how to clean a climbing rope?

[JBA]

Hey guys my 16 strand climbing rope is all nasty now. Been removing a lot of pines lately and its filthy and covered in pine sap at the end I tie in with. Can this rope be washed to restore the usability? Or turn it around and use the other end? Or cut off the ugly end ? Thanks for any and all advice in advance

 

[MasterBlaster]

Take it to the carwash and blast it, or throw it in a washing machine, with Woolite, on the gentle cycle.

Good as new.

 

[KenJax Tree]

I made one of these
http://www.knick-knack.com/howto/climb/build-a-climbing-rope-washer.html

 

[MasterBlaster]

That'll work, too! Great post, bro!

 

[JBA]

Well I cleaned the rope at the laundromat. Used a mesh bag and woolite. Can't believe how how clean it is now. Still have some heavy pine sap deposits that weren't removed in the washer. Can I get them out? Or just let them be? I'm sure chemicals are bad ropes. Thanks guys

 

[MasterBlaster]

If you let it soak overnight, you'd have much better luck. Use your own machine and wash two ropes at once to balance the load. Don't be shy about resetting the wash cycle 2 or 3 times... your rope will be spotless.

 

[JBA]

Thanks for the advice. I will give that a try. Love that video of you bombing that top out. How big was that whole tree? Never been in one that big

 

[treesmith]

I chuck mine in the washing machine, but only when there's no women at home

I've soaked them in the bath before but machine is best

 

[I'llbearealclimberoneday]

I wash mine in the washing machine when my wife is gone too

 

[JeffGu]

I use the washing machine... high-efficiency machine with no agitator coming up through the middle... and Zum Clean laundry soap. It can be found in any Organic Grocery Store, or organic stuff section at Hy-Vee Store, etc. Smells great, no detergents, environmentally friendly, and works fantastic. It has coconut oil in it, and ummm... other stuff. But no petroleum crap. Tad pricey, but a jug of it goes a long way, because you don't need very much, at all. Shotglass full of it for a 200 foot rope is plenty.

 

[Treespotter]

"petroleum crap" is the least of your worries. It's the softener in the soap that effects the fibers of the rope.
Be sure there's no softner in the soap.

I never wash my rope. When there's a lot of pine sap in there I rub the rope with Canola oil. The oil doesn't effect the rope but it does s great job as pine sap solvent.

 

[mattollie123]

Eucalyptus oil