Machine wash harness
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Have a harness, about 4 years old -- smells like ass because of all the trips i've done: jungle climbing malaysia, hot index washington climbing, it's so gross and I was thinking of machine washing it with no detergent, gentle, and cold --- bad idea? |
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from the Black Diamond Harness Instructions: Care and Maintenance :
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Been climbing about 40 years. never washed a harness. occasionally get a new harness... |
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Just FYI you can usually obtain a pdf of the manufacturer's instructions for pretty much any product via a web search. I use this approach a lot with tools and electronics I wasn't clever enough to save directions for... |
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The important bits of your harness that are supporting your life are most likely made of nylon. It’s ok for nylon to get wet as long as you hang it up to dry before climbing in it again. Machine washing it gentle, cold with no detergent is fine. I’ve done it before.
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Machine washing of any soft gear? - no |
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bernard wolfe wrote: There are manufacturers who literally recommend this. Mammut, for instance. |
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Probably because washing your stuff wears it out faster and then you have to buy more stuff. |
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Could be. I’ll take a little less rope life over leaving a bunch of RRG sand in my rope wearing all my hard goods. |
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bernard wolfe wrote: On what do you base that? People wash their ropes all the time with zero issues. Nylon and related products aren't harmed in the least by washing, even in a machine (but there are better and worse ways to machine wash soft gear, esp. ropes). |
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Nick Goldsmith wrote: Mammut recommends machine washing of their ropes to make them last longer. |
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this thread is about harness not ropes.... and they tell you to wash the rope saying it will make it last longer while knowing full well it will make it wear faster so you will have to buy a new rope. |
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Nick Goldsmith wrote: What is the evidence that supports your assertion? |
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a lifetime of doing laundry and knowing how corporations think and do business... |
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Nick Goldsmith wrote: So IOW, just your unfounded opinion. |
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It’s safe to machine wash your harness as long as you throw a totem in with it |
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naturally. but heck if you want to waste your time doing extra laundry go for it. Personally I retire harnesses when they get abraded from movement over rock, sitting on ledges and groveling through chimnys etc. and they also get sun faded. about every 5 years i just get a new one. ropes get core shots and excesive fuzzy spots or have too many falls on them. dirt has never been a huge concern.. some of my half ropes that get used mostly for ice last a decade. some of my single ropes that are used for developing last a season or two.. but again if you are more concerned with a pretty looking rope than a functioning rope by all means do some more laundry.... |