A duh moment

[SurryMark]

Does everybody in the world know this, but it escaped me all these years? I had a nice bit of braided line that would be perfect to rig a jiffy reef, but it had lain around in the wrong places and was all scuzzy. I thought, "why not the washing machine?" Bingo. It came out pretty as new. (no dryer) I only mention it in the unlikely event that there's one other member who both cut home-ec class, and who occasionally lets a line get untidy.

[Steve Laume]

Yup Mark, you are the very last guy to know. Not.

Washing machines are great for those salty stiff lines. Some people recommend fabric softener as well. I have never used fabric softener on anything in my life and I don't even know if we have any, so I haven't tried that yet.

I did my beautiful, classic, plaid, cushion covers last year after someone posted it was okay to put them in the washer.

Don't overlook the utility of your dishwasher either. Cheap sunglasses come out sparkling as do a host of other things you could throw in there besides dishes.

Enjoy those fresh clean lines, Steve.

[SurryMark]

Steve,
I HAVE a dishwasher, but it's full and I don't know how to get my stuff out. And I have a sweetie who talks about fabric softeners, but she knows when to back off. But what I'm really keen about is your original CD plaids. I'd put them in a lockbox for your retirement.

Sorry for the original Harry Homeowner post. The freewheeling-or-fixed prop thread made me think that anything goes here.

[Steve Laume]

Sorry for the original Harry Homeowner post. The freewheeling-or-fixed prop thread made me think that anything goes here.

I always thought it did too!?

As long as you are nice, Steve.

[J D]

Hi Mark, I found I could tie a line on my halyards so I could hall the end to the top, wash rinse and soften it in a tub at the base of the mast then haul it back and do the same with the other end.
gets them nice and they don't have to come down to do it.

[SurryMark]

Hi Mark, I found I could tie a line on my halyards so I could hall the end to the top, wash rinse and soften it in a tub at the base of the mast then haul it back and do the same with the other end.
gets them nice and they don't have to come down to do it.

Whoa! You post an ordinary observation and you get back this testimony to seamanship! Wotta group!

[Michael Heintz]

Perhaps yall know this BUT my favorite new cleaning product is Tilex mold and mildew cleaner...talk about duh.....my Doger had accumulated a fair bit of mold....black spots......I soaked it down and sprayed Tilex and scrubbed with a brush OMG it looked like new.

The interior curtains.......yep originals 22 yrs old...looked a bit tired and spotted with mildew.....PRESTO OMG look like new...however beware the rubber backing got a bit funky...but they look like new.......hmmmmmmm started cleaning all the storage areras you know the roughly finished fiberglass....sprayed Tilex came back bout half hour later presto never been cleaner.

Ok OK I’ve probable been breathin to much of this sh_t. But boy does it work.

Man, found myself in the shower stall the other day, couldn’t help myself…….sprayed Tilex in the stall….man cleanest that’s been in a while……..

Mmmmm I might need help…….

[Warren Kaplan]

What a clean lookin' vessel ya' got there!! I have a bottle of Tilex in my shower at home all the time. Never though about the boat though!!

[Michael Heintz]

Warren,

bring that Tilex down to SQN and give her a good cleanin

[mahalocd36]

Hey - the active ingredient in Tilex is bleach, isn't it?
If so, this needs to go in Dean's fear of cleaning with bleach thread

[Michael Heintz]

so .....what's your point...

You gata a problem with bleach....

[drysuit2]

This month's "Good Old Boat" has a pretty detailed article on the do's & don'ts, gains & losses of washing line.

I personally have soaked them in detergent, Oxy Clean, and fabric softener. But I do not like the idea of all that agitation in the washing machine. I'm worried about separating the cover from the core, and tangles.

[Wayne Grenier]

Here is the secret-anything you can use to clean a fiberglass or porcelain tub or shower with-will work on your boat-tilex-bon-amie or bar keepers friend or any other mildly abrasive bleach product-gel toilet bowl cleaner works very well on water line stains as well-so do not ever buy any exspensive boat cleaining products-
also-any automotive compound or wax or polish works as well as any "boat wax"-automotive wet sand paper and 3M machine finishing compound and polishing compound will bring back your gel coat like new-Iknow this for a fact-but its great when you have a boat like a CApe Dory with a thick gel coat-the old Pearsons and Bristols also can be brought back to glistening new-

[Joe Myerson]

I'm with Frank: All the agitation gives me agita.

Instead, I fill a plastic trashcan with warmish water, add a few drops of dish detergent and slosh my lines around in it.

Than, I add fabric softener. It works well, but I don't do it every year--not because I'm worried about deterioration of the line but because I'm just lazy.

--Joe

[Paul D.]

Greetings fellow sailors,

A great trick I learned from my climbing and ropes course days is to first daisy chain the line for the entire length, then throw in the washer on delicate - to take care of those agitation woes, and a little Woolite. The mild soap does no harm and loosens the dirt out of the fibers. It is the dirt or sand in the fibers of the core that kills line - as well as UV on the sheath. So if you have a dirty rope all the stretching under load is wearing it down pretty good. It is fine to wash like this every time they look dirty or feel gritty. I only do it every few years if that as we got a clean sailing area. Near a city with more dirty air, or in dusty conditions I would do more.

I did lots of study and had lots of conversations about rope and loads and manufacturing and breaking strengths with Sampson and New England Rope folks - the makers of the specialty climbing ropes we used and I believe they are much stronger than we normally think, and not the weak link in the chain! Just keep them clean and out of the sun when possible (Hear this you guys who don't send up messenger lines for winter storage!) and prevent them from getting stepped on and they will last a long time indeed. I don't mean to come off a bit too proud here, but I did make a living with line for over seven years and sent thousands of people up hundreds of feet with the stuff. So I feel like I had a rather intimate relationship with the stuff, and still get all coiled up when someone is tying the wrong knot for a job!

To daisy chain, start at one end and pass a loop through a loop all the way down, this prevents the line from tangling up in the washer and you can hang to dry in a much smaller space. To undo, just pull the end. It is guaranteed to win friends and influence sailors. Here is a video of someone doing it.

http://revver.com/video/266244/how-to-s ... isy-chain/

All the best,
Paul