Washing Machines suitable for filthy caving gear!

[A_Wiggles_StoneyM]

Washing Machines suitable for filthy caving gear!

I'm looking to buy a used machine one with a filter that can be easy washed. Sturdy and not £1000

Any recommendations for manufacturers / models (good or bad experience to take note of?)

this machine is gonna have to work hard

Thanks

Or do you have a used machine you can sell to me in Derbyshire ?

 

[dougle89]

I just use my old beko one for post iron mine exploration washes, no issues so far, but I give gear a preliminary hosing down

 

[Babyhagrid]

University halls washing machines work well. Only £3 a wash and you use a different machine every time

 

[wormster]

An old twin tub is best, spin first, then wrinse, spin again and onto the line to dry!!

Simples

 

[Ad W]

I use an 8kg Hotpoint which is probably around 5 years old now and nothing gets a pre-rinse before going into the machine. Elbow pads, knee pads and belt go into a netting bag, and then this and the oversuit just get put through a couple of rinse cycles. Machine gets "cleaned" afterwards using my furry, wetsuit socks and caving towel on a standard 40 degree mixed wash. Never had an issue with the machine drain getting blocked - touch wood! It is not the main washing machine in the house and I took it from someone that was looking to be rid of it for a house move so I definitely abuse it more than I perhaps should.

My current suit is Warmbac which I scored second hand for £15 from Marketplace virtually unused a couple of years ago. It is new enough to have the webbing reinforcement down the lower spine, but otherwise of unknown vintage. Anyway, I suspect that machine washing (almost weekly) has more rapidly reduced the water resistance of the cordura than previous suits that I have bucket washed. This may be due to the more vigorous agitation or perhaps an affect of residual detergent/conditioner? I tried to revive the water resistance with Nikwax products but with little success.

 

[Stuart France]

This all sounds highly technical. I'm sorry, but why are you washing your caving gear as it's only going to get messy again.

I know people who turn up every time with wonderfully clean caving suits, impressively folded up very neatly too, but life is too short.

Don't start me on these endless exhibition photos of people dressed like they've just fallen out of a washing machine located a long way into the cave...

Ok, if your oversuit is really muddy and you don't want it feeling crispy and the dust getting everywhere (in your eyes, nose...) when you put it back on, then the solution is to soften it up all over with a hose prior to re-use. It's likely to get wet again somewhere underground quite soon so why postpone the inevitable?

 

[dougle89]

This all sounds highly technical. I'm sorry, but why are you washing your caving gear as it's only going to get messy again.

I know people who turn up every time with wonderfully clean caving suits, impressively folded up very neatly too, but life is too short.

Don't start me on these endless exhibition photos of people dressed like they've just fallen out of a washing machine located a long way into the cave...

Ok, if your oversuit is really muddy and you don't want it feeling crispy and the dust getting everywhere (in your eyes, nose...) when you put it back on, then the solution is to soften it up all over with a hose prior to re-use. It's likely to get wet again somewhere underground quite soon so why postpone the inevitable?

I wash mine so I don't sully the lovely caves of the Dales with Cumbrian hematite quite well known for staining anything it touches

 

[Pitlamp]

To answer Stuart France's point above; my stuff gets well cleaned after most trips, simply because it's the only certain way to identify and repair the inevitable small nicks, tears and suspect stitching before they become major problems.

I've owned a Bosch washing machine for about 22 years; it's taken some pain but it's still going strong. I suspect you get what you pay for.

 

[mrodoc]

None if my wife had her way. She even complains about pre rinsed fleeces leaving stains on the seal!

To answer Stuart France's point above; my stuff gets well cleaned after most trips, simply because it's the only certain way to identify and repair the inevitable small nicks, tears and suspect stitching before they become major problems.

I've owned a Bosch washing machine for about 22 years; it's taken some pain but it's still going strong. I suspect you get what you pay for.

I jet wash then use Gorilla glue on the nicks and tears in my lovely but not that tough Aventure oversuit

 

[Maj]

I wash my kit after most trips. furry suit and under layers get a rinse in a bucket if likely to be muddy then go through a rinse cycle in the washing machine then every two or three trip through a wash cycle with other laundry. The oversuit gets a thorough sloshing in a large bucket/trug a number of times and then putting in the spin dryer.
An old previous washing machine I had, I wasn't so careful about slightly muddy kit going through, but in time, despite cleaning the drum, I found I was occasionally getting muddy (definitely from mud) skid marks on other clothes. Eventually I stripped the drum out to find that years of congealed soap powder on the inside of the outer drum that were brown with mud that would occasionally make a bid for freedom. Bits of this muddy paste would find themselves inside the inner drum and pressed into the washing when on a spin cycle. So despite the machine appearing to be clean and mud free, there was quite a bit of mud infested soap powder trapped between the inner and outer drums.
Back to the oversuit cleaning - After sloshing the oversuit in the bucket of water the first rinse water is throw on the garden, any further rinsing water goes into a dustbin for the mud to settle out and then gets reused next time. The result is only one bucket of clean fresh water used as a final rinse. Whole process takes about 15mins.
A few reasons for washing kit after every trip:-
Much nicer to put clean kit on.
No shedding of dust from oversuit and leaving and dust cloud to settle in the next cave, particularly important in the well decorated caves of Mendip.
Helps keep the dust down in the car and house between trips.
If I find time I can then carry out any repairs to oversuit.
Digging twice a week means an extremely muddy oversuit.

 

[huwg]

I try and alternate muddy trips with some nice proper watery ones. Think I am due a watery one at the moment...

