Machine washing lines, sheets & halyards

Skylark

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Is this an urban myth or do people really wash their lines in a domestic washing machine?

If it's true, can anyone offer advice on how? Fully load the machine, flake the lines into the drum, temperature, cycle and so on?

Lastly, with the permission of SWMBO'd or do it when she's out of the house :D

Thanks for sharing your experience.
 

Tintin

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Deffo when SWMBO out, and never ever mention it.

I juts put them all in, coiled up tight and tied off, low temp 30C, a bit of powder (about a 1/4 of normal) and put it on a gentle wash with low spin speed. The latter is key.

Then when done take the tangled mess out and hide them away until you get a free evening to sit there, glass of red for sustenance, while you untangle it all: I found it strangely meditative, but once a year is enough. :)

I tried once leaving halyard shackles on and ex-SWMBO did notice the new machine I had to buy. :D
 

ctva

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I daisy chain them and then put them in a 40 delicate wash and a 800 spin with a small amount of powder. Great for braid but don't do octoplait as it comes out 'fluffy'.





When I said 'I', I meant my darling wife as I've yet to master the use of a washing machine..... :)
 

charles_reed

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Frequently, that's why marina washing machines forbid washing anything but clothing.

Take off shackles, coil the lines and put several turns around the coil, low temperature wash @ 40C, synthetics, which gives you a lower speed, 800 or 600 rpm.
Don't fill the drum, cordage is considerably heavier than clothing.

First done with an old Electrolux top-loader in 1980.

In my house, I'm the machine expert!!
 
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Halo

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Washing your lines and haliards in a domestic washing machine can damage them. I washed mine and they shrank!
If you do not believe me then measure one, wash it and measure it again, also feel the fibres along the length comparing a washed and unwashed one.
I now wash mine in a dustbin full of detergent - plent of soaking and a little agitation seems to work without damage.
 

reeac

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Laundered the no.3 genoa halyard yesterday evening - and my wife was OK about it. Enclose it in an old pillowcase especially if it has a spliced on snap shackle and use 40deg.C/cottons-linens cycle with Fairy non-bio liquid. I tried soaking first but it was so filthy that that had little effect. I intend to do the topping lift, the spinnaker halyard and the lazyjacks shortly. It's the first time that any of them have been done during my 9 year ownership of the boat so it's not an annual ritual but I've done sheets a number of times previously.
 

sailorman

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Deffo when SWMBO out, and never ever mention it.

I juts put them all in, coiled up tight and tied off, low temp 30C, a bit of powder (about a 1/4 of normal) and put it on a gentle wash with low spin speed. The latter is key.

Then when done take the tangled mess out and hide them away until you get a free evening to sit there, glass of red for sustenance, while you untangle it all: I found it strangely meditative, but once a year is enough. :)

I tried once leaving halyard shackles on and ex-SWMBO did notice the new machine I had to buy. :D

i always do them in the machine ( i service it i use it :p) i use high water level normal powder 1000 spin,dont forget the fabric softener.
swmbo often untangles them :cool:
 

dharl

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rather than damage a washing machine...I use a water butt filled with fresh water and left to soak over a weekend then hung up in the gargage. Never had a problem with shrinkage or the SWMBO :)
 

sailorman

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Washing your lines and haliards in a domestic washing machine can damage them. I washed mine and they shrank!
If you do not believe me then measure one, wash it and measure it again, also feel the fibres along the length comparing a washed and unwashed one.
I now wash mine in a dustbin full of detergent - plent of soaking and a little agitation seems to work without damage.

30 deg & they wont
 

gregcope

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- When SWMBO is in or out. We share washing;
- Remove blocks (ie kicker/main);
- Coil with shackles in/near the coil so that you do not have a metal thing flaying around;
- Put them all in with a full normal coloured wash - ie 40C;
- If still green, bucket of Cillit bang overnight and repeat wash;
- Sometimes they need to be recoiled when they come out before drying;
- Hang them up with the normal washing;
- Make sure completely dry before storage.

Not concerned by ware or weakening our cordage as it is over spec for the boat (usually to make it east to handle) and I have yet to see one break out of the blue. All the ones I have seen break are due to ware/chafe on blocks etc.. that has nothing to do with washing - for those I will either replace with slightly longer and end-to-end and/or chop the worn bits if possible when required.
 

Ex-SolentBoy

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I wash all of ours every two years. Over 400m of the stuff.

Low temperature, no spin and a little Ecover bleach, which is non chlorine based, takes all the green away.

Best to soak overnight first.
 

duncan99210

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Fill dinghy with water on pontoon, allow sun to gently warm it....

Put in a generous dollop of fabric conditioner.

Put in sheets, halyards, etc - loose not coiled.

Take of shoes and walk up and down over rope until bored.

Allow to soak for a bit.

Open drain plug on dinghy and allow water to escape.

Check ropes: if still filthy, then repeat the washing bit.

When ropes clean enough, fill dinghy with clean water, walk ropes again then remove bung and rinse through.

Coil ropes and hang off pulpit until dry and stow away until next year.
 

sailorman

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Fill dinghy with water on pontoon, allow sun to gently warm it....

Put in a generous dollop of fabric conditioner.

Put in sheets, halyards, etc - loose not coiled.

Take of shoes and walk up and down over rope until bored.

Allow to soak for a bit.

Open drain plug on dinghy and allow water to escape.

Check ropes: if still filthy, then repeat the washing bit.

When ropes clean enough, fill dinghy with clean water, walk ropes again then remove bung and rinse through.

Coil ropes and hang off pulpit until dry and stow away until next year.

set up washing machine, go to bed,wake up,have breakfast n coffee, take out ropes, job done ;)
 

Davegriff

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SWMBO happily does 'em herself in the washing machine. Always maintained I don't know how to use it. Same with cooker, vacuum cleaner, paint brushes et al.
 
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