How to Clean Your Lifting Gear Velcro®

By Malia Warren

You've lifted all the heavy, and now you're wondering how to keep your

Velcro®, (aka Hook and Loop for the rest of this article) clean and working for as long as possible.

In order for your belt to function properly your hook and loop attachment needs to stay functional and free of debris. It is a natural summoner of lint and other debris and when it gets too full or too overstressed with use, it tends to become less "sticky" or "grippy". We're going to give you some tips on how to care for your belt so you can PR even longer!

This also goes for your wrist wraps or knee wraps too, if they have the hook and loop attachment. We're mostly going to reference belts in this post but these methods will also work for any hook and loop attachment on any lifting gear you have. 

Keep it Grippy

Caring for the hook and loop piece of your belt will help maintain their strength and gripping power and extend the life of the product.

If your strap isn't sticky anymore, it can mean all kinds of problems, including *gasp* a belt popping off during a lift. Here are 3 tips for preserving your hook and loop attachment, and hint, one of them is NOT sending it through the washing machine:

1) CLOSED for Washing

We all know NOT to put our weightlifting belts in the wash right?

Right?

Ok good. Phew. But I think this is mostly a reminder that your belt won't do well if you wash it in the washer/dryer.

If your belt is stinking up your gym bag, give it a mist of our Badass Stink Spray, or give it some time in the fresh air.

Tip: Store it on the outside of your gym bag in a closed position so it is exposed to fresh air. This will also keep your snack crumbs from your bag getting caught inside the velcro.

I'm not the only one with snacks in my bag... right?

2) Use that No-Slip-Grip™ Buckle

Our Belts are all affixed with a No-Slip-Grip™ tensioning buckle. We recommend using this buckle whenever possible, even if your belt fits perfectly. 

Using this buckle will not only give you a super secure fit but it will prevent any *poppin off* accidents due to worn velcro.

Rather than relying on the sticky hook and loop all the time, the buckle will help give it some reprieve from overuse - which will also help your belt last longer. Here's a quick how-to on how to use the No-Slip-Grip™ tensioning buckle:

Step 1: Thread the strap through the steel buckle behind the black cylinder. This black cylinder is responsible for gripping your belt tightly once the buckle is fully engaged. The grooves in this cylinder grip to the strap and prevent it from shifting unless disengaged.

Step 2: From here, thread the strap through the space between the black cylinder and the steel cylinder on the belt buckle. The black cylinder should be in the middle of both sides of the straps.

Step 3: Holding the belt AND the strap at the same time you can pull the strap into place. When the strap is threaded, as shown above, it will hold in place. You can complete non-lifting activities without fully taking the belt off, when this buckle is engaged.

3) Engage

Keep your velcro engaged at all times, especially when not in use. If you keep the velcro attached and hooked together when it's inside your gym bag, or sitting inside the gym or wherever, you can prevent debris from sticking on there.

We recommend storing your belt closed, on the outside of your bag to avoid debris inside your bag.

The hook (hard, rough side) portion should be covered at all times, so it does not grab onto anything it should not – like a blanket or hair. If you need to clean your belt to prolong the velcro, look no further. We now offer Clean Your Sh*t Kits for all your lifting gear.

They come with an array of products designed to keep your stuff clean, including our Badass Stink Spray to spray on your gear after a WOD or our comb and scissors to clean out your velcro. Check out everything it comes with here.

Bonus: If you have an extra bag just for your belt because you want to be just a little bit more extra, try that out because the more we can keep extra debris from attaching to the velcro, it'll keep it extra clean. If you DO have a separate bag or compartment to keep your belt separate from the rest of your gym bag items, it can help.

4) Brush it

Cleaning debris out of the coarse side is similar to cleaning hairbrushes - you can pick and pull out unwanted debris, but the easiest method will be grabbing another stiff brush and brushing through the material.

You can brush some new life into the soft (Looped) side of the velcro by teasing it a little with the brush. Oftentimes, the reason the velcro will not attach is because the soft side has gotten matted or worn, so brushing it a little can help bring it back from the pit of dispair.

Other methods our customers have used are duct tape or a lint roller to pull out debris, fine tooth combs to brush out the debris, washing it with soap and water (just the hook and loop portion), and vacuuming it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

If you've tried everything and nothing will work for your belt, it might be time to put the belt out to pasture and grab a new one. The typical lifespan for a lifting belt is usually somewhere around 1-2 years, with many lasting much longer than that.

Simply put, the hook and loop tends to wear out faster than the structure of the belt itself. Keeping it clean will help the hook and loop last longer. Same goes for your wrist wraps or knee wraps :) 

If you have any questions or you would like to be a guest blogger, please email us at blog@liftingthedream.com

Have you tried any of these methods for cleaning your belt? Did they work for you?

Malia is the force behind Lifting the Dream and a proud mompreneur. When she's not lifting heavy weights, she's probably at the beach or Disney with her family. She is a Cali girl born and raised, with salt water in her veins and sunshine in her heart. She and her family now reside in Florida soaking up the sun, heat, and all the amazing outdoor activities this state has to offer.