"Mild soap" for Washing Rope and Gear

Various sources--including manufacturers' sites--refer to using "mild soap" for washing your rope (slings and other gear, I guess). Some of these sources advise against using detergents. I've heard of "Ivory Snow" and "Woolite" as good choices for rope washing--but check on them and both are described as "detergents". So what "mild soap" is the rope-washing agent of choice?

Mr. D

Woolite is mild enough.

You can buy rope cleaner (soap) backcountry.com/beal-rope-c…

You can use just plain water to wash your rope.

Or, like me, you can not waste your time washing your rope!

Sterling sells rope soap packets, which I decided to try on a few of the FILTHY program ropes we use for work. Daisy-chain rope in a front-loader, run on delicate cycle, air dry. Works great!

FWIW, I have tried Woolite and hand-washing in a bathtub before, which came out OK, but this seems to have worked much better.

You could also use only water. You can soak in a bucket or daisy chain tie it and throw it in a front loader.

I understand Woolite is supposed to be somewhat acidic--so you might not
want to use it for ropes/slings.
Beal also makes a rope wash, I got a large bottle that'll last a lifetime
at Neptune Mountaineering sometimes back.
For clothing, use something like Nikwax to revive water resistance.

as a note ... dont use nikwax for reviving DWR if the original DWR was flurocarbon (dead bird, patagucci, etc...) ... use flurocarbon DWR revivers (grangers, revivex)

for ropes .... just use dish soap ... you can also use a touch of fabric softerner to soften up the rope

thats all there is to it

;)

Dish soap is full of shit I don't want on my rope, including fragrances. Buy a few extra rope wash packets - Sterling has the dose just right for the job - then you can give one to your dirtbag friend with the doity doity rope.

Use front load washers unless this is some emergency session. Top load washers twist the frack out of the rope and undo the daisy chain.

Faulted Geologist wrote:Dish soap is full of shit I don't want on my rope, including fragrances. Buy a few extra rope wash packets - Sterling has the dose just right for the job - then you can give one to your dirtbag friend with the doity doity rope. Use front load washers unless this is some emergency session. Top load washers twist the frack out of the rope and undo the daisy chain.

dont worry normal dish soap wont harm yr rope ... and if you actually use yr rope outdoors it wont be smelling very fresh in no time

as to "dirty ropes" ,,, its hilarious about how many whiners give up on "clean ropes" once they start doing moderate multipitch trad in squamish

those "dirtbags" are climbing harder and more than you ever will ... even with "dirty ropes"



;)

According to Black Diamond, Woolite actually contains a small amount of sulfuric acid... Sounds suspicious, especially considering it only reduced the strength of their test sample by 1%, but they claim it.

blackdiamondequipment.com/e…

Anyway, the main purpose of detergent is to remove stains, remove odors and brighten colors, none of which is important in a climbing rope. I would just wash it with water and call it a day. I've tried washing ropes both with and without soap and noticed absolutely no difference. The water was equally black each time, and the rope equally visibly cleaner each time.

1. Fill bathtub with water.
2. Flake rope into tub.
3. Soak
4. Flake rope on to floor, then back into tub, several times.
5. Air dry out of direct light for a day or two. Must by dry to the touch.
6. Rejoice in your clean rope!
7. Take clean rope climbing again.
8. Realize life is futile.
9. Repeat...

I just do mine in water but usually only if they get muddy or otherwise made haggard.

This seems to work on everything:

Except getting the patchouli smell out...

I have no idea if it would work on ropes...

just get a new life line.