How to Care for Your Climbing Harness: Inspection, Cleaning and Storage

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

A climbing harness is at the centre of an arborist's working system. During normal use it can be exposed to dirt, sawdust, moisture, sap and repeated abrasion, so looking after it should be a routine part of equipment care rather than something only considered when obvious damage appears.

Regular inspection can help identify changes in condition, while appropriate cleaning and storage can reduce unnecessary deterioration. Just as importantly, arborists need to recognise when a harness should be removed from service rather than attempting to extend its working life.

This guide covers the everyday principles of arborist climbing harness care. Individual harnesses can have different requirements, so the manufacturer's instructions and applicable inspection procedures should always take priority.

Quick Summary

• Check a climbing harness regularly and before use.
• Pay particular attention to webbing, stitching, attachment points and hardware.
• Clean the harness only in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Allow wet equipment to dry naturally before storage.
• Keep the harness away from unsuitable chemicals, excessive heat and other damaging conditions.
• Remove equipment from service if damage or its history creates doubt about its continued suitability.

Why Climbing Harness Care Matters

A professional climbing harness experiences considerable use. Webbing bends and moves, attachment points interact with other equipment and the harness may spend working days in conditions ranging from summer heat to wet woodland.

Dirt can also make inspection more difficult. Keeping equipment reasonably clean helps make wear, damaged stitching and other changes easier to identify.

Good care cannot make a harness last indefinitely, but it can help prevent avoidable deterioration and make proper inspection easier throughout its service life.

Inspect Your Harness Before Use

A visual and functional check before climbing provides an opportunity to spot obvious changes since the harness was last used.

Work methodically around the harness rather than checking only the areas that are easiest to see. Depending on its construction, areas to examine may include:

• Webbing and load-bearing textile components.
• Stitching and sewn terminations.
• Attachment points and bridges.
• Buckles and adjustment mechanisms.
• Metal components and rings.
• Leg loops and waist belt.
• Any replaceable components fitted to the harness.

Compare what you see with the inspection criteria provided by the harness manufacturer. If something has changed and you're unsure whether it remains acceptable, don't simply assume that it is safe to continue using it.

Check Webbing and Textile Components

Textile components can show signs of wear in several ways. Look carefully for cuts, abrasion, fraying, unusual discolouration, damaged fibres or areas that appear significantly different from the surrounding material.

Pay particular attention to areas that regularly contact other equipment or experience repeated movement.

Damage isn't always dramatic. Gradual abrasion can be easy to overlook when equipment is used every day, which is why becoming familiar with how your harness normally looks and feels is useful.

Pay Attention to Stitching

Stitching is an important part of harness construction and should form part of every inspection.

Look for broken, pulled, loose or excessively worn stitching, particularly around structural areas and attachment points. Do not attempt improvised repairs to safety-critical stitching.

If stitching appears damaged, follow the manufacturer's guidance and remove the harness from use where its continued suitability cannot be established.

Inspect Buckles and Hardware

Climbing harnesses can incorporate buckles, rings and adjustment hardware alongside their textile components. These parts should be checked for damage, deformation, corrosion, excessive wear and correct operation where applicable.

Buckles should operate as intended and adjustment systems should hold correctly. Dirt or debris around moving components should not be ignored if it affects their operation.

Any unusual change in a structural component deserves investigation before the harness is used again.

Check the Bridge and Attachment Points

On harnesses fitted with a bridge, this is an area that deserves particular attention because it interacts directly with other components within the climbing system.

Inspect the bridge and its associated attachment points according to the harness manufacturer's instructions, looking for wear, abrasion, damage or other changes in condition.

Some harness designs allow particular components to be replaced. Only use replacements and procedures approved for the specific harness and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.

How to Clean a Climbing Harness

Cleaning requirements vary between manufacturers and materials, so always check the instructions supplied with your harness before washing it.

Where cleaning is permitted, the aim should be to remove dirt without exposing the harness to treatments that could damage its materials.

As general good practice:

• Remove loose dirt and debris carefully.
• Follow the manufacturer's specified washing method and temperature.
• Use only cleaning products permitted by the manufacturer.
• Avoid bleach, solvents or other chemicals unless specifically approved.
• Rinse as directed so cleaning residue does not remain within textile components.

Never assume that a household cleaning product is suitable simply because it works well on ordinary clothing.

Dry Your Harness Naturally

A wet harness should be allowed to dry in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions before being stored or returned to service.

Avoid trying to accelerate drying with excessive heat. Radiators, fires and other strong heat sources may expose textile components to temperatures for which they were not designed.

Choose a suitable ventilated location and allow the harness to dry naturally, keeping it away from conditions the manufacturer advises against.

Store Your Harness Correctly

How a harness is treated between jobs matters too. Throwing damp climbing equipment into the back of a vehicle and leaving it there for days is very different from storing clean, dry equipment appropriately.

