entirety of the belt with an all-purpose cleaning spray or reliable fabric cleaner that is designed for delicate fabrics. You want to make sure the product you use does not damage your seatbelt, the inside of your car, or the interior detailing work you’ve had done. Avoid products with bleach and vinegar as harsh chemicals are not necessary for killing COVID or bacteria but will damage your interior.
Once you have an even coating of cleaning solution on your belt, use a scrubbing brush with stiff bristles to clean the belt from the top, close to the reel, downward. Make sure you Scrub gently while moving down the belt, not in circles which would damage the fabric.
Once finished, use a microfiber towel to wipe down the belt. MDP recommends only using microfiber cloths for interior detailing and cleaning in your vehicle. Wrap the towel around the belt and firmly move downward to remove as much moisture as possible. Do not unclip the belt until it is completely dry!
Hard Stains
Use a detergent and water mixture that does not contain vinegar or bleach but will be strong enough to remove a stubborn stain. This time dip your stiff-bristle brush into your cleaning solution in order to use only a small amount where you need it. Scrub the stain downward while refraining from moving back up the belt or in circles while you use enough solution to evenly cover the stain.
Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the stain, wrap a microfiber cloth around the cleaned area and firmly move it downward to remove as much moisture as possible. Finally, let the belt dry completely before putting it back in the reel.
Following these steps will ensure you properly clean your seatbelt, keeping it clear of COVID and odors alike between your interior detailing services. As we all adjust to the new normal, we need to work together to keep our high-traffic areas clean and safe.
Are there any other interior detailing tips you’d like to see for keeping your car clean and safe? Comment below!
Hi Megan, Great blog post about cleaning seat belts of car. Glad to found your post here.
Let me know how we can clean leather seats and maintain it shiny of a car. We have a lot of high profile customers who owned luxury cars that always asking for cleaning their leather seats and upholstery shiny here in Dubai. Because weather conditions extremely high here and leather upholstery getting hard during summers here.