Our testing matrix focused on four basic questions: Is the cleaning effectiveness of ordinary detergents and gentle detergents much different? Were there any differences if we used vigorous or gentle cycles? Could we protect the rope from damage by coiling and packing it in pillowcases? What effects do harsh cleaners have on the ropes?

Cleaners: We didn’t see measurable difference in cleaning effectiveness between Woolite and Tide. Everything stated in the lessons learned regarding Tide applies to Woolite.

Cycles: It became pretty obvious as we ran through the batches, that unless a gentle cycle was chosen, we risked serious rope damage unless every precaution was taken. The data clearly reflect this. The cleaning wasn’t much better on vigorous cycles when compared to ropes that were presoaked and daisy-chained. We eventually stopped vigorous cycle testing because of the damage it caused to the ropes and the washing machine.

Packaging: Pack all ropes in old pillowcases. We tested daisy-chained and coiled ropes side-by-side; daisy-chained ropes consistently came out cleaner and with less evidence of core slippage. When washing heavily soiled ropes, the pillowcase would interfere with cleaning since the heavy dirt couldn’t escape; if you have lines that are severely encrusted with marine growth, pre-soak, gently brush off the heavy growth, and then wash on the gentle cycle in a pillowcase. The effectiveness of pre-soaking was remarkable and the risk of damage to a sound rope when using this approach was very low.

Aggressive Chemicals: Stay away from strong cleaning chemicals. New England Ropes donated lengths of dock line, which they pre-stretched to simulate initial use. We then soaked them in a number of different bleach solutions, simulating real practices, rigger horror stories, and manufacturer horror stories. Although the damage wasn’t catastrophic, it was material. One practical problem encountered is that rinsing bleach from half-inch thick rope is very difficult. It was never clear how much bleach we left in the ropes, in spite of repeated and vigorous rinses. We also noticed that bleach simply didn’t do much that the sun wouldn’t do. Aluminum and grease stains did respond to bleach, as we saw in the polyester halyard we washed and bleached. As for acids—some suggest weak acids to remove lime deposits—we found battery acid would eat nylon rope in half in minutes, not hours, and weaker acids were still more damaging than bleach.