rope wash

I am new to climbing and just bought my first rope this year. I was just looking for some feedback on diffrent rope washes/water and dirt reppelent additives for ropes.

Hey,

Highly recommend Sterling's "Wicked Good Rope Wash" simple and gets the dirt out. I don't recommend using the washing machine like the directions though. Use a bath-tub and work the dirt out with a stiff brush or hands.

Climb on!
-Mac

"If the answer was 13 RURP's and a Bat Hook what was the question"

I don't use soap to wash my rope. I just toss my rope in a mesh bag in my FRONT LOADING washer. The top loading washer, from past experience, seems to beat the rope a lot more. The front loading washer is more gentle, I think, and removes the dirt pretty well.

Chain it loosely, woolite, double rinse cycle. I do mine in a top loader and it has never been an issue.

I personally think it's a bit silly to put your rope in the washing machine. I just let mine soak in cold water, agitate w/ hands, rinse, repeat.

Ryan Williams wrote:I personally think it's a bit silly to put your rope in the washing machine.

Why is it silly Ryan? Enlighten us...

Moof wrote:Chain it loosely, woolite, double rinse cycle. I do mine in a top loader and it has never been an issue.

I use a mild detergent I have around for baby clothes, but other than that it's the same process I use. It gets the dirt out, and it also seems to help prevent stiff spots from forming.

I wash every few months of normal climbing, or after any day where the rope gets particularly filthy (ice climbs where the rope cuts through mud over the edge, usually). It does seem to have all but destroyed the dry treat, so I might try to rejuvenate that before the next ice season.

Ryan, why is it silly? I've done the bathtub thing, and the washing machine seems to be more effective and takes less effort.

Jay Knower wrote: Why is it silly Ryan? Enlighten us...

Well first, I am not the only one that uses the machines I have access to so I don't know what's been in them. I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to things on my rope.

Second, it's never really been proven that washing a rope actually does anything good for the rope, and some people speculate that it actually could allow dirt to further penetrate the core.

Third, I've cut a fair share of ropes off of old towers and even the ones that were 20 years old had pristine looking cores. Not to say that they were safe to climb on, but years of dirt filled runoff had turned the sheaths black, and left the cores white.

It's just my personal oppinion that the cores of our ropes are pretty well protected from dirt and grime. Standing on the rope, etc... it's not polite but it's not going to "grind dirt into the core."

I washed mine in the bath tub because it turns my hands black. It didn't really work, so lately I've just been washing the sheath with a rag. Works better and keeps the core from getting wet with dirty water.

Maybe I'm wrong... but I've always thought it was just weird to put something that I trust my life to into a moving machine that could have God knows what inside. At least with a bathtub you can wash it out first.

Ryan Williams wrote: Well first, I am not the only one that uses the machines I have access to so I don't know what's been in them. I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to things on my rope. Second, it's never really been proven that washing a rope actually does anything good for the rope, and some people speculate that it actually could allow dirt to further penetrate the core. Third, I've cut a fair share of ropes off of old towers and even the ones that were 20 years old had pristine looking cores. Not to say that they were safe to climb on, but years of dirt filled runoff had turned the sheaths black, and left the cores white. It's just my personal oppinion that the cores of our ropes are pretty well protected from dirt and grime. Standing on the rope, etc... it's not polite but it's not going to "grind dirt into the core." I washed mine in the bath tub because it turns my hands black. It didn't really work, so lately I've just been washing the sheath with a rag. Works better and keeps the core from getting wet with dirty water. Maybe I'm wrong... but I've always thought it was just weird to put something that I trust my life to into a moving machine that could have God knows what inside. At least with a bathtub you can wash it out first.

All good points. Thanks Ryan.

I just had a thought, I might take my ropes to my parents house and toss them in their jacuzzi tub and let the jets do my work for me! Sometimes it hurts to be so smart... lol

I've heard Dr Brawner's is mild and gentle on the rope. Havn't used it though…

(oh, and I hope you are kidding about the jacuzzi idea)

I usually take a wet wash cloth or small towel and wipe down the whole rope and work out the dirt, then I throw it in the washer dasiy chained with sterlings rope wash then wipe it down again with a dry towel.

Wehling wrote:I just had a thought, I might take my ropes to my parents house and toss them in their jacuzzi tub and let the jets do my work for me! Sometimes it hurts to be so smart... lol

Potential for the next Lee Smith rope affair pic?

Wehling wrote:I just had a thought, I might take my ropes to my parents house and toss them in their jacuzzi tub and let the jets do my work for me! Sometimes it hurts to be so smart... lol

i just did that to one of my dirty ropes a few weeks ago. used only water and it worked great... i would recommend two cycles (i experimented with hot then cold). it leaves quite a horrid ring around the tub, and who knows what it does to the filter. (but its a rental! 8/

Wehling wrote:I just had a thought, I might take my ropes to my parents house and toss them in their jacuzzi tub and let the jets do my work for me! Sometimes it hurts to be so smart... lol

I like this idea. Too funny and it lightened up a dreary Wednesday morning at work.

Washing in warm or hot water seems to work much better for me.

i don't know if any form of detergent is necessary or makes a difference. but, if you're going to do it by hand, a rope brush helps: amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Ro…

Aed, I had the same hesitation. I have a Mammut that gets dirty very quickly; I've owned several ropes and nothing compares to this one (others have concurred)! I used Sterling's rope wash product and cold water once and climbed on it; still dirty enough to get my hands immediately filthy. I tried twice in a row; still no luck. Then I came across a rockclimbing.com thread where SterlingJim (owner of Sterling Ropes) recommended hot water. Between that and the directions on the package itself (warm water) I tried hot water, and it is MUCH cleaner, and feels nicer. And hopefully I'm getting less aluminum in my gorp.

Wehling wrote:I just had a thought, I might take my ropes to my parents house and toss them in their jacuzzi tub and let the jets do my work for me! Sometimes it hurts to be so smart... lol

Yeah, the chlorine chemicals in pools probably aren't the best thing to soak your rope in.