 

[Cantclimbtom]

...
An old previous washing machine I had, I wasn't so careful about slightly muddy kit going through, but in time, despite cleaning the drum, I found I was occasionally getting muddy (definitely from mud) skid marks on other clothes. Eventually I stripped the drum out to find that years of congealed soap powder on the inside of the outer drum that were brown with mud that would occasionally make a bid for freedom. Bits of this muddy paste would find themselves inside the inner drum and pressed into the washing when on a spin cycle. So despite the machine appearing to be clean and mud free, there was quite a bit of mud infested soap powder trapped between the inner and outer drums....

That's probably not mud, the same orange brown gunge forms in machines that don't wash caving stuff. It's some kind of yeast/mould/muck that can tolerate even hot washes and eats lint and soap deposits. Seen the same stuff and same brown flecks/marks on clothes. A 90C wash (if you have that, or at least 60C) and a washing machine cleaning treatment (most big supermarkets) will remove it or at least a very high proportion and if it's not too bad and any filters are good your machine will be refreshed

Edit, this cleaning also freshens stale smelling machines

 

[speleokitty3]

I've used standard domestic washing machines to wash caving gear for decades with only ever one problem.

Back in around 1990 I had been on a particularly dirty trip into an area of the Paint Mill Adit in Mattlock Bath when the fill sensor on my machine failed and flooded my kitchen and part of my dining room with a lovely red oxide paint mix.

I found and fixed the problem with the machine which seemed completely unconnected with what was in the machine at the time, but I was finding fresh bits of red pigment for the next 20 years.

 

[BigDyl]

I wash my kit after most trips. furry suit and under layers get a rinse in a bucket if likely to be muddy then go through a rinse cycle in the washing machine then every two or three trip through a wash cycle with other laundry. The oversuit gets a thorough sloshing in a large bucket/trug a number of times and then putting in the spin dryer.
An old previous washing machine I had, I wasn't so careful about slightly muddy kit going through, but in time, despite cleaning the drum, I found I was occasionally getting muddy (definitely from mud) skid marks on other clothes. Eventually I stripped the drum out to find that years of congealed soap powder on the inside of the outer drum that were brown with mud that would occasionally make a bid for freedom. Bits of this muddy paste would find themselves inside the inner drum and pressed into the washing when on a spin cycle. So despite the machine appearing to be clean and mud free, there was quite a bit of mud infested soap powder trapped between the inner and outer drums.
Back to the oversuit cleaning - After sloshing the oversuit in the bucket of water the first rinse water is throw on the garden, any further rinsing water goes into a dustbin for the mud to settle out and then gets reused next time. The result is only one bucket of clean fresh water used as a final rinse. Whole process takes about 15mins.
A few reasons for washing kit after every trip:-
Much nicer to put clean kit on.
No shedding of dust from oversuit and leaving and dust cloud to settle in the next cave, particularly important in the well decorated caves of Mendip.
Helps keep the dust down in the car and house between trips.
If I find time I can then carry out any repairs to oversuit.
Digging twice a week means an extremely muddy oversuit.

Helps using less detergent and using no fabric softener

 

[undergroundHP]

I have a whirlpool one going for free if you are local to the keighley/ skipton area?

 

[Karstic]

Have you tried the washing machine in easgill? located conveniently close upstream of fall pot and very good value for money- laundry is expensive!

 

[mrodoc]

I wash my kit after most trips. furry suit and under layers get a rinse in a bucket if likely to be muddy then go through a rinse cycle in the washing machine then every two or three trip through a wash cycle with other laundry. The oversuit gets a thorough sloshing in a large bucket/trug a number of times and then putting in the spin dryer.
An old previous washing machine I had, I wasn't so careful about slightly muddy kit going through, but in time, despite cleaning the drum, I found I was occasionally getting muddy (definitely from mud) skid marks on other clothes. Eventually I stripped the drum out to find that years of congealed soap powder on the inside of the outer drum that were brown with mud that would occasionally make a bid for freedom. Bits of this muddy paste would find themselves inside the inner drum and pressed into the washing when on a spin cycle. So despite the machine appearing to be clean and mud free, there was quite a bit of mud infested soap powder trapped between the inner and outer drums.
Back to the oversuit cleaning - After sloshing the oversuit in the bucket of water the first rinse water is throw on the garden, any further rinsing water goes into a dustbin for the mud to settle out and then gets reused next time. The result is only one bucket of clean fresh water used as a final rinse. Whole process takes about 15mins.
A few reasons for washing kit after every trip:-
Much nicer to put clean kit on.
No shedding of dust from oversuit and leaving and dust cloud to settle in the next cave, particularly important in the well decorated caves of Mendip.
Helps keep the dust down in the car and house between trips.
If I find time I can then carry out any repairs to oversuit.
Digging twice a week means an extremely muddy oversuit.

To which youmight add Maj the fact that some Mendip caves have a high proportion of lead dust in the mud. Visitors to St. Cuthbert's Swallet are advised to clean suits after a trip for that very reason.

 

[wellyjen]

To which youmight add Maj the fact that some Mendip caves have a high proportion of lead dust in the mud. Visitors to St. Cuthbert's Swallet are advised to clean suits after a trip for that very reason.

If the lead dust affects their brain, then they may not remember to clean their suits.

 

[Pitlamp]

Nah - that's caused by the Butcombe!

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Nah - that's caused by the Butcombe!

No, the Butcombe is because of the lead.
Treatment for heavy metal poisoning is hydration and chelating agents.
Butcombe's range of medicinal tonics contain ferulic acid, melanoidins, tannins and polyphenols (in a hydrating base) all of which are all proven to chelate metals. Butcombe therapy should be started as soon as the caver surfaces, continued for the complete course and preferably under medical supervision. It's no coincidence that there are many docs in Mendip caving, as treatment regimes are taken seriously there.