washing ropes

[stealth]

just wondering will washing a rope in a washing machine  have any damaging effects to the structure of the rope?  cold wash, no detergent of any sort, just water + 1200 spin speed. I just washed my rope like that and its like new, but i dont want to carry on doing that if there will be long term adverse affects.

 

[darkplaces]

This topic has been covered many times before.
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,664.0.html

Some people have recommended coconut oil but giving the rope a good thrashing in a washing machine is better then leaving it grubby. I'v been told to make sure the machine is rinsed first then washing in a bag in a cold wash wont harm it.

 

[cap n chris]

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,664.0.html

Well done, DP, you beat me to it by 7 seconds!

 

[damian]

That's exactly what I do.

Those people who have investigated such things say that temperatures of more than 30 degrees damage the rope but anything less is fine. The evidence also points to detergents and softener doing no damage as such. However, the detergent also has no real cleaning benefit because it is designed to remove grease, oil etc, rather than straight-forward mud and grit.

There are some people who use washing machines who think it prudent to give it a run empty first to remove any residual washing powder. Personally, given the above, I don't.

Finally, it's also good practice to store rope in a cool, dark place. Personally I hang them from small lengths of old rope in the (blacked out) garage.

For more info, have a look at this. It's written by the eminent Dave Elliot (so must be right!)

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/andy.mccarron/cncc/cor.htm

 

[Dep]

A run through the machine on a quick-low temperature wash with no detergent.
A splash of conditioner makes your ropes and slings smell of "Summer meadows"...

Rinse the machine afterwards, my wife has still not figured out what the funny orange stains on her whites were - as soon as I saw the distinctive colour I went very quiet!

 

[langcliffe]

1200 spin speed.

I don't spin mine, as it tangles the ropes even more. I put the machine on spin-hold, and then use the empty option.

 

[Elaine]

I used to plait (or whatever it is you call it) mine before I put it in the machine. That way it did not tangle and you could spin it quite happily. Plaiting had no adverse affect on the thoroughness of the washing.

 

[whitelackington]

I used to plait (or whatever it is you call it) mine before I put it in the machine. That way it did not tangle and you could spin it quite happily. Plaiting had no adverse affect on the thoroughness of the washing.

:blinko you plait your hair before you wash it? :doubt:

 

[whitelackington]

I used to plait (or whatever it is you call it) mine before I put it in the machine. That way it did not tangle and you could spin it quite happily. Plaiting had no adverse affect on the thoroughness of the washing.

:blink:
Do you plait your hair before you wash it? :doubt:

 

[whitelackington]

Sorry, I don't know why it did that,
I don't understand spelling or computers,
or cars!

 

[Dep]

Fabric conditioner helps to untangle the rope...
Doesn't usually take me more than a few minutes to sort it out into neat coils afterwards.

 

[Elaine]

Dep nit combs his ropes too!!

 

[Peter Burgess]

This has been discussed before. We always experiment on humans first, to minimise risk to the ropes.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,3407.msg45357.html#msg45357

 

[Dep]

Dep nit combs his ropes too!!

 

[Cave_Troll]

anyone tried Nikwax Rope proof?

http://www.nikwax.com/en-gb/products/productdetail.php?productid=22&activityid=-1&itemid=-1&fabricid=-1