Rope washing - current best practice?

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 TobyA 25 Aug 2020

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.

1
 Oceanrower 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

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.

cp123 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

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!

Post edited at 11:51
 climber34neil 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

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

 tehmarks 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Oceanrower:

> 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.

1
 gravy 25 Aug 2020
In reply to tehmarks:

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.

 GrahamD 25 Aug 2020
In reply to cp123:

Chain knot is pretty key, I reckon.

 GrahamD 25 Aug 2020
In reply to climber34neil:

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.

 tehmarks 25 Aug 2020
In reply to gravy:

Thanks - but I'm guessing you meant to reply to the OP?

Post edited at 13:05
 ian caton 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Get one of those Beal rope brush things. Incredibly effective. 

 brianjcooper 25 Aug 2020
In reply to GrahamD:

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.   

Post edited at 13:28
OP TobyA 25 Aug 2020
In reply to all:

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! 👍


2
 Cobra_Head 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

> 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.

OP TobyA 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Cobra_Head:

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.

 Cobra_Head 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

> 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!

In reply to GrahamD:

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. 

 Oceanrower 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Stuart Williams:

I think you'll find that all the sharp bits are on  the other side of the drum to the rope.

In reply to Oceanrower:

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 

 biggianthead 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Check the manufacturer’s instructions

 Cobra_Head 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Stuart Williams:

> 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!

 Cobra_Head 25 Aug 2020
In reply to biggianthead:

> Check the manufacturer’s instructions


Too late, job done

 Morty 25 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

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...

OP TobyA 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Mark Kemball:

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

 Snyggapa 25 Aug 2020
In reply to Morty:

just treat the ropes in the same way that you treat your moustache

 Cobra_Head 26 Aug 2020
In reply to Snyggapa:

> just treat the ropes in the same way that you treat your moustache


cut it short every day??

 d_b 27 Aug 2020
In reply to Snyggapa:

I tried treating my moustache the way I treat my rope.  Belaying hurt.

 99ster 27 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Mammut video on rope care & washing:

youtube.com/watch?v=HFDaLPBgQjA&

 Cobra_Head 27 Aug 2020
In reply to 99ster:

> Mammut video on rope care & washing:


"One year, if you use it once a week"!!!!

In reply to TobyA:

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. 

 Cobra_Head 27 Aug 2020
In reply to Presley Whippet:

> 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.

In reply to Cobra_Head:

Why not?

 d_b 27 Aug 2020
In reply to Presley Whippet:

Summer meadows cause hay fever.

In reply to d_b:

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. 

 Cobra_Head 28 Aug 2020
In reply to Presley Whippet:

> 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

In reply to Cobra_Head:

I cannot say I have noticed that issue. Eating chips yes, rope or clothing no. 

 neuromancer 28 Aug 2020
In reply to TobyA:

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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