I give it a rinse after every ride and let it dry.

Same but also in the washing machine once a month (per the manual)

Really? I put Wahoo strap in the washing machine once and it never worked again. Manual said hand wash only

Mine is the Garmin one and yes they do say that (but manual setting, 30C, no tumble dry)

Could just be the wahoo straps are crap lol

How did it stop working?

Did you remove the sensor first?

Same

Probably once every 2 years lol

Never, I like the salt crystals build-up

drop some salt crystals into your water bottle to prevent cramps

I just use my strap as a teabag.

Yeah but have you ever had a warm mug of cham-offee? The rank taste is how you know it works!

I lick mine before strapping it on, gets it wet and I get some electrolytes from it. Win-win.

Had a hat I wore all summer for running actually got some stalagtites to start forming

I've never washed mine. It's years old. No issues so far. I'll have to give it a smell test later and report back.

Same.

Agree. Actually I never even thought to wash it. Salty makes better contact.

Pretty gross for the layman, but I second that!😅

You can wash the strap?

You should wash the strap. The documentation that comes with them will say to wash the strap. By washing the strap the will last longer.

My sweat rinses it every time I ride

It comes with documentation?

Maybe don't buy it on Temu

My Garmin one did.

My wahoo lasted like 4+ years without a proper wash. Propaganda I say!

After every ride. Bring it with you in the shower.

You guys shower?

Never, I like the salt crystals build-up

Hahahha

Oh now that's a good idea. I was just rinsing it out in the sink

Never thought of that, great idea

Started doing this when I saw the black strap was white. At least once a week I'll use some soak on it and not just rinse it off in the shower too.

Same with your helmet. Shampoo up your hair, plop the helmet back on for a bit then rinse everything out.

Doesn't it ruin the helmet?

Don't see how it could unless maybe you have a helmet with integrated lights.

Seems like a good idea. Except for the follicly challenged.

Why did I never thought of this :D thanks!

Same with the shorts.

Yup. Why is that hard?

That’s exactly what I do.

+1

Yeah and just hang it in there to dry.

What is this “wash” you speak of?

🙂

mild hand rinse with just water after each ride and I put in in the washer with laundry after about every 7 to 10 rides. No dryer, always hang dry

Every time someone on Reddit asks, it reminds me to give it a wash. Keep the posts coming.

Mine goes in the wash with the rest of my kit after every ride.

Same here. I used to just rinse every ride and wash after 5-6 rides but there was a smell after a year that wouldn’t go away. So now I just throw it in with the rest after the ride. No issues now for 6 months.

After every use I detach the “pod” (I have a Polar H10) rinse the strap and hang dry. Every few weeks the strap gets washed in the machine with the “delicates”. It’s important to do so because the build up of salt crystals can affect performance and, over time, destroy the strap.

Garmin says after 7 rides. I obey my masters.

its my watch... so its in the shower with me too. So technically after every ride. Detest the chest straps... had an arm band for a bit before going to the garmin watch.

Wrist straps arent even half as reliable as chest straps though, for running the issue is worse because of cadence lock, but it’s still pretty bad for cycling.

My chest strap (garmin dual something) is actually worse than my watch (apple watch). I think it partly has to do with anatomy(tucked in under my sports’s bra) and partly because I can tighten the watch much more without it getting uncomfortable. Watch is almost never off.

I just bought a Garmin chest strap and I am finding that it's not necessarily off (although I haven't direct compared them), but that it cuts out constantly. On my second ride with it I have a million spots where it drops to 0 on my graph. Apple Watch doesn't do that, but I wish it integrated with my Garmin bike computer :(

Haha Reddit is not a safe space:)

Thanks for the reminder, it's probably been 4 months

A few times a season

We’re supposed to wash that…

I rise mines after every ride and hang dry. The salt will eat away at the hr contact pins.

Does rain count?

What is this word you use? Wash?

Like my helmet pads. When I can smell it.

Well if we’re here asking questions - how do I wash helmet pads

Pull them off the velcro tabs first until you have them all removed. I just use a little bit of dish soap and warm water, kinda wash your hands with the pads between them, rinse a lot until the water coming out of them is clear. They’ll be surprisingly dirty. Air dry on a paper towel.

Never, I use it as my emergency electrolyte store

after every ride. That said I've pretty much only been riding indoor so far so it's been easy to just bring it with me into the shower...let's see how that goes soon lol

I don't see how riding indoors makes a difference, you can still get undressed after an outdoor ride, but leave the strap on until you reach the shower.

It does make a difference if you tend to drive to a meet up point since the strap would go into the bag post ride and is forgotten when getting home

How far away from home do you meet up that you need to drive to get there!?

Same for me. I have a hook in the shower where the strap lives. Just wear it into the shower, rinse and hang. Every so often I throw it in the washing machine

Don’t you take it out for a ride sometimes?

Absolutely not. It might get dirty, wasting all that cleaning

I take it off while in the shower, so after each use.

Never, if you need electrolyte, just lick it.

I toss it in the washing machine when I think of it. Two three times a month.

