Care and Maintenance of Rope - bondage tutorial

How do you wash your rope? How do you take care of it?

From time to time you will get fluids on your rope—either on crotch ropes, from someone enjoying their bondage quite a lot, or from a spilled beverage. This is when you should consider washing your ropes—and if you play with multiple partners, always wash your rope if it has been exposed to bodily fluids. You may also choose to wash your ropes more often if that is your preference (especially if your ropes get dirty on the ground, or have been in storage for a long time), with an awareness that excessive washing can require replacing ropes more often.

There are two options for washing rope—using a washing machine, and boiling (see page 23). Here is my process for cleaning rope in a washing machine.

Detangle your rope. This can sometimes be the toughest job of all.

Find the two ends of the rope, thus folding the rope in half.

Lay the rope on a flat surface, and make a loop with the loose ends underneath the long folded part of the rope.

Put your fingers into the loop you have created, and grab some of the line from the long part of the rope. Pull 1-2 inches (3-5 cm) up through the loop.

Reach through the newest loop you have just created, grab some of the line from the long part of the rope, and pull it up through the loop

Repeat this process until you have created a long chain of rope. Stop 5-6 inches (12-15 cm) from the folded end (bight) of the rope.

Take the folded end (bight) of the rope and pull it through the last loop you created to keep the chain from unraveling. Pull tight.

Repeat steps 1-7 with each of the ropes you want to wash. Take the chain(s) you have made and put them in a lingerie bag (nylon mesh bag used for putting women’s lingerie in the washing machine) or a pillowcase (closing with an overhand knot).

Throw in washing machine on the medium/warm setting with laundry soap and/or color-safe bleach.

Some folks tumble dry their ropes on medium/warm as well. Others dry their rope in the dryer on a setting with no heat. As always, the choice is yours. The other option for washing rope (for rugged natural fibers like hemp and jute) is to boil your ropes. Follow the directions for treating hemp for washing dirty rope.

Gifting dirty ropes to the person whose fluids are on them is also a great option. I recommend that every Bottom have their own crotch rope so that they know that what is between their legs will be clean. If you are unsure if the rope can be cleaned, use a new rope. Your Bottom’s health and safety are worth it.

To store your rope, keep it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. You can use a “toy chest,” backpack, duffel bag, “toy drawer,” or a bin under the bed. If you rarely use your rope, I recommend that you store your ropes loosely coiled/chained so that the ropes do not get bends in them from extended storage.

If you use your ropes regularly, store them in a way that makes them easiest to use. After all, if you are going for style points, it is best for Tops to not have to fumble with, or have to untie knots, mid-scene.

Check your ropes regularly for flaws, damage or debris that may have gotten snagged in them. Ropes get caught on nails, pick up loose material from the floors of dungeons or bedrooms, and simply age with active use. If a rope has a particularly worn point on it, cut it in two—you can make a broken-down 30ft rope into two very usable 15ft ropes this way!

Now that we know how to negotiate our scenes, prepare for a scene, and choose and take care of our rope, let’s go tie some folks up!