washing your chest strap

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meerkat70
meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How often, and how, do you wash your HRM chest strap?
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  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
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    I just clean mine under the tap, as not sure if any type of washing powder would affect it? You should wash it often, as the salt in the sweat can affect it, so ive heard.
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Yes & make sure the battery area is not damp - if you're a hot sweaty mess like me and although the chest strap is supposedly waterproof, still managed to get some condensation in there and it killed the strap. :mad: :angry: :grumble:
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
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    Every time I use it. Every week I wash it in the machine. I had got out of the habit when I was just doing a bit of weight training- thinking, oh, I haven't sweated much, I'll leave it a day or two. Result: it began to give me bizarre readings of 203 bpm when I was sitting down or dropping to zero when I was running, so I now religiously wash wash wash it!
  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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    I rinse it under the tap every day once I get back from the gym to make sure there is no salt buildup from the sweat. There are specific instructions on the Polar chest strap of not putting it in the washing machine or using chemicals to clean the strap.
  • TheChangingMan
    TheChangingMan Posts: 73 Member
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    I rinse mine after each use and put it in the washing machine once a week.

    Seems fine.
  • s0ready
    s0ready Posts: 99
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    recommended to rinse after each use and wash after every 5 uses or after each swim to keep accuracy

    wash in washing machine, do not use bleach or fabic softner and do not spin dry
  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
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    I have a few polar HRM and use one or the other about every day so I pop it in with my workout clothes almost 2 times a week I was told that when it was acting up and giving me weird readings ie 220 bpm that I should wash it more so I am I have not had any weird readings since
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    Polar recommends washing their fabric straps after every five uses in the washing machine, but in a detergent that contains no bleach and without any fabric softener. That doesn't fit in with my normal clothes washing cycles.

    I've found that if I simply rinse it and don't wash it, it works only intermittently and gives strange readings, but if I wash it by hand in dishwashing liquid and rinse it carefully afterwards every week it keeps on working just fine.

    I've had it for over a year now, so this seems to be an effective long term solution.

    When I used to have my old Polar HRM with the enclosed rubber strap (ie not the one with the wearlink transmitter that pops on with press studs) I'd just wipe it over with a damp cloth after using it.
  • leadoff
    leadoff Posts: 136 Member
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    I like mine to stay crusty with salt stains. I have also found the stench to motivate me to run faster...outrun the smell. :)
  • Newf77
    Newf77 Posts: 802 Member
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    Pola FT7; I rinse it off after every use and lay it out to dry. I will either wash it with delicates or in the sink after I swim or a couple of times a month {Summer is more often}.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    I rinse it under the tap every day once I get back from the gym to make sure there is no salt buildup from the sweat. There are specific instructions on the Polar chest strap of not putting it in the washing machine or using chemicals to clean the strap.
    actually, my polar came with instructions to toss it in the washing machine every 5 uses or so.
    i rinse it in the sink after every use, and toss it in the washer it once a week
  • sjtreely
    sjtreely Posts: 1,014 Member
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    I wash the elastic strip as often as I remember ... probably once a week. I don't think I've ever done anything to the plastic monitor itself other than wipe it off every so often.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I rinse it under the tap every day once I get back from the gym to make sure there is no salt buildup from the sweat. There are specific instructions on the Polar chest strap of not putting it in the washing machine or using chemicals to clean the strap.
    actually, my polar came with instructions to toss it in the washing machine every 5 uses or so.
    i rinse it in the sink after every use, and toss it in the washer it once a week

    Exactly correct.. Those symbols on the strap are telling you that washing it in a machine is fine but not to throw it in the dryer or use fabric softener.
  • Happyguy
    Happyguy Posts: 90 Member
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    Garmin recommends you wash the strap under the tap with a small amount of dish detergent once per week so that is what I do.
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
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    Wow... now that I think about it, I guess it's gross but I only wash it when it's stinky. I just fill my bathroom sink water and add a bit of shampoo, then soak, rinse and air dry. I've never had erroneous readings and I always shower after exercising, so I'm not too worried about it, but after this thread will probably start washing it more often ;-)
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
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    Wow... now that I think about it, I guess it's gross but I only wash it when it's stinky. I just fill my bathroom sink water and add a bit of shampoo, then soak, rinse and air dry. I've never had erroneous readings and I always shower after exercising, so I'm not too worried about it, but after this thread will probably start washing it more often ;-)

    Yep, I'm there too. Time to cut down on the stink.
  • alikat42
    alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
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    Any idea if Tide with Febreze is okay to use?
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
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    I have a polar and it recommends rinsing and hang dry after every use, then washing in the machine after 5 uses. So that's what I do.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Thanks everyone.
  • GroovyGma73
    GroovyGma73 Posts: 64
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    I like mine to stay crusty with salt stains. I have also found the stench to motivate me to run faster...outrun the smell. :)
    LOL :laugh:

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