What NOT to do

Do not wet the rope

If the rope gets wet, you have to dry it under tension. Tie it between 2 points, keeping it as straight as possible. Each ply might make the rope more fragile.

Do not put the rope in an airtight container

Rope is always a bit humid. If you leave it in an airtight bag, the rope might mold. Keep it inside a drawer or in a bag that breathes! Careful; cedar & pine furniture will absorb moisture making them quite dry if left for too long.

Do not pull on individual threads or strands

The rope is made from 3 strands. When using it, you have to be very careful to pull on the whole rope, and not on only one strand.

What to do

Use the rope frequently

By using the rope frequently, they will stay in a good shape; sebum on your partner’s skin will keep them oiled.

Replace the rope

When it gets older, the lay of the rope might move towards one end or the other when you use it. You can see this by looking at the ends and seeing that they are wavy. It may be because you are squeezing your ropes too hard. To fix this, gently squeeze the rope from one end and dress them a couple times, back and forth, until you feel it has been evened out.

Oil your rope

If you spend many months without using it, the rope might get dry. In that case, use a cloth with a little bit of mineral oil, and rub it all the way from one end to the other, and do that again on the way back. The oil will make the rope supple and soft again!

How to treat your own rope

There are many ways to treat rope when it is untreated.
Or maybe you want to add additional steps to some already treated rope.
Or maybe it got dirty and you need to wash it. (Do not do this often)

Most rope today is thrown in the dryer as a means to evaporate JBO and friction it making it soft all at once, this does make a tangled mess though and leads to the treatment process and general costs of treated rope.

When you wash rope the process is even longer, the following is a step by step for that method that you may need to do for yourself at some point. For one reason or another.

WASH IT (OPTIONAL)

To wash the rope, you must boil it for about 10 minutes. Take a big pot and bring water to a boil. Put the ropes in and let them boil for 5-10 minutes. The wet rope becomes very hard so it is very important that you make sure there are no knots in the rope, or very loose ones, before putting it in the water. When the time is up, empty the pot and let the ropes sit for a few minutes until they get less hot, before continuing to the next step. Some people will rinse and repeat, 5min, 5min, 5min, until the water becomes more clear.

DRY & STRETCH IT

(If washed)

Hang your ropes so that they do not touch the ground and let them dry for at lease 24 hours, or until the ropes are completely dry.

FRICTION THE ROPE

To make the ropes more supple, you need to friction it. You can either put the ropes in a pillowcase, close it, and put it in the tumble dryer for an hour, low-heat. You can alternatively setup a carabiner and pass the rope inside, twist the rope on itself a couple times, and pull repetitively on either side of the rope to rub it on itself (I do mine 6 times on each side, such a work out!), this tends to give you more control over how supple your rope gets. It also generally gives the ropes a tighter lay.

Burning the fuzz with a torch

Be prepared

You don't want to be running around with a live torch. Have it affixed and make sure you have a fire extinguisher nearby. Some people will use a portable BBQ for this step but it does tend to have a stronger more particular smell.

Oil it

Finally, you need to oil the rope.

Use mineral, camelia, jojoba or horse oil, and put it in a small container. Use a cloth or your hand to grab a bit of oil, and rub it on the rope from one end to the other, until you like the feeling of the rope.

WAX it (optional)

Some people put beez wax on their ropes. after you apply the wax you put them in the oven for a few minutes to heat the wax and fibers so that they soak up the oil and wax, sealing them.
(DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH THE ELEMENT)

There are also "butters" available that some people use but the feeling will be vastly different from one way to the next so ask around, feel ropes, find a method you enjoy. That's the point, your ropes, your hands but also think of your partners and ask them too.