Washing rope

[jharman2]

The best method is to pressure wash it which takes lots of time and a good bit of money unless you have your own pressure washer. The 2nd best method is the rope brush I linked you to. It only takes a couple minutes for two people to wash 100' of rope. About a week ago, I washed 300 feet of rope by myself using the brush. I spent about 15 minutes which included two passes through the brush.

[knudeNoggin]

... or loan it to a canyoneer rapping waterfalls ...

[OpenTrackRacer]

I've been thinking about this since the weekend. I wondering what the value is of actually cleaning the ropes if (as Scott's tests showed) the dirt tends not to penetrate the sheath of PMI pit rope? It's certainly not as messy to handle but that's going to change the very next time it's used.

[NZcaver]

I've been thinking about this since the weekend. I wondering what the value is of actually cleaning the ropes if (as Scott's tests showed) the dirt tends not to penetrate the sheath of PMI pit rope? It's certainly not as messy to handle but that's going to change the very next time it's used.

When your ropes get significantly dirty, don't be reluctant to clean them. It will improve the handling for rigging and for coiling/bagging. It should reduce excessive friction when rappelling, making for a smoother descent and minimizing the wear on your descenders (especially aluminum ones). It may also make for more efficient ascending, and less wear on your ascenders. Not to mention it will make your rope much easier to inspect for cuts, abrasion, and other damage.

[OpenTrackRacer]

That's probably the biggest single reason to wash them in my mind at this point. It also points towards a rope washer as a good choice since you have to handle every inch of the rope. I think it's likely that the mine environment impacts the ropes differently than caves. Our ropes can best be described as dusty. The mine is filled with very fine (sometimes powdery) dust. We are hardly even in wet mines so there is no mud or other thick caked on grit. I expect the ropes to perform pretty much the same if they're dirty or clean. Still, I'm sure a little Woolite will make them a bit softer and more flexible.

Not to mention it will make your rope much easier to inspect for cuts, abrasion, and other damage.