cleaning dirt off your rig

[dontlikemustard 0]

I did some research, there are plenty of threads on how to give your rig a bath but my question is a little more specific.

how do i clean dirt marks off my rig? i dont want to soak the whole thing, i would just clean it a bit... im still a noob and my landings aren't all that perfect yet

it seems like there is dirt stuck inside the cordura fabric. i used a damp cloth, it cleaned it but not all the way.

any suggestions?

[jdmahan 0]

Compressed air works well.

[potatoman 0]

1. Work on your landings (Get someone to film it etc)
2. next repack, ask the rigger to wash it for you, they do a good job.
3. Stay away from checmicals
4. Compressed air as per PP.
5. Nifty handbrush, nylon type stiff bristles. Work wonders directly after landing. Don't let the dirt sit there, it will put extra wear on the material(abbrasive).

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[irishrigger 32]

i find the best way to clean a rig is, strip everything out the system and container. the soak it i very luke warm water with a couple drops of washing up liquid. leave it soak for a couple hrs, then get a nail brush and start scrubbing with a few drops of washing up liquid again. rinse completely, repeat if you missed a couple spots.
then let it drip dry but not near a hot heat source or expose to sunlight.
work wonders for me and rigs come out like new.

My 2 Cent

[Remster 30]

Soft bristle brush. Do it dry first, as soon as you can so the dirt doesnt set.

Remster

[jonathan.newman 1]

get a wet/dry vacuum, a stiff-bristle brush, and a spray bottle. Try using just plain water at first, scrub, vacuum, repeat. You will likely need something stronger than water. Soap is good, but then you have the added issue of leaving soap in the fabric, which helps dirt stick the next time.

If you use soap, follow it up with water three times to make sure you get the soap out.

If you aren't jumping because of the winter and need a repack anyway, why not wash it yourself? Open the reserve and tie the pilot chute, bag and lines inside a garbage bag, take out the AAD (you do jump with one, right?)and put the harness in a laundry tub or small garbage can with enough water to cover. Pre-treat the dirtiest parts, the colored parts,pillow handles, and the white parts with liquid laundry detergent. Put it in the water to soak for 4 hours or overnight. Scrub it with the stiff nylon brush and let it soak more. Agitate with your hands (think kneading bread) and let soak more. Then drain, refill with clean water, agitate, drain fill, agitate.... until the water stays clean. 3 or 4 changes of water should do it. hang it up to dry for a couple days, then stuff it all in the garbage bag and give it to your rigger for a repack. Don't lose any pieces.

[pchapman 279]

While the OP wasn't asking about the full wash option, it came up.

The last post was good advice except I'll question one thing:

Quote

Pre-treat the dirtiest parts, the colored parts,pillow handles, and the white parts with liquid laundry detergent.

Maybe you mean some sort of stain remover, or diluted detergent, I don't know. But normal rig cleaning instructions all mention using a MILD solution of detergent. The liquid laundry detergent I have, has warnings about washing well if it gets on skin, and has dissolved paint where it has dripped off the container over time onto a shelf. Unless I have better data, I'm not putting that on a rig.

Also a couple additions: Setting a fan to blow on the wet rig is a great way to get it dried fast without it sitting soggy for days (depending on your local climate).

And everyone remember to take your reserve card out too before doing the wash.

[dontlikemustard 0]

thanks guys ill try these out!

oh and i live in socal so i can jump year round... i just had a reserve pack done 3 weeks ago.

[dpreguy 14]

Dontlikemustard
I don't recommend using a stiff bristle brush on Cordura. It will fuzz it out pretty quickly.

[JohnSherman 1]

Quote

Maybe you mean some sort of stain remover, or diluted detergent, I don't know. But normal rig cleaning instructions all mention using a MILD solution of detergent. The liquid laundry detergent I have, has warnings about washing well if it gets on skin, and has dissolved paint where it has dripped off the container over time onto a shelf. Unless I have better data, I'm not putting that on a rig.

We use "Picrin" which is a dry cleaning solvent available at most dry cleaning supply stores.
We have used it in the manufacturer of rigs to remove any stain you could imagine for over 40 years. The material spec allows for this type of solvent.

[RMK 3]

Quote

Dontlikemustard
I don't recommend using a stiff bristle brush on Cordura. It will fuzz it out pretty quickly.

Yes, ideally you want a suit brush (if you don't have one, they're available at better menswear shops). Don't use a stiff utility brush meant for floors or tires.

"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

[jonathan.newman 1]

PChapman, I have used Shout, Spray N Wash, and probably other laundry pretreaters on dirty rigs. What bothers me about them is the label says to not let it dry before washing and wash within 5 minutes of treating. Nothing bad ever happened, but I am not a big fan of using them.

From the "Parachute Rigger's Handbook" "Soak the rig in lukewarm water. Apply straight Woolite® or soap onto the dirtiest areas and scrub with the brush." I have had great results with Woolite and name-brand detergents. I put the detergent on the wet rig, use the brush more to spread it around and then set it right back in the warm water to soak. The label on the detergent also says you can apply it straight as a pre-treater.

I assume that something in the detergent is a skin irritant. I would therefore try to keep undiluted detergent away from the fleshy and painted parts of your rig. As long as it's not acidic, the nylon should be fine. I'm worried about rigs getting bathed in sunshine more than in detergent.

Good point about using a fan to speed drying. I have seen hip rings and 3 rings with rust on them. I don't know the cause of the rust, but I imagine drying it quickly would help prevent it. I live on the 27th floor, so I hang the rigs in the window and take advantage of the warm night breeze to dry them.