Rope Cleaning

The outdoor season has ended for me and want to wash my rope now that it won’t be outside for the next few months. I’ve never done it before, any tips/tricks/advice on how to go about cleaning my rope? Thanks in advance!

I use this rope brush. Fill a rubber-maid bin (or your tub) with the hose. Run the rope through and onto a clean surface. Repeat 3-5 times or until it doesn’t look like it’s getting any cleaner. No soap, does not need to be warm water. Decent forearm workout. Cheers.

Cron wrote: I use this rope brush. Fill a rubber-maid bin (or your tub) with the hose. Run the rope through and onto a clean surface. Repeat 3-5 times or until it doesn’t look like it’s getting any cleaner. No soap, does not need to be warm water. Decent forearm workout. Cheers.

Yes, and curse yourself for having a 70m rope!

Chain coil**, front loading washer*, warm water, gentle cycle, no soap, flake rope over a railing or something to air dry out of direct sunlight.

*: Rinse the washer with an empty, plain water cycle first if there's any question of bleach residue in the washer.

**: You could put the rope in a sufficiently large mesh bag if you like.

I've used this method successfully for 40 years.

Marc801 C wrote: Chain coil**, front loading washer*, warm water, gentle cycle, no soap, flake rope over a railing or something to air dry out of direct sunlight.

*: Rinse the washer with an empty, plain water cycle first if there's any question of bleach residue in the washer.

**: You could put the rope in a sufficiently large mesh bag if you like.

I've used this method successfully for 40 years.

Nothing that follows this reply will be any better.

F Loyd wrote:

Nothing that follows this reply will be any better.

Challenge accepted. 

*ahem*

try searching

Marc801 C wrote: Chain coil**, front loading washer*, warm water, gentle cycle, no soap, flake rope over a railing or something to air dry out of direct sunlight.

*: Rinse the washer with an empty, plain water cycle first if there's any question of bleach residue in the washer.

**: You could put the rope in a sufficiently large mesh bag if you like.

I've used this method successfully for 40 years.

Same thing g I do and works great. Only note is that you cannot do this if you have a top loader with an agitator. Front loaders all work great though. Only thing I do different is I just use tap cold water. 

Marc801 C wrote: Chain coil**, front loading washer*, warm water, gentle cycle, no soap, flake rope over a railing or something to air dry out of direct sunlight.

*: Rinse the washer with an empty, plain water cycle first if there's any question of bleach residue in the washer.

**: You could put the rope in a sufficiently large mesh bag if you like.

I've used this method successfully for 40 years.

Worked for me - rather than soap, I used the Sterling rope wash packets just to be extra safe though.

Edelweiss rope cleaner, cold water, deep water wash with two rinses. Then, same settings two more times but no soap. Repeat the whole thing if it's still not there. This one was so black you couldn't even tell it's a bipattern, lol!

I confess I selected the new washer based on realizing it could do this:

EDIT to clarify: emphasis on the word "new!". No agitator. Old machine was needing replacing, lifted the lid on the washer at the store, saw this nonagitator thing.....and love at first sight. ALL the laundry is supposed to be heaped on the edges, that just screamed ROPE!!. Okay. Yes, I'm hopelessly hooked. Point is, these machines may as well have been designed for rope washing, lol! They come out not very wet, too. Just damp, not drippy.

Best, Helen

Stu Hopkins wrote:

Same thing g I do and works great. Only note is that you cannot do this if you have a top loader with an agitator. Front loaders all work great though. Only thing I do different is I just use tap cold water. 

Top loaders are fine if you do it as Helen shows. Putting it in a bag is likely NG though - going to be hella off-balance.

Gunkiemike wrote:

Top loaders are fine if you do it as Helen shows. Putting it in a bag is likely NG though - going to be hella off-balance.

To be clear: Top loaders are fine if you own a top loader without a classic agitator, like Helen does

Use the washing machines at the laundry mat. Cleaning ropes is hard on your machine, and you want to use a front loading machine on gentle. Hang it on a rack in a room with the fan on high.

Pat Light wrote:

To be clear: Top loaders are fine if you own a top loader without a classic agitator, like Helen does

I've been washing ropes in agitator machines since the 70's. Never had an issue.

Erik Strand wrote: Use the washing machines at the laundry mat. Cleaning ropes is hard on your machine, and you want to use a front loading machine on gentle. Hang it on a rack in a room with the fan on high.

And you have no idea what cleaning agents were in them  before you. 

 Really, washing machines aren’t as fragile as you think. A home machine top loader has no problems if you chain coil as in OLH’s pic.

Marc801 C wrote:

And you have no idea what cleaning agents were in them  before you. 

 Really, washing machines aren’t as fragile as you think. A home machine top loader has no problems if you chain coil as in OLH’s pic.

Added to my post with the pic. This is the third rope washed in the half a year I've had this machine. :-)