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Cleaning Mooring Lines


plainsman

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I washed my lines last year and seems they are due another clean.  I put them in the auto washer but it occurred to me that I would be washing out the natural oils.  I wondered about a mix of baby oil in the rise water or fabric softener.  Any ideas? Incidentally the wash brought out a fair bit of grit.

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7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Not sure how much natural oil there is in any of the synthetic ropes. As I use modern polyprop. synthetic hemp I would just put them in the washing machine (when the wife was out). Maybe in a pillowcase or two to try to stop them tangling.

Blimey Tony if I did that she would still find out as I obviously don't know how to operate a washing machine!! You will be telling me you use a windlass next!! ;) 

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12 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Blimey Tony if I did that she would still find out as I obviously don't know how to operate a washing machine!! You will be telling me you use a windlass next!! ;) 

Men are not supposed to use a windlass, the clue is in the name "wind" "lass", it's more of an instruction than a name :)

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Ours are "synthetic hemp", from Tradline, put them in a pillowcase in the washing machine.  As washing machines are not my department ;-),  I am not sure what is used detergent wise but I think just non-bio.  They come up very clean!

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4 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Ours are "synthetic hemp", from Tradline, put them in a pillowcase in the washing machine.  As washing machines are not my department ;-),  I am not sure what is used detergent wise but I think just non-bio.  They come up very clean!

Likewise.

The first year I owned the boat,  I hand washed them in a bucket.  Took ages and they didn't come up that clean, since then I' got the wife to put them in the washing machine.

Edited by cuthound
To unmangle the effects of autocorrect
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If your mooring lines are Nylon then they will become much more flexible by adding about 2% by weight of boiling water,

Nylon is hydroscopic and will easily absorb hot water, - fill a bucket and let them soak for a few hours.

During Summer or prolonged periods of low humidity the Nylon will 'dry-out' and become stiff and brittle.

 

Edit to add :

Your lover, wife or girlfriend (in whatever order you wish) can soften their 'nylons' by soaking them in a tub of boiling water.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Nylon is hydroscopic and will easily absorb hot water

Honey is also hygroscopic, so after cleaning my ropes in the river I give them a good soak in Honey.It also has the added benefit of sticking to the bollards better.

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3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Not sure how much natural oil there is in any of the synthetic ropes. As I use modern polyprop. synthetic hemp I would just put them in the washing machine (when the wife was out). Maybe in a pillowcase or two to try to stop them tangling.

I did that last Saturday. Centre line and one mooring warp at a time. Worked fine. (one bio capsule and no softener).

No hassle, one of the very few advantages of being a widower.

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3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Blimey Tony if I did that she would still find out as I obviously don't know how to operate a washing machine!! You will be telling me you use a windlass next!! ;) 

I am very careful - especially after I got caught with a load of old capillary matting from the greenhouse in the machine!

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