how to disinfect flood gear

We couldn't bear to toss racks of climbing gear from a flooded Boulder basement, but I'm wondering how to best disinfect it. We've already rinsed, then washed in a weak Borax solution, and rinsed again just to get off the first round of mud. Things are dry now and out of the way, but need to be more thoroughly cleaned later. Is it OK to use a little bleach solution though or will that render the webbing on the cams etc unsafe? Any other suggestions for disinfecting?

UV - let that stuff dry in the sun a bit after cleaning and lubing.

Anything that will properly disinfect will weaken nylon. It may not weaken it much, but not worth trying tto salvage them IMHO. Cut the slings off, drop everything in a big pot of boiling water for 10 mins, remove with tongs and let air dry, send out cams to be reslung. Bonus points for choosing an outfit that offers complimentary cam lubing with each resling.

I think the a I've post is a bit over board IMO unless you plan to eat or drink your gear. I have been working in the flood myself. So I understand the incredible layers of mud you are dealing with.

Just wash with a mild soap and warm water. Let dry thoroughly. Lube cams. Done.

Thanks guys, for weighing in. Now that most of the gear is dry, it will probably sit around in boxes for some time while basement reconstruction happens. Maybe some of the cooties will die off before the next round of mud rinsing anyway!

LynnC wrote:Thanks guys, for weighing in. Now that most of the gear is dry, it will probably sit around in boxes for some time while basement reconstruction happens. Maybe some of the cooties will die off before the next round of mud rinsing anyway!

Do not use bleach on nylon!!! Do not use any type of solvent, agent, chemical, or other cleaning product. Just water. Nothing else (except rope wash if you really want). With that said, I would think that chlorine-free bleach might not weaken the material that much because chlorine is the primary damaging agent in bleach, but it is not worth the risk. Any manufacturer on Earth will tell you not to use bleach on climbing gear.

Also, bacteria is not likely to damage your gear so dont worry about disinfecting it. You washed it. That's good enough.

Jon H wrote:Anything that will properly disinfect will weaken nylon. It may not weaken it much, but not worth trying tto salvage them IMHO. Cut the slings off, drop everything in a big pot of boiling water for 10 mins, remove with tongs and let air dry, send out cams to be reslung. Bonus points for choosing an outfit that offers complimentary cam lubing with each resling.

Agree. Cams gonna have to be reslung. See if you can get something back on your homeowners or renters insurance on expenses to replace.

Lynn, thanks for taking care of my rack! You and Sarah and Sue are the best!

I'm planning to have a sling cutting party at some point and sending the cams to Michael at Wired Bliss for new ones. But this is pretty low on the priority list at the moment. :)

Maybe call the cam manufacturers and ask the experts? I think I'd trust them more than all us fools on the forums who are just guessing :).

I work with sewn nylon and Dyneema every day. Unfortunately, I have to recommend throwing out the nylon. What else was in the basement during the flood? What was in the flood waters? It might be safe but I wouldn't risk my life on it. It's not the mud or the soaking, it's the unknowns that would worry me.

I am on the conservative side, but it suspect that all of us who work with this stuff are on that side of things as well.

^this!