Hey #TeamSlush ! Throughout the years, I've had so many discussions with others about taking care / maintaining their Slushropes (aka Slurps)! In this blog, I've put together some tips on do's and dont's so you can avoid mistakes that's been made in the past.
The first thing I want to say is this: wear and tear on your ropes is completely normal. It is part of using it. Ropes are made out of countless of threads braided over and over again, on top of each other. When the rope hits the ground, there is friction against the threads. I can relate to wanting to keep our flow ropes in 10/10 condition, but if it helps... our ropes aren't meant to stay in brand new condition forever - unless you only plan to display it.
Throughout my years as Slushropes, I cannot count the amount of times I've had conversations about keeping one's rope in pristine condition. First, I just want to say "to each, their own". There is no wrong or right, it's merely just an opinion or rather one's preference. However, at a certain point I genuinely believe that we benefit the most from the practice by using the damn thing over displaying it as a piece of art. The art will show in your flow, don't forget!
Second, your flow rope isn't supposed to stay in brand new condition so use it. Abuse it. In fact, all flow ropes that I sell are GUARANTEED FOR LIFE. If it breaks or snaps, I will replace it. Easy. Peasy. Lemon Squeezy.
Third, (and this is just my personal preference), ropes that show a lot of wear and tear are ropes that tell a story. It shows character. Think about it. When you see someone using a beat up rope, it says "I've been putting in the work". As someone who produces flow ropes, you might think that I'm always using a brand new rope. The opposite is true. In fact, I rather use my worn-out-beat-up-oldie ropes. Why? Because I've had time to get to know the rope. The break in period has been completed.
Next thing I'd love to discuss is washing your rope... especially in the washing machine. My personal recommendation is this: if you can avoid it, just don't it. There are many of us that have an extremely valid reason as to why we would want to wash our ropes. I've heard so many stories like dogs peeing or pooping on their rope LOL Or maybe getting mud on your rope. If you ever find yourself (and hopefully never) in a similar situation, here are some tips for ya'll!
Tip: Hand wash, and only wash what you really need to.
After the wash, you will find that your flow rope will stiffen up - hence why I discourage everyone from doing this as much as they can. One way to hack this is to go another round but this time use a fabric softener. Use your best judgment and do this at your own risk.
I can guarantee you that there is a 99% chance that after wash, your rope will never be the same. You might need to break it in once again. Again, do this at your own risk and only do so if you REALLY HAVE TO.
There are definitely some other options that are safer. You may use Clorox/Lysol wipes to remove stains. If you are thinking of washing your ropes for sanitary reasons, you may use disinfectant spray.
If you are someone who wants to maintain the aesthetics of your rope, get a gym mat! This helps a ton! If no mat is available, try to look for non-abrasive surfaces. Surfaces such as concrete is extremely abrasive to the threads braided around your rope - there is not much we can do about it. However, I do want to say that even on rough surface Slurps won't snap in half.
If you are someone who already owns a beat up rope or maybe you want the best of both worlds, you can add electric tape (or any form of tape) around the center of your rope. Personally for me, this isn't something that I do as I genuinely believe that the more worn out the rope, the more special it becomes. In addition, adding protective tape may take away from the dynamics of the rope. This however is me overanalyzing it. Feel free to try it and let me know how you like it! Remember, everyone has their OWN preference. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean you won't. Go and explore!
Overall, I hope these tips helped you out a ton! If there is one thing that I feel like I should repeat, it's this: DON'T WASH YOUR ROPE! JUST DON'T DO IT.
Do you have any other tips or experience you wanna share? I'd love to hear your story!!! INFO@SLUSHROPES.COM
-Slush !