Learned why my climbing rope was getting stiff way too fast

Honestly, I was at a local gear shop in Portland last week and overheard a guy talking about how he washes his ropes with cold water and a specific mild soap, not hot water or detergent with fabric softeners. He said heat and chemicals break down the nylon fibers over time, making them stiff and less safe. I always just threw mine in the machine on warm with whatever soap I had, but he said that's exactly why my 11.5mm rope felt like a board after 6 months. I'm gonna start hand washing in a bucket with something like Sterling Rope Wash every 4-5 climbs instead. Has anyone else noticed a big difference after switching up their rope care routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

noaht159d ago

Hand washing a rope in a bucket? Next you'll be telling me I need to dry clean my climbing shoes. Sounds like overkill but I guess treating nylon better than my gym shorts makes sense.

mila_murphy219d ago

Yeah but honestly drying your climbing shoes in the sun will wreck them way faster than any rope care routine. I learned that the hard way after leaving a pair out on the porch thinking fresh air would help the smell. Came back and the rubber was cracked like an old tire. Anyway back to the rope thing, I get why it sounds dumb but dirt acts like sandpaper inside the sheath. I saw a guy's rope snap at the gym once and the core was basically dust from grinding grit in for months. So yeah maybe overkill for weekend warriors but if you're projecting hard or taking whips regularly it's worth the bucket treatment. Just don't use hot water or soap with fabric softener or you'll turn that thing into a noodle.

phoenixb349d ago

Hand washing is legit. I switched to cold water and a tiny bit of rope specific soap a year ago and my 9.8mm feels way softer way longer. Machine washing beats up the nylon over time even on gentle cycle. The friction from the drum plus any leftover detergent residue stiffens things up quick. For the price of a good rope it's dumb not to spend 10 minutes with a bucket every month. Grit in the sheath is no joke either.