Washing ropes

[steviewhitts]

I want to put my halyards and sheets through the washing machine this winter or at least give them a good hand-wash if the machine is out of bounds. Are there limitations on what, if any, detergent/soap I can use - I'm sure there probably is so any advice would be appreciated. Ropes are all man-made by the way.
Cheers
Steviewhitts

 

[Guest]

Weak detergents and air-dry naturally ...... but the recc's are same for synthetics as for natural fibres ...... basically not washed and stow on well vented pallets etc. out of damp / wet areas !!!!! Bloody difficult in my lockers !!!!!

If anyone is interested ...... we all think that ropes are strong, resilient etc. I had 2 synthetic ropes and 3 multi-strand cotton ropes stowed in the locker..... in the bottom I must add. Later - must have been about 2 years later !!! I lifted them out when cleaning / sorting the locker and each of them fell apart like mushy peas !!! Honest !! They had been coiled the coils were intact, apart from the few inches that had been in contact with water laying in the locker bottom. On the cotton ropes it had turned black and like a mushy paste .... this then had infiltrated the synthetic and they suffered also !!!

So back to the answer ...... keep ropes well vented and dry. If you wash - then in weak solution - NO BLEACHES or powder containing bleaches ..... so that rules out 99% of household W/powders ... and then let them dry outside in the breeze.

 

[RacePassage]

Stevie. Your wife will love you even more if you put your lines in pillow cases for the wash. Reduces the tangling and 'clunking' of spliced on shackles

 

[seaesta]

My solution is to get a clean dustbin (one I keep in the garage such purposes but any big container will do). Chuck the ropes in and add some weakish wash up liquid solution and cold water. Let it soak for a few hours giving an occaisional "poshing" with a very blunt instrument ( son's head is good) and then rinse a couple of times before stringing em round the garden to dry .

 

[dickh]

There was an article in either PBO or ST that said DONT put them in a washing machine as it can damage them - even had a photo showing a damaged rope!
However, I have regularly sneaked them into the washing machine, on a cool wash with Ecover liquid and they have always come up fine.
I like the idea of putting them in a pillow case though, it takes ages to untangle them!
BUT, make sure that the previous wash wasn't cloth being Dyed - I now have a spare anchor/warp of a lovely shade of pink! - I try not to use it if can help it!


dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Boathook]

I have used the washing machine for years now.
no.6 wash or delicates (slow spin speed) set on half load with half the usual amount of non bio detergent. Any metal fittings etc. are removed if possible and then old socks put over held on with cable ties. I then hang them out after untangling in the dry to finish off before coiling and storing.

 

[david_bagshaw]

Personaly would not recommend washing any rope that takes a heavy load.

some 3 0 years ago, we washed our mooring ropes,after passing through charlarois(very dirty then) when the rope was wet and under great tension in a belgian lock on the sambre, the loading squeezed out soapy water on the bollard, where by the slipped through a triple fig of eight bollard. I can still remember the crunch form being wedged across the chamber, oh and just to make it worse the boat was cruiser stern. This was in the era when lockeepers rarely saw yachts, and would regularly fully open the sluices if there was a barge waiting to use the lock the other way.

unless modern detergents have friction enhancer in them , I would leave well alone, and as an alternative use a pressure washer

David
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.euroboating.net>http://www.euroboating.net</A>

 

[vyv_cox]

Same here. Can't give your level of detail on the washing machine settings, Jill looks after that, but we wash all halyards every year and other ropes from time to time. Never had any problems with any of them. Conversely, I have shredded a rope with a pressure washer and would not advocate their use for this job. We don't remove any fittings and we also put our spliced wire/rope halyards in.

 

[Guest]

My son tells me that out in the fancy world of superyachts with paid crews, they was the ropes using fabric softener rather than detergent, mind you they also do it by leaving the ropes in a dinghy half full of fresh water and towing it for a day or so, as the washing machine on board is used for crew uniforms not ropes........

 

[Guest]

Here in SW FL.... we use a detergent like Tide, with just a "dash" of bleach to kill any mold or mildew, mix it all up in a big container like a trash can (dust bin to you) and the rinse it a couple of times, then add water and some fabric softener and let it soak for a while. Then take them out and dry them by hanging over a clothes line. The fabric softener is to take any stiffness out of the lines.

Reality is the cause of all stress!!