Washing ropes.

Chuck them in a plasterers bucket with hot water and Dreft, and leave them in there for a few days.
 
I use a cool or cold wash, tiny amount of detergent and a low speed spin. Where I have metal thimbles the ends go in old socks that are cable tied in place. Ropes are then hung up to dry and then coiled up and stored until the spring.
Some of the old ropes develop 'hernias' so they are replaced as required.
 
Kukri said:
Can I add a question about washing high modulus ropes?
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I treat all my ropes the same, three strand, braid on braid and high modulus: 30°, delicate cycle, spin and I see no ill effects. The Dyneema ropes are five years old and look and feel like new coming out of the washing machine.
 
What's with the pillow case? Do they all go in one or one each? I could understand one each to save the tangling but then the wash would be less effective. Sounds like an old wives tale to me.
 
ridgy said:
What's with the pillow case? Do they all go in one or one each? I could understand one each to save the tangling but then the wash would be less effective. Sounds like an old wives tale to me.
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Stops the ropes causing any damage to the machine, however remote that night be.

I don't think I've ever met anyone outside of the UK who actually bothers though.

Signed Mrs Miggins, Pudding Lane, London.

PS it's getting very hot here today.
 
Just use fresh water, Don't use any soap or washing powder, it washes away the built- in lubricant that enables the fibres to slide over each other and stretch, otherwise heat builds up and they break. Read the directions from English Braids. And don't spin, just hang up to dry.
 
allanc said:
Just use fresh water, Don't use any soap or washing powder, it washes away the built- in lubricant that enables the fibres to slide over each other and stretch, otherwise heat builds up and they break. Read the directions from English Braids. And don't spin, just hang up to dry.
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Fresh water wont remove the green mould that seems to afflict my jib sheets. As sheets and halliards are perhaps 4 times oversize cross section to enable easy handling (with or without winch), the loss of strength resulting from removal of built in lubricant is probably of no great significance. What is of significance is removal of dust and salt that can abrade the rope
 
Praxinoscope said:
It had been suggested previously on this forum that with braid on braid the action of the washing machine can loosen the inner core.
I just use a bucket, with pure soap flakes, then a couple of rinses and hang up to dry, after which stored in string bags so there is a good air flow around them until,the next season.
Have followed this procedure on my halyards for years, they obviously don’t look brand new but after 15 years they are still perfectly serviceable.
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I too have heard that some modern ropes can be damaged by machine washing, with the inner locking out of the cover. Older low tech ropes seem to be fine.
But getting damage in the middle of our main halyard, for example, which is 45m of very expensive cruising dyneema, would make me weep. Hence just removed to check and hand washed in plastic crate.
Manufacturers also state not to use any fabric softener, which is a shame as that did help make the mainsheet softer and more free running (I was prepared to risk it on that rope, but again not the main halyard)
 
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