Cleaning your Rope

[Pcgiguide]

Cleaning our climbing rope is one of those things that we think about doing, but may rarely do. As a PCGI guide in Joshua Tree, CA having dependable & trustworthy gear is a top priority for me. Having clean equipment also makes clients feel safer. I am trying the Sterling Rope soap to wash my rope. What soaps have you had good success with & how often do you wash your rope?

[REI-TaggartL]

Hey @Pcgiguide ,  Great question and one I am interested to hear form others on!

I have used Tech Wash in the past before I switched to Edelwiess Rope Wash this past year.  I have never used a machine to wash the ropes just my hand in a tub with some elbow grease.  I feel like I see  more dirt come out with the Edelwiess Rope Wash, but I might have just been getting my ropes dirtier that particular season.  As to the frequency, I dont have a set schedule or count of climbs, if I find that my hands are a bit dirty (almost a black soot / film) from packing my rope up I make a mental note to clean them.  But I dont climb as much as I would like so lately its been every other season. It should be noted I only have dry core / dry sheath ropes in my rack and my experience in cleaning them is limited to that style rope. 

I hope this helps.  Please report back to how the Sterling Wash works for you!! 

[Pcgiguide]

 Thank you for your reply. I didn’t notice a big difference with the sterling rope wash. I did do it in my washing machine as suggested without the agitator in the middle. I have seen a rope brush, but they have always seemed expensive for what they are. Has anyone used one, and was it worth it do you think?