Has anyone dyed seatbelts?

[buening 63]

I have a set of deluxe belts that I plan on putting in my car to replace the aftermarket ones the PO put in there. The buckles on the belts look pretty good but the webbing is pretty dirty and faded. Curious if anyone on here has cleaned and dyed their belts before? Any tips? From what I've found acid dyes are typically better and Jacquard is a respected brand. Its pretty cheap on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Products-Acid-Dyes-Oz/dp/B0009IG11A/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ac_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EXJ3C1P2TK3XHD2FWKM

 

I was thinking of using that, but was curious what you did to clean the belts good and how you handled the white tags on the belts? Also did you just dip as much of the belt in the dye as possible since they are still attached to the retractor and buckle?

[indianfiremach 170]

I have a set of deluxe belts that I plan on putting in my car to replace the aftermarket ones the PO put in there. The buckles on the belts look pretty good but the webbing is pretty dirty and faded. Curious if anyone on here has cleaned and dyed their belts before? Any tips? From what I've found acid dyes are typically better and Jacquard is a respected brand. Its pretty cheap on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Products-Acid-Dyes-Oz/dp/B0009IG11A/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ac_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EXJ3C1P2TK3XHD2FWKM

 

I was thinking of using that, but was curious what you did to clean the belts good and how you handled the white tags on the belts? Also did you just dip as much of the belt in the dye as possible since they are still attached to the retractor and buckle?

 

I've been doing this process for years with excellent results:

 

1. Disassemble buckle and repaint plastic buckle parts

2. Polish chrome (and try not to get polish on the webbing)

3. Clean belts thoroughly by letting them soak in a bucket or your sink. Use detergent, dish soap, etc.

4. Rinse belts thoroughly in a sink

5. Dye with RIT fabric dye (available at walmart) in a lightly boiling pot for 10-15 mins

6. Take belts out and rinse them thoroughly. Then do it again. I leave mine to sit submerged for a while and change out the water when it starts to become black.

7. Hang to dry and re-assemble

 

The resulting color is deep and the belts are left nice and smooth, fabric is still very strong. You can dye belts that are faded, other colors, etc, but don't waste your time with torn or rusted belts. The RIT dye does not adhere to chrome, metal, or plastic. As far as the tags go, if they are good, remove them with a stitch ripper (also from walmart), place them in a light bleach solution for a short period of time, and remove. You won't lose the black lettering and you'll get out some of the yellowing/dirt. Re-sew them back on when you're done.

Edited March 14, 2014 by indianfiremach

[MustangGT 11]

Ditto the above -- did it on a set and they look great.

[miketyler 15]

Did mine as well. Some of mine were stiff and faded in spots. Cleaning and dying made all the difference

[buening 63]

Thanks for the info guys! I ordered the Jacquard kind I linked to above, apparently it bonds to nylon much better than the RIT kind.....so I'm hoping less of it will rub off or fade over time. I've read the RIT also makes the belts pretty stiff, but thats just from my forum/google searches.

[indianfiremach 170]

Thanks for the info guys! I ordered the Jacquard kind I linked to above, apparently it bonds to nylon much better than the RIT kind.....so I'm hoping less of it will rub off or fade over time. I've read the RIT also makes the belts pretty stiff, but thats just from my forum/google searches.

 

 

You can't believe everything you read on web forums - the belts do not come out stiff at all. Though ironically I'm typing this on a web forum, so take that with a grain of salt. But I've used the RIT dye for years and never had any fading, stiffness, or color rub off. You do need to rinse them thoroughly, but you just can't be in a hurry. After all, RIT dye is used for clothes - how would they sell it if it made clothes stiff and the color ran?

[buening 63]

Good to know! Thanks for the info.

[69RavenConv 286]

You can't believe everything you read on web forums - the belts do not come out stiff at all.

 

+1 ... It's my opinion the stiffness comes from dirt, not dye. I soaked mine in Woolite overnight and the water was filthy the next day and the belts came out very soft. Of course, I'm posting this on the internet, too..