I’m about to go for a 2 hour run this morning and I was putting on my HRM strap. I picked it up and as soon as it hit waist level, I noticed a smell. I put the thing underneath my nose and took a big whiff and I nearly passed out. Man, this thing is just nasty. I can’t remember the last time I washed it, but it’s going into the dishwasher today after the run.
I’m just curious to see how ofter other people wash their HRM straps if they wash them at all.
i rinse mine with soap after every use.
You’re supposed to wash those things??? Come to think of it, the crusted salt has been chaffing a bit these days.
Seriously, I have washed mine a few times, no set schedule, usually when the salt line gets too noticable. I should probably wash mine soon though. thanks for the reminder.
~Tucker
I wear mine into the shower with me, and give it a good rinse in there, and hang dry. About once every three weeks it goes in the washing machine
never have, this one is a about a year and a half old. Just checked and it does not smell. It does go in the lake a couple of times a month though. dishwasher sounds like a good idea.
it goes in the washing-machine once every training day
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Whenever my wife can smell it from outside the laundry room (which is where it hangs to dry in between usages), then it gets thrown in the washer.
Swimming and/or occasionally showering with it seem to extend the time interval for it getting truly stinky, so I’d say on avg it gets washed like 3-5x a year.
Same thing w/ run shoes - if you can smell them from a distance, they go in the washer.
If you can’t smell 'em while on yer own feet, don’t bother.
Not enough according to my wife…
Whaaaat??? You mean it has to be washed???
I had no idea you were suppose to wash HRM’s. Do you mean the whole thing or just the back part of the strap?? oh gross I never thought about it before. I mean I just lick it and go.
if you count soaking it in sweat, then 2x daily 
otherwise, never.
DISHWASHER? I don’t think that would be very good for it at all… Put it in the washing machine, cold water, gentle cycle, in a laundry bag if you have such things (if you have a wife/girlfriend, she has one).
That was the biggest difference I noticed with the old hard plastic strap and the new “wearlink” straps. I don’t find the new style any more comfortable (never had an issue with the old) but the new ones need to be wetter to work, and stink fast because they soak up the sweat. With the old ones, one could just rinse them off and they were good.
Wash that mofo!
Rinse it after every use, never gets nasty enough to need soap or the washing machine
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I rinse it after every use. The secret: spray with Lysol and let air dry. No smell.
4 years. Never washed the thing. I just smelled it and it doesn’t stink. So yeah…I win!
Whenever the stench gets bad enough for me to be embarrassed about it, so like 2-3 x’s per year. It usually has a slightly mild stench, but I’m okay with that.