Follow the manufacturer's storage requirements and protect the harness from avoidable contamination or damage.

Good storage practices generally include keeping equipment:

• Clean and dry.
• Away from excessive heat.
• Away from unsuitable chemicals and contaminants.
• Protected from unnecessary physical damage.
• Organised so it can be inspected easily before its next use.

An equipment bag can also help keep climbing equipment organised and protected during transport, provided wet or contaminated equipment is dealt with appropriately rather than simply being sealed away.

Be Careful Around Chemicals and Contamination

One of the challenges with textile climbing equipment is that potentially damaging contamination isn't always obvious.

If a harness has come into contact with a chemical or other substance and you're uncertain about its effect on the materials, don't guess. Isolate the equipment and consult the manufacturer's information or seek appropriate professional guidance.

The same principle applies when the history of a harness is unknown. Knowing how safety equipment has been used, stored and cared for forms an important part of assessing its condition.

When Should a Climbing Harness Be Retired?

There isn't one universal service life that can be applied to every climbing harness. Manufacturers provide product-specific information covering lifespan, inspection and circumstances that require equipment to be retired.

Reasons for removing a harness from service may include:

• Damage that exceeds the manufacturer's inspection criteria.
• Significant cuts, abrasion or damaged structural stitching.
• Damaged or malfunctioning structural hardware.
• Potentially harmful contamination.
• An incident that requires retirement under the manufacturer's instructions.
• Reaching the manufacturer's stated retirement criteria or maximum lifespan.
• An unknown history that prevents its continued suitability from being established.

Cleaning can remove dirt, but it cannot restore damaged structural components. If a harness fails its inspection criteria, continuing to use it because it still looks generally serviceable is not an appropriate substitute for following the manufacturer's retirement guidance.

Keep Inspection and Cleaning Separate

Cleaning and inspection support each other, but they are not the same thing.

A clean harness can be easier to inspect, but washing equipment does not establish that it remains suitable for use. Likewise, an apparently clean harness can still contain worn or damaged components.

Treat inspection as its own process and follow any formal inspection requirements that apply to your equipment and work.

Common Harness Care Mistakes

• Only inspecting a harness when obvious damage appears.
• Ignoring areas hidden beneath padding or around attachment points where the design allows inspection.
• Using unsuitable cleaning chemicals.
• Drying wet equipment with excessive heat.
• Storing a harness while it is still damp.
• Leaving climbing equipment loose amongst tools or other items that could damage it.
• Attempting unapproved repairs to structural components.
• Continuing to use equipment when its condition is uncertain.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I inspect my climbing harness?

Checks should form part of the routine before use, alongside any more detailed inspection requirements that apply to the equipment. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and the inspection procedures relevant to your work.

Can I put my climbing harness in a washing machine?

Do not assume that machine washing is suitable. Cleaning requirements differ between harnesses, so follow the instructions supplied by the manufacturer for your specific model.

Can I dry a wet harness on a radiator?

Avoid exposing a climbing harness to excessive heat. Follow the manufacturer's drying instructions and allow it to dry under suitable conditions.

Can damaged harness webbing be repaired?

Do not carry out improvised repairs to structural components. Some manufacturers permit replacement of specific parts, but only approved components and procedures should be used. Follow the instructions for the individual harness.

Should I buy a second-hand climbing harness?

The history of safety equipment matters. If the previous use, storage, incidents and inspection history cannot be established, it may be impossible to assess its continued suitability confidently. Genuine new surplus or clearance equipment is different from used equipment because it can provide the opportunity to save money without inheriting an unknown service history.

Key Takeaways

• Make harness inspection part of your regular climbing routine.
• Check textiles, stitching, attachment points, bridges, buckles and hardware carefully.
• Follow product-specific instructions when cleaning your harness.
• Dry equipment naturally under suitable conditions and store it clean and dry.
• Never improvise structural repairs.
• When the condition or history of life-support equipment is uncertain, remove it from service until its suitability can be established.

Explore Climbing Equipment

ARB Surplus stocks a changing selection of professional climbing equipment from established arborist brands. Because much of our range consists of genuine surplus, clearance and end-of-line stock, individual products and quantities can change regularly.

You can also explore the ARB Surplus Knowledge Hub for practical guides covering climbing rope care, carabiners and connectors, PPE and choosing equipment for professional tree work.

About This Guide

This guide has been prepared by the ARB Surplus team using industry knowledge gained through the Fletcher Stewart group. It provides general climbing harness care information and does not replace manufacturer instructions, professional training, formal equipment inspection or applicable workplace requirements.

About ARB Surplus

ARB Surplus specialises in genuine surplus, clearance and end-of-line arborist equipment from trusted brands. As part of the Fletcher Stewart group, ARB Surplus combines extensive industry experience with the opportunity to access professional equipment at excellent value.