Sterling Rope Wash
Proper care extends the life expectancy of a rope, and cleaning is a major component of care. The biodegradable Sterling Rope Wash is gentle but effective for cleaning one rope.
- Biodegradable technical wash
- 1 fl. oz. package cleans one rope
- Package dimensions: 5 x 3 in.
- Weight: 1.2 oz.
Made in USA.
| Best Use | Climbing |
|---|---|
| Biodegradable | Yes |
| Volume | 1 fluid ounce |
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Unsure if the detergent contributed anything...
I had never considered washing my climbing ropes, but that was because adding any sort of chemical (even a mild detergent) always seemed taboo. Besides, without an "official task" of reviewing this product, my wife would have likely balked at the idea of my climbing rope in her washing machine. My current rope is a few years old and has definitely seen some abuse. It was heavily soiled in spots. I captured several details prior to washing in the attached photos. As a control, I covered a moderately soiled length of the rope with a piece of plastic wrap and secured it in place with some cable ties. After washing, the rope was only slightly cleaner to either side of the area I protected. It is not possible to say whether the detergent was responsible for the improvement or simply water plus agitation. I may try again using only water. The rope wash did not remove any heavy stains, but the process of washing did remove much of the surface level dirt. I am not sure whether this would have been removed by simply washing with nothing more than water and some agitation in the washing machine. In other words, the trip through the washing machine did little more than rinse the dust and dirt off I would have expected to come off with simply water. Understanding the nature of soaps and detergents, it is possible that the soap would have had more impact on "organic" stains. I would describe the contamination on my rope more as "mineral". Uncoiling and washing the rope - even with the ends tied together as suggested - turned out to be quite a chore. I don't know that it would be worth the effort to do again. As to the issue of "a clean rope is a safer rope" (on the product label), I have my doubts. It may be that removing the dirt causes the rope to bite in the ATC more effectively, but I sincerely doubt this. We are in a week of below freezing weather, and I cannot get out to climb.
Mixed Results for Hand Washing
I recently tried Sterling Rope Wash to clean my indoor gym rope. It's a clear liquid that comes in a foil package with instructions on the back for hand washing or machine washing. I don't trust the communal washing machine in our apartment building to not contaminate a life safety rope, so I followed the hand washing instructions, which was a lot of tiring work. The water turned brown and almost opaque, indicating that dirt was being removed, but after following the instructions exactly and rinsing thoroughly and leaving the rope on a rack to air dry for 5 days, it still felt sticky, and my hands were visibly dirty after running along it, so it was disappointing for the amount of manual labor required. Some strands looked very clean while others looked dirty, but I guess it was that way before washing. After mentioning that I washed it, a friend at the gym commented that it looked very clean, so it did work somewhat. I suspect it would work a lot better in a washing machine, if that's an option.
Perfect rope cleaner
Sterling rope was works wonders even on an old rope! It’s easy to use and does the job really well! I’ve had my rope for several years and it’s been all over the US. I do use a rope bag to help protect it, but taking a rope outside gets it dirty. Not to mention the dust that gets in the rope from QuickDraws. My rope was super dirty and in needing of some TLC. Even flaking it into the tub you can see it gets my hand dirty. After going through the steps provided on the rope wash, my rope is all clean! I’m super happy with how well it did. My rope doesn’t look like new (because it’s not), but it did get a TON of dirt out of my rope and that’s what I care about . Absolutely would recommend this to anyone who needs to clean up their rope too.
Great way to clean ropes
Sterling rope wash is a great tool to keep your common use ropes in tip top shape. Climbers always strive to keep ropes clean - but let’s be honest, that isn’t always possible. Enter rope wash. Sterling’s rope wash product arrives in a small packet and is good to clean one full size rope. You can use it in a washing machine or just a large bucket. I used it in an old cooler and it was super easy to get the gross stuff out of my mountaineering rope. Note: make sure you read the directions and daisy chain your rope (to prevent twisting during the washing process)
Dusty Rope Turned New
Used this to wash my dusty old workhorse. I’ve climbed extensively with this rope in dusty SoCal and frequently forget a tarp, etc. this rope has definitely been abused. After washing with the rope wash I can legitimately say I was surprised at how clean and new it looked. This was a rope that would leave your hands black after a single pitch and after one wash it seriously looks like new. Would definitely recommend this product to restore your ropes.
Very Dirty Rope
My Metolius rope was basically turning my hands black every time I belay. When I received this to use I was excited to see what it could do. The instructions recommended a couple options to wash your rope; washer (no agitator recommended) or by hand in a bath tub or large cooler. I decided to wash by hand since I had no access to a washer without an agitator and I was afraid the rope would get damaged or have kinks in it. I soaked the rope in the detergent and water for about 40 minutes and agitated by hand and began rinsing and draining on repeat. A LOT of dirt came off the rope and I continued to repeat rinsing and draining. After about 10 cycles the runoff water was beginning to get less cloudy and I called it quits. I've got the rope hanging away from the sun with a fan on it and while it is much less dirty, it's still got a little dirt on it. I understand it probably can't be perfect and my expectations were probably very high that the rope would be clean like laundry. Next time I'm going to find a washer without an agitator to wash my rope and try it again. Overall though it wasn't a bad experience and it's nice knowing this detergent was made to wash rope and not damage it.
Works greay
The Sterling Rope Wash worked great for hand washing in a bucket with warm water. Our rope was nasty, leaving black streaks on our hands, almost gray, but now it has color again! Looking forward to using it again.
Quick and easy
The rope cleaner was mostly okay, I ended up having to rinse my rope more than I expected with it but I did not use a rope brush so that might have helped. Overall good solution if you just need a quick and easy wash.