best ways to wash ropes

[potholer]

I'd be interested in hearing people's experiences of cutting old and well-used rope.

Most of my experience has been with Edelrid 10mm and 11m.
When chopping old ropes, which have had a lot of muddy use and washing, I have noticed that usually even when the outside of the sheath is somewhat stained, the core, (and often the inner parts of the sheath) is very clean.
I guess means that even staining silt/clay/mud doesn't usually find its way to the middle of the rope.

I wonder what variation there is between rope brands in terms of dirt penetration?

[Stridergdm]

Probably.

And a lot would have to do with how "tight" the mantle really is.

[ian mckenzie]

For use in the field, you can't beat a home-made ropewasher I first saw in England. It's made from two stiff-bristled floor-scrubbing brushes fixed bristle-to-bristle into an open-sided wooden box with a hole drilled into either end. The rope goes in one hole, inbetween the bristles (a tight fit) and out the other hole. The whole thing gets immersed into a stream, you put your foot on it and then pull the rope thru. I used to use mine in the backyard in a large washtub.

[hank moon]

I guess means that even staining silt/clay/mud doesn't usually find its way to the middle of the rope.

dunno, be good to study. my experience echoes yours: never seen a stained core near intact sheath, even with very old ropes. i suspect a lot of the conventional wisdom w/respect to "tiny crystals" and the like penetrating into a rope's core is simple B.S.

[Ralph E. Powers]

I guess means that even staining silt/clay/mud doesn't usually find its way to the middle of the rope.

dunno, be good to study. my experience echoes yours: never seen a stained core near intact sheath, even with very old ropes. i suspect a lot of the conventional wisdom w/respect to "tiny crystals" and the like penetrating into a rope's core is simple B.S.

With one of my lengths of PMI-Maxi-wear ropes I had to cut a short piece off because of some damage to it... curious I split the cut length down the middle, it was only a few inches (ended up with two new lengths) ... found that the interior of the rope (sheath) was sparkling clean, like fresh off the spool. The exterior had brownish stains running the length of it. The interior strands were likewise clean.
If that says anything... the rope has a tight enough weave that even after 10 years of use and washes... it hasn't allowed the mud/dirt to stain completely through. Thought that was particularly interesting and likewise reassurring that the rope isn't going to break because it's tooo dirty.

[NZcaver]

If that says anything... the rope has a tight enough weave that even after 10 years of use and washes... it hasn't allowed the mud/dirt to stain completely through. Thought that was particularly interesting and likewise reassurring that the rope isn't going to break because it's tooo dirty.

And similarly, it's highly unlikely the rope will break because you use a pressure washer to clean it...

[paul]

For use in the field, you can't beat a home-made ropewasher I first saw in England. It's made from two stiff-bristled floor-scrubbing brushes fixed bristle-to-bristle into an open-sided wooden box with a hole drilled into either end. The rope goes in one hole, inbetween the bristles (a tight fit) and out the other hole. The whole thing gets immersed into a stream, you put your foot on it and then pull the rope thru. I used to use mine in the backyard in a large washtub.

My caving club has the "deluxe" version one of our members luckily made.

It has 8 stiff-bristle brushes, 4 each side with the bristles facing each other and mounted close together in a metal frame. There is a small diameter metal tube running the length of these with small holes at regular intervals. The whole thing is mounted vertically on the wall in our club hut's changing room next to the sink and a hose is connected to the small metal tube. At the top and bottom are pulleys also mounted vertically and a small perspex cover on hinges covering the front.

To use: Swing the perspex vover to the side. Pull the rope through the lower pulley, up past the brushes and up through the upper pulley until a few inches are sticking through. Push the rope in between the brushes, close the perspex cover and turn the water on. Now pull all the rope through from the top pulley. Very effective, quick and easy.

[Scott McCrea]

My caving club has the "deluxe" version one of our members luckily made.

Sounds impressive and effective! Any chance you could post a picture of it?

[paul]

My caving club has the "deluxe" version one of our members luckily made.

Sounds impressive and effective! Any chance you could post a picture of it?

Here you go!

As you can see, it actually has 10 brushes, not 8. That guy in the photo is Paul (not me, another one) who made it.

[ExtremeCaver32]

Whenever I clean my ropes I use the Bokrat rope washer device.
Hook up the outside water hose to the Bokrat rope washer, insert rope, and start cleaning.
Last step after using the Bokrat washing device, I hang dry my rope either outside or in my garge.

[GoHighGoDeep]

When I was in the UK, South Wales Caving Club had an interesting set up for washing ropes, consisting of a set of pulleys that you ran the rope through against a wall with a piece of that plastic-fake grass type brush against it, then you closed a door, with the same fake plastic grass/brush on the inside, which put the rope with brushes held tightly on both sides. then you turned a section of hose on over the top which let water run down through the brushes, and started pulling your rope through.


worked pretty well the few times i used it... although i'm sure putting your ropes in a front loading washing machine works pretty well too

[Jonathan]

I have used the pressure washer method, but with water only - in my driveway not at the car wash. for those that mentioned pushing dirt into the core of the rope. I'll go grind the end of my rope in some mud and pressure wash it for you, then cut off the end and split it open and you can see that the dirt does not get forced into the core. I was skeptical of this but tried it with a retired climbing rope first (my door matt) and now it is how i clean my caving ropes.

[Bil Davis]

[/quote]
Water in-of-itself can be abrasive, especially under high pressure and more so from those at car-washes. This isn't the same water used in homes and/or laundromats. That is to say it's largely unfiltered water coming straight off the main line(s). So I'd be careful with that. If the car-wash has gentle rinse cycle then okay... but otherwise...[/quote]

Actually you only have this half right. All water, even in your house comes straight off the mains. There is only one set of waterlines out there and they are all hooked to the hydrants and the small feeders to your house. However, car washes usually recycle their water, so you don't really know what is coming out of that pressure nozzle.

[Princess Butterfly]

Of course there's always the option of giving it to someone you trust to go pit bouncing with, cleaning the rope by letting little conical piles of dust build up on the top bar of their rack as they rappel.

And later you tell them that the purpose of the exercise was to let them practice how to drop bars and rappel on stiff rope.

[Lurah_GB]

take a look
http://www.pmirope.com/rigging-gear/