Identify Wear and Tear with Regular Inspections

By doing a visual inspection of your straps periodically, you can spot worn webbing before it becomes a hazard mid-transit. Look for nicks or cuts on the edges and signs of fraying or abrasion. Never use a ratchet strap with compromised webbing, or a mechanism that isn't performing correctly.

Store Them Away From the Elements

Although a good ratchet strap will be manufactured with UV-resistance, it's good practice to store straps out of sunlight. Not only will that reduce UV exposure, it will also prevent direct heat and weather from reaching the straps.

Store straps in a dry area to reduce the chance of mold and mildew. The goal is to mitigate any factors that will make the material brittle or compromise its strength.

If a strap becomes wet or saturated, allow it to air dry thoroughly before winding it up and wipe away any moisture from the ratchet mechanism as well.

Keep Webbing Folded Up and Secured

When not in use, the clean, dry webbing should be folded or rolled up neatly to avoid twists and kinks. Secure the webbing bundle with a Strap Wrap or similar. This will make it more compact for storing, and easier to take out and use when you need them next. No one wants to reach for a strap and be faced with a tangled mess.

Clean Them Periodically

Depending on what you're hauling, over time your strap webbing will most likely absorb grease, grime and road dust. To preserve the longevity of your strap, take a moment to occasionally clean the webbing thoroughly with mild soap and water.

Similarly, cleaning and maintaining the ratchet mechanismwill keep it operating smoothly time and time again. The last thing you want is to be rushed on a job and your ratchet mechanism sticks or hits grit. Mac's uses an easy-release ratchet mechanism that has eliminated a lot of the stickiness found in ratchets of lesser quality, however even the most expensive tool needs to be maintained.