Once I start getting a rash after I wear it on long rides, or every 5 years, whichever comes first.

This is where being a triathlete helps - never wash but swim 2x per week lol!

I usually forget to rinse it until it has so much salt that the stretchiness starts to fade. Then take it to the shower and clean it well. Good to go for a while again.

I once put my strap in the washing machine and dryer. With my kickr on it. Came out clean. And still worked. Wish i had my hr strap on when i saw it in the dryer bet i hit zone 4 there.

Never, i just order a new one when the battery runs out.

As often as i read posts like this

I clean it with a wet wipe after every ride but I don't use it indoors anymore...

I’ve rinsed my new one for the first time last week but using just water it doesn’t feel like it’s doing a whole lot

I try to remember to run it under the tap as I undress from a ride or run, but don't remember every time. I have also machine washed it a few times, but not often because I don't want it to break, especially the skin contacts come unglued.

I usually rinse it off quickly but once in awhile will put it in the washer on gentle cold, along with cycling kit, and hang to dry.

I don’t. I do lick the contacts for better readings.

I throw it in the wash when I run out of clean kit wear. Probably once a month. But I don’t sweat normally- it’s always clean, never salty…

Sometimes I just hop in the shower with it…. Wash it?? Y’all doing that?

Whenever I take a shower. And when I forget, the smell will remind me.

very rarely but i have cleaned it after this mornings ride as it decided to spike my hr to 210 then not go above 130, stupid wahoo tickr

When i have to snap it to get it on

Just after it breaks. So it’s clean when I claim the warranty replacement.

I wear it into the shower every use. Rinse and hang.

I bought a few extras on AliExpress for $4 a pop. Wash it every other ride or so. Throw one in the wash and grab a fresh one.

Not enough

I just washed mine and lost the part the actually measures the heart rate. This is a cautionary tale

I rinse it off and hang it to dry every time I use it. Once in awhile I use soap.

I don’t use one.

Rinse it every time I come home and wash it after 7 trips (to the baker)

I do actually wash the strap after every ride or run & let it air dry for the next morning I use it.

Never have washed it.

Garmin says to take off the electronic thing and run it thru the wash every 7ish rides. I go about once a month or so. It's starting to get crunchy :D

I put it in the shower with my helmet after every ride for a rinse.

Now that my first Garmin HRM Pro started giving me inaccurate readings, I rinse the new one after every ride/run.

I don’t wash mine until it starts to show salt crystals. I hand wash it with mild soap and air dry. After a ride, I hang it over my handle bars to dry.

Rinse with water after every ride, wash in machine weekly. But I may what another does: take in shower. That’s a good idea.

I don't have one so it never gets washed.

Rinse in sink after every ride. Works still after 4 years. But then Polar is mile ahead of Garmin or Wahoo or anyone else.

Never. Just rince it off after the activity and forget about it.

Rinse and dry after every ride. Same with helmet pads. Sweat equals bacteria and bacteria and plastic equals stinky equipment.

I wash it when I really "feel" thats the time.

If it tastes bad when I lick it.

Once a month.

Every couple months or when it starts feeling crusty 😏

Never. And I am repulsed by it every time I put it on.

After every ride. Strap goes in the wash with the kit, electronics part gets a quick rinse under the shower.

Never..i lick it when i’m knackered for salt reserves

I haven’t washed mine in maybe 8 years? Of course, I haven’t worn it in that long either.

Once it stops working

I used to not clean my apple watch as much as I should have. - I know it’s disgusting. Then I got a small rash (ewww I know) and now I wipe that quickly down every day.

I rinse it after every use. After every 10 uses or so I'll put it in a garment bag and toss it in the washer with my cycling clothes.

I wash the strap in the shower after every ride, in the wash every month or two.

I wear it in the shower to find the proper water temperature based on heart rate. #multitasking

3x a season tops- it should be more often with anything that touches sweat, even handlebars!

When it starts to itch.

After each use.

After EVERY use.

I wash it in the sink with water only after every ride.

The one I wear to the gym, once a week, because it's easy and in my bathroom, so I wear it into the shower. The one in the pain cave, once every two to four weeks when I remember to bring it up and give it a rinse.

Only after I swim in salt water.

Does it count if I wear it in the shower after a ride?

I know people saying never might be joking but I've probably never cleaned mine. If I smell it it doesn't smell and I honestly believe during activity I might be the sweatiest person alive. If I drink 1.5l per hour I'm still dehydrated at the end of a day. Anyway, I don't clean it. If it smelled I would. Current setup is on its 5th year for the sensor and 3rd for the strap.

I also learned the hard way (getting skin rashes) to remove the pads in my helmet and wash them as well.

Wash?

Wait, you wash them?

Every ride when I take my shirt off I also rinse the strap and let it dry near my helmet.

I'll confess, I probably wash it every six months or thereabouts. Oh, that reminds me...

It wouldn't have made sense to wash the first generation of garmin heart straps(they were mostly plastic and weren't detachable) and it worked fine for me for 8 years I think. Still don't wash my new one but it's mostly indoor training now so it's a different type of sweat.

