I just washed my old rope bag for the first time since buying it maybe 20 odd years ago. I somehow had got a bit grubby in that time! But my older fat single has been in it for the last decade and has never been washed, so maybe I should wash that too.
I've tended not to worry about it in the past, particularly when I went ice climbing most weeks so ropes would come out of the winter season nice and clean from being dragged through snow plenty! But my sport rope has never had a wash of any type, so perhaps as I'm using it more this summer it could have one.
Is there an accepted best way of doing this currently? Some of the pros out there might have thoughts on whether they feel the need to do it with their work ropes or not. I remember in the past some people recommended putting it in an old pillow case and machine washing it. Or the in the bath? Kitchen sink etc? This rope isn't dry treated so that's not an issue.
Cheers all.
Just chuck it in the washing machine at 30°. Doesn't need detergent.
Some recommend running an empty cycle first to remove any powder build up but it's not necessary. Nothing in there that will damage nylon.
In the washing machine - no powder or detergent, low speed spin dry at the end to get most of the water out then hung up to dry. I have read that you shouldn't hang it up as the weight of the water will do something but I'm not convinced the weight of 0.5-1kg of water matters when in their normal usage they are holding people falling no problem.
I double the rope up and do a chain knot to stop it getting too tangled.
I couldn't find any clear advice on detergent so decided not to use any - rope came out much cleaner with the same handling properties at the end.
Edit: Agree with Ocean rower about not bothering to clean drawer - unless you regularly wash your clothes in sulphuric acid!
I agree, in a pillow case then in washing machine on a cool /delicates cycle, I also use beal rope cleaning solution and have had very good results like that, the rope I use for tooling at masson tends to get really grubby with the mud and dust from the cave so sometimes I'll run it through a rope brush as well
> Some recommend running an empty cycle first to remove any powder build up but it's not necessary. Nothing in there that will damage nylon.
Nothing that will damage it, no, but I tried that for the first time and my rope came out handling like a luxury cotton bedsheet. It was so soft it was unreal - and absolutely rubbish to belay on. Had to retire it a month or so later for unrelated damage, so no big problem, but definitely not ideal.
Tie it in a dolly (mainly to protect the machine) wash at low temp no detergent or a little rope wash dry it for a long time at room temp before storage.
Chain knot is pretty key, I reckon.
I've never got the pillow case thing. It always seems like a recipe for trapping all the grit you just washed out the rope.
Get one of those Beal rope brush things. Incredibly effective.
My thoughts too. We don't need to clean the washing machine afterwards as well. Bought a Beal rope brush and cleaner instead. A bit more laborious but you can check for damage to the rope at the same time.
Thanks everyone. I've put my "grit rope" in as well so the old single doesn't get lonely. I'll report back later on outcomes! 👍
> I just washed my old rope bag for the first time since buying it maybe 20 odd years ago. I somehow had got a bit grubby in that time! But my older fat single has been in it for the last decade and has never been washed, so maybe I should wash that too.
10 years!!
https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/gear/old_ropes_what_to_do_with_them-72348...
I just put them through on a light wash, no knotting or bagging, they take a bit of sorting out after but it takes about 10 minutes.
It must actually be a bit older than that come to think of it, but lets not let on about that to the people in that thread who were getting a bit mardy with you!
The ropes are now over a banister air drying - they didn't actually feel very wet coming out - being nylon I guess that's not surprising. The yellow one isn't back to the amazing yellow it was when brand new but it is definitely more yellow and less brown than it used to be! For the person who mentioned their rope felt super soft after washing, I'm glad to report my ropes feel pretty much as before.
Thanks again folks.
> It must actually be a bit older than that come to think of it, but lets not let on about that to the people in that thread who were getting a bit mardy with you!
Ha ha, yes let's not.
> The ropes are now over a banister air drying - they didn't actually feel very wet coming out - being nylon I guess that's not surprising.
I weighed mine last time before and after washing there wasn't that much difference, but I can't remember how much.
It had been spun at 1400 rpm and that was on a treadmill at the time!
I think it is partly because you are spinning it round in a metal drum with lots of little notches cut into it that stand to damage the rope slightly. A lot of washing machines aren’t necessarily all that friendly to the materials that go in them, but in the case of clothes we are happy to accept a reduced lifespan for the convenience of not having to hand wash stuff.
I imagine there is also an anti tangle element to the pillow case.
I think you'll find that all the sharp bits are on the other side of the drum to the rope.
That may be so, doesn’t make them incapable of doing damage.
I recall looking up reviews when we last bought a washing machine - one thing that was tested on some review sites was the amount of damage the spin cycle did to delicate materials. Obviously they are talking about clothes, but it is clearly enough of an issue for review sites to offer comparisons of gentler and more damaging machines
I very much doubt the amount of damage done by a washing machine has any meaningful impact on rope longevity (unless you are climbing on cashmere ropes). But nonetheless I’m sure I’ve seen this cited as a reason for the pillow case
Check the manufacturer’s instructions
> I think it is partly because you are spinning it round in a metal drum with lots of little notches cut into it that stand to damage the rope slightly.
You need a new washing machine!
I have one of these brushes - works well. https://rockrun.com/products/beal-rope-cleaning-brush?utm_source=Google&...
I normally just chuck mine in the bath with me when I'm having my annual bath. I get most of the grit out of it but I could really do with tips for removing semen stains if anyone can help...
Cheers.
That leads to their nice little article on washing ropes also! https://rockrun.com/blogs/how-to-guides/how-to-clean-your-climbing-rope
just treat the ropes in the same way that you treat your moustache
> just treat the ropes in the same way that you treat your moustache
cut it short every day??
I tried treating my moustache the way I treat my rope. Belaying hurt.
Fabric conditioner will soften those sport ropes which have become fat, stiff and a struggle to feed through a belay plate.
And they smell of summer meadows too.
> Fabric conditioner will soften those sport ropes which have become fat, stiff and a struggle to feed through a belay plate.
> And they smell of summer meadows too.
I wouldn't recommend this.
Why not?
Summer meadows cause hay fever.
Other fragrances are available. 😁
More sensibly, I did not enter in to using softener blind. I have a background in Materials Science, I read the MSDS s and researched the mechanism by which fabric softener works.
Nylon is inert to softener. Softener leaves a lubricating film on the fibres so they run over each other more easily. It could be argued that it prolongs the life of the fabric/rope it is used on as it reduces wear through self abrasion. I have not seen any evidence either way on this.
There is an understandable fear about rope care. However rope is a fairly simple lump of a fairly simple polymer, there is a significant amount of knowledge about its chemistry.
If soaps and softeners degraded nylon significantly, we would be using them to save the turtles.
> Why not?
Mainly because softeners stay on the fabric, it comes off on your hands and makes you hands slippy and it's hard to remove, especially if it's a silicone containing softener, so while the rope may be OK, I wouldn't want slippy crap on my hands all day, while climbing.
While I don't use chalk, putting extra slip on my hands is a step too far
I cannot say I have noticed that issue. Eating chips yes, rope or clothing no.
However - fabric softener is usually to be avoided with dwr finishes on jackets - which dry treated ropes come with. So perhaps only for your cheaper ropes?
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