Hi all.. I?ve just found a bag of rope that didn?t get cleaned after a trip 4 weeks ago. It?s a tad damp and muddy. Question is. Will it be safe to clean it and use it or should I retire it? Thanks in advance for any opinions[/b]

Give it a good wash and after its dried it should be as good as nearly new.

Mark

I was expecting you to say it had been left damp and muddy for four years!

Either way, no reason it will be any worse than when you dumped it.

If you can't be arsed to wash it, take it on a trip to a wet cave 

Thanks guys... i'll drag it up to Derbyshire in the morning and give it a good clean and then get it dirty again..... then remember to clean it again.

Think about how long some fixed ropes are left in situ. A few weeks damp won't affect it.

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richierich25 said:

Hi all.. I?ve just found a bag of rope that didn?t get cleaned after a trip 4 weeks ago. It?s a tad damp and muddy. Question is. Will it be safe to clean it and use it or should I retire it? Thanks in advance for any opinions[/b]

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If it's hemp, bin it. If it's not, well, it isn't is it?

What about rope left piled outside in the garden for a few weeks? :/

Peregrina said:

What about rope left piled outside in the garden for a few weeks? :/

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Critical UV damage, divide between the tenants to scrap as required

Peregrina said:

What about rope left piled outside in the garden for a few weeks? :/

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No problem at all.

I used to have 10.5mm and 11mm ropes permanently rigged outside for up to 3 years before they were 'demoted' to caving use. The ones I had tested after this time were still plenty strong enough. The 11mm was at least 15kN with a Fig. 8 knot.

The much higher factors of safety and obsolescence dates applied to textile items of equipment are to account for UV degradation and the additional wear that textile items are susceptible to.

In leaving ropes out in the garden, its not the UV I would be particularly worried about, its the ants crawling all over them. That could be far more serious.

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/abseil-slings-when-ants-attack

Mark