Fabric Softener for Lines

[joe.baar]

I'm trying to track down a recipe for softening mooring lines. Corps of Engineers requires 2x 50' lines for using the locks between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Last year I brought the boat 2x 1/2" 3-strand nylon lines with 12" eyes spliced in one end of each line, per the Corps' requirements. The nylon was, and remains, so stiff it's barely usable.

I tried washing the lines in hot water with Woolite and Calgon water softener and then putting them in the dryer with 4 fabric softener sheets. This doesn't seem to have made the lines any more pliable. What am I missing? I wasn't able to find any kind of product labelled "fabric softener" that I could pour into the washing machine.

Probably should have gone for the regular old braid the first time but now that I have the 3-strand I don't want to toss it. Help. Thanks.

[jleonard]

We wash our lines annually and soak them in fabric softener to keep then soft . It works well.
Do NOT put them in a washing machine. It will make "hockles" in the strands. Not all the time but normally at least one of the lines in the batch.
We use a 5 gal bucket with dtergent and water and put the lines in. They soak for a week at least. I swish the bucket a couple of times every day. Then I rinse them and refill the bucket with fabric softener and let them soak for at least a couple of days.
Remove them and let them air dry and they are soft and supple and they smell nice too.

[joe.baar]

"...refill the bucket with fabric softener..."
What product is this fabric softener? All I can find here is small sheets of some kind of cloth that go into the dryer with clothes.

Thanks for stepping through your process with me. Is the line you're referring to braided or stranded?

[Pitou]

Consumer Reports list of their favorite liquid softeners : LIQUIDS
Ecover • Final Touch • Great Value (Wal-Mart) Everyday Elegance #7250 • Method • Mrs. Meyers Clean Day • Nice n Fluffy Escape • Purex Ultra Soft (Plus Renuzit) • Snuggle Concentrate • Snuggle Exhilarations • Ultra Downy • Ultra Downy With Febreze • Ultra Gain Joyful Expressions

I was told to mixed the softener as per bottles instructions (I figured 5 gallons was a small/medium load) with warm water in the 5 gallon pail and as stated prior give the rode a long soak and agitate and turn the rode daily. This is primarily a solution for 3 strand ... I have done it successfully with braided dock lines as well. Snuggle was on the grocery store shelf in my area.

[Cape Codder]

I've rinsed twice with fresh water.
Then 1 cup of softener in a 5 gallon pail.
Add line, and fill with water, let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Dump, rinse, remove lines and allow to dry thoroughly before storage.

[RobS]

You know it's non-boating season when we have a thread (no pun intended) with "Fabric Softener" in the title....

[Legacy]

I agree with Rob, in future posts let's change the term "fabric softener" to "cordage pliability compound"

[Pitou]

I had to think twice about what I was doing when posting the Consumer report recomendations ..... felt like a chick! Termanaology changed ... thanks guys. I knew someone would jump on this.

[joe.baar]

I too was really sure those were the wrong words as soon as I saw them on the screen but I couldn't find any other references on the board. This information is definitive and I'm about to head out and search for one of those products. Thanks to everyone for your help.

[jleonard]

I used Downy......it was in the "cordage pliability compound" aisle at Price Chopper. err, I mean West Marine.

[chiefrcd]

I tried the fabric softner and it worked to a degree. I used a 5 gallon bucket and two cups of Downy Liquid. Let it soak over night and layed it out on the dock to try ( 200') of 5/8 threeply nylon. It did seem to soften the rope and I got a chance to untwist it while it was off the boat. I all worked for about two months and I was back to having someone on the deck helping retrieve the anchor rode every time I had to pull it. I went to "Brait" line and have not had a single issue with anchor retrieval. No one up on a pitching deck, no twist, no hockels.

[Mariner]

"...refill the bucket with fabric softener..."
What product is this fabric softener? All I can find here is small sheets of some kind of cloth that go into the dryer with clothes.

Thanks for stepping through your process with me. Is the line you're referring to braided or stranded?

You can't find liquid fabric softener? Where do you shop? Every grocery store has it. Downy is the most common name brand, but I buy mine generic in bulk at Costco. It sits in a large jug above the washing machine right next to the detergent.

Ask your wife, I assure you she'll know what liquid fabric softener is, and where to find it.

[jcollins]

I agree with Rob, in future posts let's change the term "fabric softener" to "cordage pliability compound"

I like that!

[chiefrcd]

Here is some FYI that might be of intrest:

http://www.yalecordage.com/html/pdf/anchoring_tech.pdf

[Pitou]

Chief .... good stuff.

After reading all the previous posts about brait yours included and coming upon your link a couple of weeks ago ... , I've decided I'm not going to screw around anymore and play the test along with Imtra game though what they offered to me seemed pretty good / the season is too short up my way ... new Horizon 500 in hand and plan to put 100 ft. of chain and 150 ft. of brait on for a rode. I should have taken your advice 2 years ago from a thread started by the missed, IMHO, TomCat Rio. A belated thank you to you!