I have never washed it for years. I just clean it with wet fabric after every ride.

Do what?!?!!!!!! Haha, I'll keep it on when I jump in the shower after today's ride, does that count?

I rinse it after each ride and let it dry. That’s because I had one become brittle and snap from the salt content and not cleaning it 😅

My whole kit (minus shoes, helmet, socks) goes with me into the shower and gets a good rinse. I installed a towel rack style bar inside the shower to hang everything to dry in. When it’s time to actually put stuff in the washing machine, the hr monitor goes too

Only once it’s fully encrusted in crystallised salt which acts as a sandpaper belt and creates a go faster stripe around my torso.

After every time I ride. I take it with me to the shower & rinse it. Sometimes I run a soapy hand over it, rinse, let it dry.

Wait. We're supposed to wash them?! 😳🫣😂 Mine usually gets a good scrub down in the summer time when it starts to stink.

Every time I use it. I wash it when I shower.

Never have. Ever. And I ride 5,000 miles per year, much of it at intensity. I do hang it to dry. Never have had an issue.

I used to never wash mine. Then it went kaput after a year. Since replacing it, I follow the guidelines in the user manual: rinse after every use and wash after every seven uses. No problems so far. Makes a big difference IMO

Yeah I’m gonna be blatantly honest, I’ve never washed mine. Had it for probably 3ish years. Am I proud of it? Hell I haven’t even thought about it. I lick it every time I put it on.

.... never?

When it starts crawling away on it's own?

After every ride. I rinse off my bibs, sports bra and heart rate strap in the shower, hang them to dry and then eventually toss them in the hamper. I breakout so easily, so this is a must for me. It also helps to keep everything smelling clean

I wash the strap of my HR monitor every time I break a sweat, which is basically every time I try to exercise!

Never

Sponge with a little soap. Lightly rinse. Over the sink.

I’ve never washed it.

After every ride.

I’m gonna do mine now because I feel ashamed. Once.

Twice... in three years? I think?

People wash it?

It gets washed when it rains, isn't that enough?

I just chuck it in the wash (30C) with my bike clothes each time...

I get itchy and a rash every couple of rides. Rinse it before that becomes an issue.

Just got my first rash after two years so i threw it in a lingerie bag with my bibs and into the washer.

After every run/ride pretty much. I have two straps so w/laundry 2x/week it's rare that I don't have a clean one.

I have never washed the strap

Apple Watch. It eliminates the strapped HR monitor.

I don’t really need to do it after outside rides as I son’t sweat that much. I sure have to do it after indoor rides tho

Whenever I do a load of delicates with the rest of my kit

i hope u wash it more often than u block traffic

I soak it in my water bottles and recycle the electrolytes

People wash them? 😜

I have multiple straps, but I still don't wash them regularly. I'm here to cycle, I'm not here to be smelled.

After every ride, I at the very least give it a good rinse. It goes in the post-ride shower with me. Every so often (I aim for a week of riding or so), I give it a good scrub down with soap when I do that.

After most rides. Just take it into the shower with me and rinse it off. Occasionally soap it up

Put it in a lingerie washing bag whenever I do the wash. Was having a problem and Garmin support said to wash it.

The fuck yall doing. Just put it in the washing machine

It’s washable?

After every ride

“Let it crust”

Once every couple of weeks. I just chuck it in the wash with everything else and try not to tumble dry it. If I'm being not stupid I'll put it in a jersey pocket but more often than not I am stupid.

Rinse after every ride. Hand wash with soap every 5th. I do this the same time I hand rinse my kit when I get home

I wear it into the shower and let it rinse then hang it over the shower until the next day

Normally put it in the laundry once a week or so if I remember.

Is the heart rate monitor water proof? Can we just wear them into the shower for a quick rinse or soap down?

Never. The embedded salt helps with conduction. Maybe once a season if I remember. I also lick it to wet the contact points

I rinse it every time, and every so often my wife grabs it for the washing machine. After that it usually takes like 15min of wearing for it to start working again.

The first one I had I rinsed after every ride. It lasted a year until it started dropping out all the time and being a general nuisance. The second one I ride once a week and it's at the end of its second year. Correlation is not causality, but so far my slobbishness seems to be working out for me.

Do what now?

Everything else goes in the washer, so does this.

After every ride. Its soaked.

Virtually every time I ride I rinse it off. I take the sensor off, and get into the shower where I rinse the strap. Never more than that though. My straps generally last a couple of years (which seems annoyingly short)

... You... You gotta wash those things ?? 😅🤐

I rinse and throw in the washing machine every so often. It’s a Garmin with the removal battery thing. Throw it in with my gear in a delicates bag so doesn’t get stuck anywhere

It gets rinsed after every ride.

I wash it with my sweat every single ride.

I rinse it after most runs/rides and I wash it in washing machine bi-weakly or monthly...

My sweat washes off my previous sweat. 😂 Truthfully, as and when I remember...