3 simple cleaning hacks to preserve your nylon strap in mint condition

Nato strap is one of the most popular straps of all time for the watch enthusiasts as it is relatively cheap and durable. And most importantly, it has a great variety of styles that allows you to mix-and-match. You can get one to go with different watches and outfits! It had a resurgence in recent years, partly thanks to Daniel Wellington, and partly because it is comfortable to wear. Yet, nato strap could easily get stained since it is made of nylon webbing. Fortunately, fabric straps could be cleaned with simple methods and substances. In this article, we'll show you 3 different ways to wash your nato strap and the things that you should be aware of.

Points to Note

Although washing nato strap is not difficult, there are some points you should be aware of before doing so. Nylon strap could be easily damaged under several conditions:

1. High temperature (194°F//90°C). The nylon weave melts under intense heat.

2. Contact with ozone, most acids, and some types of alcohol.

Therefore, we should NOT:

1. Soak the nato strap into hot water 

2. Use hair dryer or clothes dryer to dry your strap

3. Use bleach

4. Use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)

5. Scrub the strap violently

How to Clean a Nato Strap?

Before proceeding to the next step, you want to remove the nato strap from the watch first. All you need to do is to pull the strap out from the buckle, and then work the strap bit by bit through the gap between the springbar and case.

Hand Washing

1. Use lukewarm water and pour a few drops of either hand soap or Castile soap. (any mild soap would be fine)

2. Wet the strap and lather the soap into it using your thumbs.

3. As you may encounter some stubborn stains, you may want to scrub the strap mildly with a toothbrush so as to wash it clean.

4. Rinse the strap thoroughly with water to see if it is unstained. If not, repeat step 3 and 4.

5. Remove the excess water by pressing the strap. 

6. Air dry the strap on a flat surface. If needed, you may also use a towel to absorb the excess water in a bid to speed up the process.

Washing Machine

1. To prevent the buckle from damaging the washing machine or other clothes, insert the strap into a mesh laundry bag. If you don't have one, you can also insert it into a sock or the pocket of a pair of jeans.

2. Toss it into the washing machine. Make sure to use cold water and select a gentle cleaning cycle. DO NOT select tumble dry or drying cycle as the nylon weave would be damaged. 

3. Air dry on a flat surface

Soak Overnight with Stain Removal Powder

1. Soak the strap in ice water with OxiClean mixed

2. Soak it for at least 6 hours

3. Scrub the strap with your hand

4. Air dry on a flat surface

How often should I clean the nato strap?

It depends. If you are wearing the nato strap every day, we recommend cleaning your strap once a week. Yet, if you are rotating between a few straps constantly and it does not seem too dirty, you may clean it every 1 to 2 weeks. And if you are back from the sea or a dusty environment, we suggest washing your strap right away.

That’s it!

I believe most of you will find washing nato strap a piece of cake. Your strap should look as if it was brand new now! Enjoy your watch with a cleaned nato strap!