Part 4: How do I wash my rope?
Who doesn’t love a clean rope? No more black hands after belaying your friend on their project, bright coloured rope, easy to see the middle marking.
Not only that, but as we’ve discussed a clean rope also lasts longer and functions better. So why don’t we wash our ropes more regularly? It’s as easy as washing your knickers.
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Dust off your rope
The most labour intensive part of washing your rope. Pick through your rope and make sure those leaves, dead ants and pebbles are left outside, not put into the wash.
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Put it into the wash
Put your rope into the washing machine (daisy coil if you’re using a top loader) with some eco-friendly mild laundry detergent or rope wash.
Set your washing machine to 30 degrees (cold wash) on a wool cycle, if available and Bob’s your Uncle. Or, maybe he isn’t. But you’ll have a clean rope!
*Note: If you’re a sucker for punishment, you can wash your rope in the tub or sink, but we’d highly recommend a washing machine!
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Dry your rope
Put it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight to dry.
Do NOT hang it up, put it on a heater or tumble dry. The elasticity and quality of the rope may be affected! Don’t risk it!
We recommend air drying in your living room on a towel or (clean) rope tarp.
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Coil and store
Once it’s dry (this may take a few days if you’re in a more humid part of Aus), coil your rope and store it in it’s tarp or bag until your next climbing adventure.
Check in next week for Part 5: how to store and maintain your rope.
Yep, that includes best ways of keeping clean to avoid having to wash your rope regularly!
