Cleaning running rigging

[skyflyer]

I have bought a boat which has been unused for a bit and all the running rigging has green and black algae/mould on it.

Q1. Will this affect the strength of the lines
Q2. What is best way to clean them? I have tried washing in a washing machine and whilst a huge improvement, they are now a rather uniform dirty grey! I was wondering if bleach of some sort would do it - but see Q1

Anyone found a miracle cleaner?

Thanks

 

[sailorman]

Soak in patio magic then machine wash @ 40 deg with loadsa powder & softener jollop

 

[Ravi]

I have bought a boat which has been unused for a bit and all the running rigging has green and black algae/mould on it.

Q1. Will this affect the strength of the lines
Q2. What is best way to clean them? I have tried washing in a washing machine and whilst a huge improvement, they are now a rather uniform dirty grey! I was wondering if bleach of some sort would do it - but see Q1

Thanks

It sounds like they are just very dirty. Like garments, they will benefit from repeated soaking in hot soapy water, before being washed. On the final wash, I add some fabric conditioner which has the effect that you would expect.

I have had ropes that are so manky that I have chucked them out but, usually, they will come clean in the end.

Q1. Yes - Bleach is not a good idea.

Some say that washing ropes in a washing machine can get them caught in the mechanisms. To avoid that risk, I was them inside a pillow case or by using ?Sennet? knots in the ropes.

 

[RupertW]

It's much quicker with bleach with just 4 easy steps to get the ropes indistinguishable from new ones as I did last year.

1) Soak in warm soapy water to get most of the crud out
2) Soak for 24 hours in a not very mild solution of bleach
3) Put wet into a pillowcase and machine wash at 40 degrees
4) Replace all from the chandlery as the linings of the old ones rip and tear as you put them back up

 

[Eyore]

I have powerwashed first to get heavy stuff off, followed by soak in woolite, followed by normal hot wash in machine. Worked well and they came out nicely softened.

 

[Leighb]

We wash ours annually in the washing machine as others have said, just a word of caution, I use a sailbag rthar than pillow case, and however tightly you tie up the neck the ropes can often escape, make sure you fasten very securely otherwise her indoors may be unhappy when she hears the halyard shackles beating the s**t out of the inside of the drum, and good heavens it may be damaging the shackles.

 

[stephennoble]

I wash mine on a synthetic wash in the washing machine as hot as it will go. Lots of fabric conditioner. I dont bother with a bag as I find unravelling the birds nest therapeutic and the ropes feel so good

 

[Leighb]

You get a bird's nest whether or not in a bag. The only point of a bag is for halyards with spliced on shackles to try and protect the drum, all other lines can be loose.

 

[bigwow]

Just done mine in the washing machine, found adding vanish to the soap powder worked wonders.

 

[Rum Run]

Thumbs up for the washing machine. I just chuck 'em in with normal washing powder at 30c. No shackles or thimbles though as I prefer hangman knots to splices - this enables me to swap ends or shorten the halyard a bit so as to even out the wear.

 

[Jabs]

Assuming no shackles or hard eyes, coil them and put cable ties on. This prevents any tangling and they still come out clean!

Tony.

 

[Ravi]

You get a bird's nest whether or not in a bag. The only point of a bag is for halyards with spliced on shackles to try and protect the drum, all other lines can be loose.

I put electrical tape and roller up socks on the snap shackles and hand wash those bits.
Using chain Sinnet knots are much more fun than using a pillow case and they will guarantee that your ropes do not become fankled in the wash!
http://www.animatedknots.com/chainsinnet/index.php?Categ=decorative


There is a rather good practical sailor article on rope washing here ...
http://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/37_7/features/clean_rope_10509-1.html

It answers some of the OP's original questions ...
"The truth is that mildew and algae don’t weaken synthetic ropes, so cleaning green stains from your jib sheets is a purely cosmetic effort."

"Bleach is not recommended by any manufacturer in any quantity. Every manufacturer has faced claims of rope failure or splice failure caused by a bleach overdose. Extended soaking in bleach solutions must be avoided."

Other interesting extracts, based on their testing ....
• Hot water is not a problem. Nylon and polyester are undamaged at normal water-heater temperatures (120 to 135 degrees).
• Skip the pillowcase and expect both rope and machine damage; we experienced both.
• splices come loose unless whipped and stitched
• Never wash a new rope

Just done mine in the washing machine, found adding vanish to the soap powder worked wonders.

I thought you said 'varnish' for a second.

 

[Poecheng]

Go back to Sailorman's post - Patio Magic.


Even when you wash badly fouled rope (and I have - lots) you still end up with marks on it were it sticks on.

If, after washing in your best washing machine, you soak it in Borocol (expensive version of PatioMagic) then it will both magically clean it up over time and protect it for the future. It really does keep the green at bay over a long period.