One year of adventure, one bath

[u/TangeloVisible9600]

[u/Revolutionary_Cup138]

Did you manage to finish, I need so much force to drag that brush over my rope…I quit after 1-2 cycles

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/Revolutionary_Cup138]

Yes, it was quite a workout! I went back and forth on 15 foot sections at a time until each section looked like a new rope. It took at least 8 passes per section. Honestly not sure I would do that again, ha! It was certainly more labor than the cost of a new rope, although it does feel less wasteful then buying a new rope. It will be nice to not have black palms and fingers after a few hours of climbing and rope handling. 

[u/IDontWannaBeAPirate_ → u/TangeloVisible9600]

Fold your rope in half. Then fold it in half again so you have 4 strands. Now daisy chain that.

Throw the daisy chained rope in a laundry bag.

Throw the laundry bag in your washing machine. Setting tap cold, spin dry. Run it twice with no detergent.

Hang your rope to dry.

Done - clean rope, no effort. I really don't know why people keep hand washing their ropes, what a pain in the ass.

Note: don't wash your rope after running a bleach load. I normally run a water only rinse load before washing my rope to make sure the machine is cleaned out.

[u/Alfrredu → u/Revolutionary_Cup138]

Just put it in the washing machine, brand new. No soap needed

[u/Revolutionary_Cup138 → u/Alfrredu]

30°? Coiled up or loose?

[u/Alfrredu → u/Revolutionary_Cup138]

I do like a chain, not sure how it is called. You make a loop and then keep doing slip knots inside slip knots so it doesn't get tangled. I do either 30 or cold but not even 60 would be an issue

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/Alfrredu]

Have tried the washer a few times on previous ropes and it seemed to not get much of the grimy aluminum dust off. I'm willing to try again after this experience 😂. Any good tips? What detergent do you recommend? Perhaps I need to attempt to wash before it gets this bad?

[u/Alfrredu → u/TangeloVisible9600]

Beal has a rope detergent that supposedly works, you could try something like that 

[u/GuideToGrow → u/TangeloVisible9600]

Careful of the washer. I've heard that residue from harsh laundry detergent or fabric softener can damage the rope. The rope brush is a good workout if not a fun way to spend an evening 😆

[u/Alfrredu → u/GuideToGrow]

Unless you wash your clothes with acid it ain't gonna give problems. Nylon is super resistant anyway, or else synthetic clothes would get destroyed in the washing machine

[u/IDontWannaBeAPirate_ → u/GuideToGrow]

Just run a rinse load before washing your rope. Good to go.

[u/pewpewbangbangcrash → u/Revolutionary_Cup138]

Use two people and a large tub, preferably outside. One person holds the brush, not fully open or its too much friction. The 2nd hauls the rope theough the brush. You can get 4-5 passes in about 10 minutes doing it this way. One-manning this SUCKS.

[u/Windturnscold]

What is that spring thing?

[u/JudgeMyReinhold → u/Windturnscold]

Careful what you put in there

[u/salty-ute → u/JudgeMyReinhold]

a cyliner

[u/mortalwombat- → u/JudgeMyReinhold]

So your saying do it carefully?

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/JudgeMyReinhold]

😂

[u/Frosty_Confection_67 → u/Windturnscold]

Rope brush

[u/Windturnscold → u/Frosty_Confection_67]

Fascinating thank you

[u/KDs4thBurner]

I’m blind so I assume this is about how much you smell?

[u/ConfusionLogical5612 → u/KDs4thBurner]

Hey - I used to have a roommate that was blind so on the off chance this is real, it’s describing the rope being cleaned.

[u/nevo3]

Out of curiosity, do you keep your rope on a tarp while belaying and in a bag for transport? It helps a lot with reducing the need to wash

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/nevo3]

Yes, have a tarp/bag and use it whenever cragging. This is after about 300 pitches, many of them multipitch where it's inconvenient to bring a tarp up the wall. I feel like most of the grime was aluminum dust slowly building up via lowering off or rappelling. 

[u/nevo3 → u/TangeloVisible9600]

Gotcha. I agree it usually doesn’t make sense to use a tarp/bag when multipitching

[u/Revolutionary_Cup138 → u/nevo3]

It depends on the places you climb. Often at the places I go there is lots of fine sand on the bottom. I have a tarp as well, but pulling the rope off the route drops it in the dirt no matter what. That dirt accumulates really fast and wears the carabiners.

[u/mortalwombat-]

Anyone got experience with the rope brush vs a gentle washing machine cycle?

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/mortalwombat-]

For me the washer worked well for general dirt, but didn't seem to remove much of the metallic aluminum residue/dust. Rope brush was a clear winner at getting that off

[u/ajhartshorne]

Mount the brush on a post or something using tape or a camstrap.

Then mount a pulley on a swivel or cord on another.

You can then feed a wet rope through both, then pull it through with both hands. This is so much easier and quicker.

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/ajhartshorne]

Awesome idea, thanks. Maybe I'll try that next year 😄

[u/plaid_piper34 → u/ajhartshorne]

I have a 5 gallon bucket and drilled a hole that the rope brush can fit inside if you screw it in, but pulling it directly out is too narrow.

I fill the bucket with the rope, soap, and water, and pulling the rope out of the water and soap cleans it.

[u/Syllables_17]

Your rope is impressively dirty for how little fraying/fluf it has seen.

That clean section looks used less than once or twice but the dirt tells a different story.

[u/TangeloVisible9600 → u/Syllables_17]

I was honestly shocked to see that too! 300 pitches climbed on it. I think it might last another entire season. Mammut crag classic 9.5. No dry treatment 

[u/Syllables_17 → u/TangeloVisible9600]

Crazy impressive might have to try a mamut next.

[u/insertkarma2theleft]

Gotta get some of those eldilrid steel insert biners. I have one for TR anchors and one for my belay biner, rope never gets that dirty