Rope Cleaning/Care

[goodwood613]

Climbing all day yesterday in NY and the weather was not ideal. All my ropes and nylon runners are dirty and wet and nasty. Is it really ok to put all that stuff in the washing machine? I was told that it was but that same person has led me in the wrong direction before. If so any suggestions on soap and cycle? or other good ideas to clean this stuff. Thanks for the time.

 

[ckliff]

Yes, but go to the laundromat unless you are (or want to be) a bachelor.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I dont put my ropes in a washer. Some people do. If you do, chain it up or put it in a mesh bag. I prefer to hand wash my rope. I fill the tub up with warm water (not hot)

I use a rope wash soap.

I then take it outside and run it through my bokat rope washer 2 times. You hook the bokat rope washer up to your garden hose. As you pull it threw, it has little bristles that gentle scrub the rope. It makes your rope look almost brand new when done.

After i am done washing the rope, I flake it out and let it air dry for a couple days.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Yes, but go to the laundromat unless you are (or want to be) a bachelor.

If you go the the laundry mat, how do you know that the washer you are using doesnt have chemicals that will hurt the rope, like bleach left in it.

I am very cautious about my rope, alot more then most. After all, my life hangs from it.

 

[squad143]

I wash mine in a washing machine (not our home one), but it is a residential top loader.

I use ivory snow and warm water on the gentle cycle. Daisy chain them and do them one at a time. Throw all the rope bags in together in a different load. Hang everything to dry.

If your worried about chemicals at a laundromat, run the machine with some work clothes first, then you'll know the person before you put your ropes in didn't use bleach. However I think that point is moot, cause after the rinse cycle, there would be very little residue from the bleach left over.

I cycle my climbing lines out fairly regularly due to what is hanging on them anyways.

 

[flushcut]

After i am done washing the rope, I flake it out and let it air dry for a couple days.

If you want to dry it faster hang a cloths line in the basement, flake the rope over it, evenly spread out the rope and have a box fan blowing on it and by mourning it is nice and dry.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

If you want to dry it faster hang a cloths line in the basement, flake the rope over it, evenly spread out the rope and have a box fan blowing on it and by mourning it is nice and dry.

I been hanging my wet ropes from the rafters in my storage shed. It drys them in about a day.

 

[ATH]

...However I think that (bleach in machine for last load) point is moot, cause after the rinse cycle, there would be very little residue from the bleach left over.....

Yep.

Just to highlight, there are 2 reasons to use the laundry mat:
1) Keep your own clean (but if this is the only reason, just run it with some old towels, work clothes, etc... or even on empty, and use the "extra rinse" cycle if you have one.
2) The bigger front loading machines without an agitator will be gentler on the rope.

If you have a front loader at home, I'd probably just use that and make sure the next 2-3 loads are not whites.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've used the home wash machine for ropes, but have not done it for a very long time. I just hose them down in a bucket these days, if they get real dirty. Daisy chain them up before putting them in the machine, it works a lot better than just flaking them into the tub.