nativetexan

I know i've read this somewhere-how do you clean velcro to get it to stick well again? My husband has to wear wraps around his legs that have velcro closures. They are getting difficult to make stay closed now. any ideas? These things cost $600.00 and i doubt Medicare will pay for another set. these only have the nubby (sticky) side of the velcro, not the soft side. they stick to the wraps (what ever they are made of).

tessagin

I have an old mascara brush I use. Also, if you have a pair of clippers usually a small stiff brush is used to clean them. Those are good for cleaning Velcro.

Tartan

Are the hooks full of threads and fuzzies? I use a hair brush cleaner that I got at the $ store. It has little wires ....I'll take a picture.

tessagin

I'm going to look for one of these. Covers more area. Thanks!

nativetexan

yes, thanks. the velcro looks full if fuzzies. the wrap that goes around the leg is like a foam of some sort. The velcro is supposed to stick to that when you pull it tight with all your might. I will look for something like the brush shown.

yngldy

I just looked at the sandal's I'm wearing and they have a velcro strap with gunk in the spikey part. I took a pair of tweezers, left them open, and ran the tips in the direction of the rows. It loosened the gunk enough to pull it out. You could also use strong tape, once loosened, to pull the gunk out. That would work in a pinch until you can find Tartan's brush. The brush looks like a good thing to have for numerous tasks, Tartan. Will have to look for one.

If you can't find one, maybe a curry comb would work(feed store, pet supply store). It has wire like that but lots more on a "brush". It is used for combing clumps of fur out of a pet's coat.

bearisgray

I just take a long straight pin and slide it next to the backing of the velcro and then lift up. It's a bit tedious, but it does work.

Cheshirecatquilter

yngldy mentioned a curry comb, and that reminded me of something I use to clean my horses' feet before trimming them -- brass bristle brushes. I've got two, one fine and one coarse, the bristles about half an inch wide by three inches long. The bristles are relatively fine and closely spaced. They are similar to the type of brush you can get to clean your grill, though those brushes are fairly wide and flat. The bristles have a little give to them, so they shouldn't destroy the velcro. I'll try to remember tomorrow to try them on my sneaker velcro to see if they work as well as I think they will. You can get them in places like Tractor Supply or Home Depot, and probably in some Walmarts or any hardware store. I think they are used for cleaning pipes for welding or soldering.

Jan in VA

I swear, you learn something amazing on this board every day!!
It never had occurred to me to 'clean' velcro. Way cool ideas, ladies!

Jan in VA

Scrappy Gram

Do a Google search for "velcro cleaner" and you will find several brushes sold just for this purpose.

Debbie