Rope Cleaning

Hey everybody, my rope is getting to that point where it has just picked up a lot of the crag in it's days out and needs a good cleaning. The rope is a 60m, 10.2mm not dry treated rope and I was wondering if you guys knew the best way to clean it without compromising strength or durability. I'm open to either products or home remedies, I just really don't want to sabotage the effectiveness of my rope. I'm also open to the option that not cleaning it is best, I'd just like to hear all of your opinions.
Thanks

I use this, suppose to be all natural.

If you are concerned about strength depreciation from a soap you can at the very least just put it in the bath tub with water and agitate it with your hands. You will be amazed at how black the water becomes. Rinse and repeat.

Thanks guys, I think I'll try to just do it in the bathtub without soap, I'll let you know how it goes

I have a front-loading washer (so no agitator in it), and I just throw it in the clothes-washer with a very little bit of laundry soap. I'll usually daisy chain it (doubled-up) before hand, though, to reduce the tangle on pulling it out. The spin cycle really helps with drying time.

Then, spread it out to dry.

My method:
chain coil the rops
wash in washing machine on the most gentle cycle - no soap of any kind
uncoil and lay out or loosely hang to dry

A front loading washer (ie: without agitator) is best.

If you use a washer you don't own - like a laundromat - run a full cycle in the machine with just water before washing your rope. You don't want to risk having bleach or other residues in the washer.

I agree that washing without any soap seems to work well. If want to use soap but are worried about it use something specifically for ropes like Rope Wash.

There are pics of David and Marc's daisy chain method here: basicrockclimbing.com/how-t…

I clean my ropes and other softgoods in the (frontloader) washing machine - loose inside one of those $5 mesh laundry sacks. It helps to tuck the drawstring inside the bag, so it doesn't tangle and bind around the sack.

I see some zipper sacks around also, may work better.

The ropes come out great with just water most of the time. If they are exceptionally muddy or difficult, another cycle or some techwash clears it right up!

I hang the sack up outside to dry, and agitate it a few times if i'm walking by.

I've always doubled over then chained the rope. I use warm water on a normal cycle with a half cap of Woolite, then double rinse with cold water. I have a simple top loading washing machine. I've always been happy with the results. Takes at least a couple days to thoroughly dry, and I usually just leave it in a chain for that.

One note is to go use a laundromat machine after rinsing it out

Ive seen front loader washing machine leak after a 10 lb rope gets thumped all over in a home washing machine

Its not worth the risk IMO to save a few bucks

;)

hand wash in the tub with bluewater rope wash. get an old washcloth and run the entire rope through it several times. especially the first twenty feet of each end. then hang on some sort of device and use the shower head to rinse it out. simple cheap effective. for some reason ive never trusted my rop in a washing machine.

If you like building little contraptions... I made an attachment to fit on the end of a garden hose. All you need is a PVC hose adapter, connect it to another 3/4in PVC combination tee and (optional) line the inside of the combination tee with an old rag. Then all you have to do is turn on the hose and pull the rope through the tee a few times!

turd furgeson wrote:for some reason ive never trusted my rop[sic] in a washing machine.

I've used washing machines, both front loaders and top loaders, for 40 years with no problems ever.

CMI also sells a "rope washer" that was hailed by some old caver friends. In there case they often had 600' ropes to clean, so a washing machine was no option. I have one and I am not impressed. The one time I used it I had to pull the rope through 3 times, and it was still fairly blackened from aluminum oxide.

On the plus side it only uses water from a hose and is easy compared to hand agitating in a bathtub (and later cleaning the black scum ring from the tub). Perhaps a pre-soak in some sudsy water would make for a decent wash, who knows...

My previous top loader would stain things with oil every now and again. Such a washing machine is rare, and oil is generally harmless.

I use a plastic tub and some beal rope wash. Which is scented for some reason, making me wonder if beal just bottled some generic detergent that they deemed to be safe.

If I climbed/lived next to a flowing river, I'd opt to just go for a swim with my rope.