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In this short article I will show you a few ways you can use to clean your paracord bracelets and items made out of paracord.
During normal wear and tear paracord loses the beautiful, bright colors it had. Some dirt collects and you will need to clean the cord to restore it to the original color.
Cleaning paracord is in essence like cleaning any other thing. Let’s see the do’s and don’ts of cleaning paracord!
The don’ts
Due to the materials used in making paracord items, you will want to avoid the following while cleaning:
- high temperatures. Nylon, the material used to make paracord is sensitive to high temperatures. But what is high? Boiling in water is too high, a laundry machine is not.
- bleach and strong chemicals. Bleach and other aggressive cleaning agents can affect the color of paracord. Using dangerous chemicals in your clothes is generally not the safes bet, so it should apply to any wearable paracord product.
- clothes dryers. These can damage your paracord and also use heating to dry. Use the sun instead!
The do’s
There are several ways you can get your paracord cleaned up. In general, paracord gets dirty from collecting a bit of dirt every time we brush it against something. Added to that is the sweat that we produce (you can reduce the effects of sweat on your paracord by waxing it). The following three methods are known to work:
- using baking soda. I remember how this simple substance was used to clean in the olden days. I am glad to have rediscovered the uses for it. Not only is it great for cleaning paracord, but it also removes grease and hard to remove stains.
- throwing it in the washing machine. Simple as that, small items can be hooked to belt loops (good for bracelets) or placed inside a pair of socks.
- using dish soap. The same soap you use for your dishes may work on your paracord as well.
A couple of bracelets heading over to the washing machine.
Deodorizing
If you just want to remove any smell from your paracord, place it in water with some baking soda. Alternatively, wash it and use citronella oil on it. It will get a pleasant smell and will also act as an insect repellent. Anything that drives those pesky mosquitoes away is great in my book!
Well, these solutions all work to some extent. I would love to hear how YOU clean your paracord and if the methods I listed worked well for you.
