Cleaning Tiedown Ropes
This year, during the annual, I remembered to wash the tie down ropes that my C-180 has. Figured it would be worth a mention, something else to do at the condition inspection.
Rope is able to handle being wet. I've never noticed that rope shrinks.
If the ropes are coiled up, uncoil them. Just chuck them into the washer by themselves. Set the machine for extra rinse and high-speed spin. I use warm water and my regular clothing detergent unless the ropes smell a bit moldy, and then I use Oxi Clean. Don't use bleach.
To dry them, I'll simply put them on a rack or even on a tile floor. This is a dry climate and they dry overnight. I don't bother untangling them until they've dried. They're short enough so that tangling doesn't matter; they're easy to untangle. If you've got children, it's something for them to do.
By the way, if they get wet in use and they're still wet when you're loading up to leave, put the ropes on top. The air at altitude is often less humid than down low and they'll dry faster. But it takes a lot of flying to dry ropes that way. Still, it's better than putting them at the bottom.
Dave
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