Rope Care

After every session

Most rope never needs a full wash. Washing is hard on jute, so the less you do it, the longer your rope lasts.

• Shake it out and air it. Hang it loosely or drape it over something for a few hours before you bundle it up, so any sweat or moisture can escape.
• Run it through your hands. Feel for damp spots, stiff patches, thin strands or anything that snags.
• Spot clean small marks. A cloth dampened with cool water takes care of dust and light surface grime. Let that spot dry before you put the rope away.
• Store it loose and dry. Never hank or bag a rope that is even a little damp.

When it needs a real wash

• It has been in contact with body fluids, lube or massage oil.
• It got wet with anything other than clean water, or got dirty outdoors.
• It smells musty, or just not like rope anymore.

A note on hygiene. Jute is porous, so no amount of washing will truly sterilize it. If a rope has had a lot of fluid contact, we suggest keeping it as a dedicated rope for that partner.

How to wash it

1. Tie it up so it can't tangle. A chain sinnet (daisy chain) or a loose hank tied in a couple of places keeps 30 feet of wet rope from turning into a bird's nest.

2. Use cool or lukewarm water and a little mild soap. An unscented wool wash or a few drops of castile soap is plenty. No hot water, no bleach, no fabric softener, and never boil it.

3. Soak and squeeze, don't scrub. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then gently knead it. Scrubbing and wringing will fuzz and weaken the fibers.

4. Rinse in clean, cool water until the water runs clear and the soap is gone.

5. Squeeze out what you can. Press the water out with your hands or roll it up in a towel. Don't twist it.

Wash dyed ropes on their own. A little color may come out in the water, especially the first time. That's normal, but keep them away from anything light colored.

How to dry it

This is the part that matters most. Jute swells and shortens when it's wet, and if it dries loose it can shrink, kink and stiffen unevenly. Drying it straight and under light tension keeps the lay of the rope where it belongs.

1. Undo it right away. Take the rope out of its chain or hank as soon as it's washed.

2. Hang it straight, under a little tension. Tie each end to something sturdy and hang a light weight, about a pound, from the middle. Or hang it from one end and tie a light weight to the other. Snug, not stretched hard. Keep the rope at least a foot off the floor to give the rope room to stretch.

3. Keep the heat away. No dryer, no radiator, no hair dryer, and not in hot direct sun. Air does the work. A fan nearby speeds things up.

4. Give it time. Expect one to two days. Check the thickest parts, like the knotted ends. It's done when it feels dry all the way through, not just on the surface.

Just got caught in the rain? If it only got wet with clean water, skip the wash and go straight to drying it under tension.

Reconditioning

Water and soap strip out the wax and oils that keep jute soft. After a wash your rope will feel stiffer, drier and a bit hairier than it did. That's expected, and it's easy to fix.

Once the rope is completely dry, recondition it with our Rope Wax. Press the rope down onto the wax, and pull it through a few times until a visible layer of wax is on the rope. There are two methods we recommend:

Option 1: Work a small amount along the length of the rope, then run it through your hands a few times to spread it evenly. It brings back the softness and helps protect the fibers until the next wash.

Option 2: Place the rope in the oven at the lowest possible temperature just long enough to melt the wax ('Keep Warm' function works well for this). This allows the oils to penetrate the rope. Finish it off with one more light coat of wax and apply it using option 1.

Heavy use will wear the conditioning down even without washing, so give your rope a refresh whenever it starts feeling dry or rough. You can add a Rope Wax to any order.

When to retire a rope

Check your rope often, and stop using it if you find:

• Mold or mildew spots, or a musty smell that won't wash out.
• Strands that are thin, broken, brittle or badly frayed.
• The threads are untwisted and won't lay flat together.
• Soft or weak spots that feel different from the rest of the rope.

When in doubt, retire it. It's your cat's turn to finally get to play with it.