How do you wash a dirty rope?

simple rope washing device for when you're partner pees on it

You could just order one the few bucks you save probably isn't worth it. cmcrescue.com/equipment/pmi…

I wash my ropes with a mild synthetic detergent. the best way to wash rope is in lukewarm water in the bath, but a delicates cycle (30°C/ 85f) in the washing machine is also oK, just don’t use the spin cycle! I usually but the rope in a pillow case. To dry, spread it out on the ground in a cool, dark place. this is better than hanging it up.

mesh bag, rope stacked, woollite cold wash...air dried. front load washer, i have specific laundry mat with machine that i can open and disengage, otherwise u run the risk of unwanted happenings,

After 4 years , still waiting for someone to state a compelling reason to wash a rope . Unless your cat peed on it and it smells terrible , I see no need to wash a rope . If something got on it that was serious enough for you to try to wash it out , would you trust the washing process to make the rope safe again ?

Chris Plesko wrote:Front load washer in a pillowcase, some rope wash or just plain water. Snake around spare bedroom to let it air dry. Works like a charm.

This

vincent L. wrote:After 4 years , still waiting for someone to state a compelling reason to wash a rope . Unless your cat peed on it and it smells terrible , I see no need to wash a rope . If something got on it that was serious enough for you to try to wash it out , would you trust the washing process to make the rope safe again ?

Dirt acts as a micro abrasive when impregnated within the structure of the rope fibers. Put it under tension or run it over carabiners under load and it will wear the rope faster by literally cutting fibers.

It's not about chemicals, its about thousands of really tiny rocks inside your rope.

James is there any anecdotal evidence or proof that a rope being excessively dirty led to it failing ? Or any studies that show the working lifespan of a rope was reduced because it was dirty?

If dirt and tiny micro rocks are a threat to rope life and safety , shouldn't it be washed after every climbing day ?

Meg Ryan wrote:Are you seriously suggesting that a person can become infected with HIV by touching contaminated blood with his finger, in the absence of any cuts or open wounds? I have a friend whose grandma got Alzheimer's from excessive use of Mitchum deodorant.

If you soaked yourself in a vat of HIV infested blood for a prolonged period of time I would guess the probability is pretty high. Unless you believe your skin isn't permeable?

I guess I'm not cool either, I'm a rope washer sissy. I think it takes about 5 minutes of time? Once or twice a season? I'm really not that busy...

Nick I heard HIV infected blood baths are all the rage now. They make you crush 14 ' s like nothing AND they make you super cool. You should try it!

Nick, your momma ' s house is INFESTED with roaches, the blood is INFECTED with HIV. Just to clarify.

Panther, do you even know what AIDS is? Google it so you don't sound so idiotic!

OK on subject: just water, man. Put your rope in a tub of luke warm tap water and hand wash it. Dry it in a ventilated area away from the sun. Done deal.

dah3586 wrote: Was looking for rope washing info and stumbled upon this. I just got ripped on by some "normal" people cause I said I take a shower in my gym clothes after completely drenching them running at hard paces and actually sweating... I do this to keep them from rotting and stinking but apparently multi-tasking and energy conservation were lost in the world of non-dirtbags?

Excellent idea about showering in gym clothes! Thank you.

vincent L. wrote:After 4 years , still waiting for someone to state a compelling reason to wash a rope . Unless your cat peed on it and it smells terrible , I see no need to wash a rope . If something got on it that was serious enough for you to try to wash it out , would you trust the washing process to make the rope safe again ?

No sure if a compelling reason, but I find my rope works better with grigri after a wash.

Bill Wa wrote:Nick, your momma ' s house is INFESTED with roaches, the blood is INFECTED with HIV. Just to clarify.

you got me good.

Meg Ryan wrote: Skin is a semipermeable membrane and no, you will not become infected with HIV or any other virus by simply "soaking" your skin in it. Allowing the virus to come into contact with the mucous membranes around your eyes, inside your mouth or genitals, or if you have any cuts or open wounds, is an entirely different story.

right.

vincent L. wrote:After 4 years , still waiting for someone to state a compelling reason to wash a rope .

Try this then. Following my honeymoon to Acadia last fall, I know our primary rope had gotten wet with saltwater while climbing at Otter Cliffs. No, I wasn't overly concerned about the rope and saltwater. My concern was the potential for corrosion on the metal that the rope runs through from any salt particles that might have been in the rope after it dried. Yes, it was a bit dirty, but getting out whatever salt might have been in it was the primary concern.

As I recall, I loosely daisy-chained the rope, then daisy-chained the daisy-chain. I then put it in the top-load washer as evenly distributed around the tub as possible. I don't remember if I used any detergent or not (I don't think I did), but I think I ran it through 2 cycles. The water in the tub after the first wash was surprisingly dirty, and that was well before our hands started turning black... I did let it go through the spin cycle and the rope dried overnight after being laid out on the chest freezer.

As to Killis and the black-hands syndrome, your hands won't absorb a lot of the oxidized aluminum that transfers to them from the rope. However, and be honest here, how many of you that have your hands turn black while belaying wash your hands BEFORE you eat, or pee, or rub your eyes, or scratch your neck, etc, etc, etc? The eyes absorb chemicals into the bloodstream the fastest, the genitals follow very, very closely behind. If you wait to wash your hands AFTER you pee, you've actually done it in the wrong order...

Rope washing flame war! AGRO!

For my money nothing cleans a rope or skunked polypro better than a good hot fire.

This really is a stupid debate. Everyone will obviously have their own beliefs, some of which may be completely inaccurate. If you want a real answer ask the company that made your rope.

I've been around and/or a member of a number of different companies that use ropes on a daily/weekly/monthly basis in a professional rescue capacity and also for work. (two professional fire departments with technical rescue teams, and two different rope access companies). We used both static and dynamic ropes, often times around various chemicals/paint/etc.

Our ropes were always washed with a mild detergent in a front load washing machine, then dried in a commercial rope/hose rack dryer. This is for countless hours of work from rope hanging from towers, buildings, etc, in all types of weather.