Did washing my rope with laundry detergent ruin my rope?

I was told that I could put a tiny bit of detergent in to wash my rope with and it'll be fine(since it's just nylon).

After washing it though it has become a little bit stiffer and is more prone to pigtailing so I decided to do a little bit more research online.

I've found a lot of contradictory information on using detergent.

Can anyone explain why/how detergent will damage the rope or make it unsafe?

EDIT: I've already taken a 3-4m whip as well as other falls on it. I know that doesn't necesarily mean it's 100% safe but I figure that information is pretty relevant

that probably was a bad idea. that being said, washing with only water makes the rope stiff and prone to tangling so that may not necessarily be due to the detergent. check the ingredients on the detergent and see if anything is very acidic because in most, if not all, accidents where a rope was contaminated, it was exposed to an acid, usually sulphuric acid. i would suggest send Jim Titt a PM because he knows a lot more about equipment than most people on MP.
After listening to him, go with your gutt because usually the gutt feeling is right

I washed an old BlueWater rope once with a tiny bit of detergent and after the wash I had a very similar experience. The rope became much more prone to tangling and was noticeably stiffer which made knots much harder to tie. We retired the rope but not until after we climbed with it for another 3 or so months during which I still led plenty and probably took a few falls. Nothing bad happened but then again I can only speak for myself in this instance.

I'm not saying the rope is dangerous but you have to make the decision to use it on your own and have it on your conscience. The common practice in our crew is "when in doubt throw it out." I once got nail polish on a dogbone while marking my gear and didn't hesitate. A $5 dogbone isn't equivalent to a $150 rope but at the end of the day it's all the same thing. A good thought experiment is to think of it like this - would you pay the cost of a new rope to come home safely?

FYI, I've already taken a 3-4m whip as well as other falls on it. I know that doesn't necesarily mean it's 100% safe but I figure that information is pretty relevant.

if you aren't satisfied with the answers you get here you could call or email the manufacturer. would be the mostly likely to give you a definate answer

The rope is likely fine. Numerous clothing articles contain nylon. That said, there is little point in adding any detergent to a rope wash. You're just trying to remove the majority of the dirt, not clean your tux, and water is sufficient to remove the dirt. Standard cycle, cold water, and then throw it in the dryer on light or leave it out.

I challenge you to find any rope manufacturer that recommends drying a rope in the dryer.

Edit - from Mammut "Never tumbledry!" Yes, they have an exclamation point there.

Pretty unlikely that it damaged your rope.

I use a small amount of Tide Free every time I wash my rope.

Clothes are made out of nylon, after all. Just avoid bleach and such.

(Some rope manufacturers even recommend a gentle detergent, and nylon does not change its chemical makeup based upon who made the rope...)

Gunkiemike wrote:I challenge you to find any rope manufacturer that recommends drying a rope in the dryer.

Nylon melts at 460 degrees and loses strength around 350. On the genital cycle, a dryer might hit 140 which is about the same temp treatment it will get sitting in your car in the summer.

Sterling, Edelrid, and beal all say not to machine dry. not sure what bluewater says, couldn't find a manual. i'd say don't machine dry it. if you need it to dry overnight, point a box fan at it while hanging it.

teece303 wrote:(Some rope manufacturers even recommend a gentle detergent, and nylon does not change its chemical makeup based upon who made the rope...)

Some recommend using only special rope wash and no other detergent. I think if anything, this just proves that it's not enough of an issue to really matter either way since there are conflicting responses on the matter.

That said, I was intrigued to learn that Woolite, a soap known for being overly gentle, actually contains a small amount of sulfuric acid. Interesting. I wrote them and asked why they put a chemical in the soap known for being extremely destructive to all forms of fabric. They never responded.

Overly genital? You're not kidding! I tried that once. Now I avoid putting laundry detergent on my genitals. And my ropes.

J Marsella wrote:yer gonna die

+1

20 kN wrote: On the genital cycle, a dryer might hit 140 which is about the same temp treatment it will get sitting in your car in the summer.

My genitals never get to 140 degrees, even though they feel hot.

FrankPS wrote: My genitals never get to 140 degrees, even though they feel hot.

Sounds like you havent experienced the right partner yet then.

Your rope is definitely ruined and needs to be disposed of properly and safely! You can sent it over to me :)

its fine ... if its stiff a touch of fabric softener may help

HOW TO WASH AND DRY A ROPE ?

To wash a rope, immerse in clean cold water (less than 30°C) and use a mild detergent (powder for delicate fabrics or Beal Rope Cleaner) and end by brushing with a synthetic brush (or the Beal Rope Brush).

To machine wash, slip the rope into a pillowcase or similar fabric bag and wash at less than 30°C on ‘delicate wash’. Never use pressure cleaners which could force dirt (Eg sand grains) into the rope and cut the fibres.

Drying should be done in the shade away from direct sources of heat. (For preference hung up in circulating air).

bealplanet.com/sport/anglai…

I rarely wash my ropes regardless as theyll just get durty from breeding bears the next day anyways ... Ropes take a few days to dry properly





;)

Cleaning Chemicals a Danger to Equipment:
climbingbusinessjournal.com…

Doing a bunch of raps (both double rope and single on each end) on it may help with the pig tailing.

Re: Washing Ropes - Pigtailing Ropes - Making Ropes Softer.

In Vancouver for window washing, we use BlueWater Ropes.
Which, because they have a sheath can pigtail quite badly up until about 12months of use.
Such can be prevented by running your ropes in alternating positions - Down end down, one week, upside down the next.  
I've heard of using fabric softener on SkyGnene Ropes (like a marine rope), but not climbing ropes. Although, with the amount
of dish soap that gets on our ropes, I would assume that there are zero problems with washing fabric softener in with the climbing ropes.

I have heard of this trick before - ergo my internet search.
My plan now is to use a big garbage pale and soak my 400' decent line in it overnight + 1/4 or 1/2 bottle of softner ;)

In fifteen years of suspended access window cleaning, I have never seen a rope fail due to "chemical burns"
- Ie: soap, softner, industrial thinners, acid cleaners etc. In fact, I've never seen a descent rope fail at all, except for one that was actually cut by something.
I have seen Polysteel Ropes fail... Oh Man! ...but, that's only because of someone not understanding their load limits {facepalm} using it as a zip line to transfer
stage cables from 52-floor building rooftop to 52-floor building rooftop. It was a terrible mess and wound up knocking out power for a city block!

20 kN wrote: (Some rope manufacturers even recommend a gentle detergent, and nylon does not change its chemical makeup based upon who made the rope...) Some recommend using only special rope wash and no other detergent. I think if anything, this just proves that it's not enough of an issue to really matter either way since there are conflicting responses on the matter. That said, I was intrigued to learn that Woolite, a soap known for being overly gentle, actually contains a small amount of sulfuric acid. Interesting. I wrote them and asked why they put a chemical in the soap known for being extremely destructive to all forms of fabric. They never responded.

I am no chemist, but do not see sulfuric acid in the ingredients list for Woolite Delicates. There is sodium sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate, but can those react to form sulfuric acid in the laundry? Could be, would need a chemist to weigh in here.

This site lists the ingredients of Woolite: http://rbnainfo.com/brand.php?brandId=36