How to clean jute ropes for bondage
a very effective and simple method to remove stains from your ropes
Cleaning stained jute ropes with Sake
Alcohol has a lesser detrimental effect on jute fibre than water, and penetrates much better into compacted jute strands and yarns.
On the advice of professional cleaners, as a difficult stain to remove, we mashed blueberries, filtered the solid parts, and smeared the rope with the juice (left image below).
Use cheap Sake in a large pan. Note that Sake boils at ~78°C.
Just before the Sake boils, turn the heat down to minimum to simmer, and place your ropes into the pan, ensuring they are well covered, as Sake will evaporate at a faster rate than water.
Move the rope every few minutes. Most stains will disappear within 15 minutes.
Hang to air dry naturally with at least the following tension to bring the rope back to equilibrium:
- ø6mm 980g per metre rope
- ø5.5mm 900g per metre rope
- ø5.0mm 800g per metre rope
As you can see in the image (right image below), the faintest trace of the blueberry stain remains after 10 minutes in the Sake, and it may go completely with longer time.
Naturally, the rope may require re–oiling after washing.
below: image left - blueberry juice stained jute rope / image right - Sake cleaned jute rope
