Gave my rig a bath...

[Kris 0]

Okay, so I was the optimistic one who decided to get all white trim tape on my purple & silver Mirage. Almost two years later, well, let's just say that it wasn't white anymore.

Shout wipes didn't do the trick. Spot cleaning wasn't working. Hmmm...I am due for a repack this week.

*POP* goes the reserve. I inspected the PC, bridle, freebag & reserve. I removed it from the risers, threw the metal links in the trash (I ordered reserve Slinks for my reserve) and then removed the Cypres. I rigger-rolled the reserve and put the parts in a plastic garbage bag for safe-keeping until reassembly after drying.

Then I did some research on this forum for cleaning tips and decided to go with a 3-hour soak in the tub with Woolite. I used a soft-bristle brush and some un-diluted Woolite for the tough areas.

After draining the tub I was shocked to see just how much dirt was hiding out in my rig. I ran it through the shower so I could rinse the loose dirt off of the rig and the tub. Then I did three thorough rinses in the tub until water poured on my Mirage ran off clear.

Now, when white trim tape is wet it's gray so it's a bit hard to tell how clean I got it. I hung it up in the garage with a couple of fans blowing on it and left it for a few hours.

Damn! My rig isn't clean, it's CLEAN. The white is blinding! I'm amazed. I'm happy. I've wet myself with joy. My Mirage has at least another 12-14 hours of drying ahead of it but it will be worth it. The only thing I forgot to get was some more ScotchGuard so I'll take care of that tomorrow and I should be ready to put her back together on Tuesday.

If anyone had any doubts about whether Woolite is strong enough to really work, well... my radiant Mirage has the answer.

Kris
"Did I mention I'm happy?"

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[b1jercat 0]

Dude, thats something worth remembering,glad it worked out for you. I on the other hand am a pessimist and have an all black container.

[skycat 0]

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Dude, thats something worth remembering,glad it worked out for you. I on the other hand am a pessimist and have an all black container.

Hey even those black rigs get dirty. Derek washed his last fall after Lost Prairie, and it was amazing it went from a blackish brown to brite black.

Fly it like you stole it!

[riggerrob 558]

Yeah!
Dude, I have washed a dozen rigs so far this year. The difference is amazing.
They look half as old after washing.
The Canadian equivalent of Woolite is Zero.

[AndyMan 7]

I did the same thing with my Javelin when I had my Cypres out for 4 years.

However, I was lazy, and didn't want to remove the reserve from the container. I left the reserve in the freebag, tied the freebag closed with a pull up. When I put the rig in the tub, I hung the reserve over the shower bar.

The one dificulty I had was that I didn't rince it properly the first time, when it dried there were some white splotches on the rig, presumably woolite that hadn't washed away properly.

I stuck it under the shower for another 20 minutes, hung it over the shower bar to dry for two days. Worked great!

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[sunshine 2]

Following in Kris's footsteps....i'm giving my rig a bath right now. I bought woolite on way home from work and just stuck my baby in the tub. It hasn't been cleaned since i got it 2 years ago. Can't wait to see how clean it gets. Plus when someone went to give me a pin check over the weekend, they said my rig smelled liked swamp. I guess that happens when you land in one.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[skychic68 0]

It's a miracle. Just to think what a little cold water and woolite can do. I did the same with my rigs over the winter. Don't you love having the joy of having a new looking rig again?

Que sera sera

[sunshine 2]

Update on my rig washing. I forgot to take out the reserve data card. After rinsing it, i pulled the data card out and all the info was still on it. The only thing that washed off was the times a rigger had used a stamper instead of writing it in with a pen.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Kris 0]

I wish I had remembered to take a before pic but here's what she looks like after drying. Not bad at all...

Long Live The Purple One!

Edited to add: I did find an older pic. The white is really dingy here and looks grey compared to the white on my FF suit.

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[riddler 0]

Informative thread - thanks Kris. I'm imagining all the crazy things I'm gonna do when I get my rigger's ticket. Until then, it's not fun to have to have my rigger repack my reserve every time I feel like opening it

Anyway, I wonder how this would affect a tie-dyed rig? I'm not sure what processes they use to tie-dye the containers, but the new rig I'm thinking about buying is pretty bright (yellow, orange, red), and I wonder if the woolite would fade it at all?

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[MontyPyhton 0]

Quote

Before.jpg

kool rig - but - on your back it looks really like a wedge.
What for a main canopy / G3 size do you jump?

[rapper4mpi 0]

Thanks for the information, next time, you should keep the links, they are worth a few dollars and you never know when someone might need an extra pair.
-Rap

[Rdutch 0]

I always just cover the velcro on my ripcord and cutaway holders and send my rig in to the dry cleaner, makes it look brand new everytime.

Ray
Small and fast what every girl dreams of!

[Jessica 0]

I can't sleep, so I am bathing my rig too, using the Kris Method of Rig-Washing™.

Results look promising so far, and I cannot express to you folks how filthy my rig is/was. I've skidded in for landing on my rig more than I have on my feet.

I left my reserve bagged and unscrewed the links, attatching a note marking which was which. I'll do a post-reattachment continuity check when I repack it next week.

I've used half of a small bottle of Woolite, some dumped in the tub water and some directly on the rig, scrubbed in with a soft fingernail brush. It's been soaking in clean water for a couple of hours (after the initial scrubbing, the water was filthy and I rinsed the tub out).

This looks like it's going to work. I'm pretty happy.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[rickfri59 0]

I just got my new Wings all rigged out with my old main, reserve and cypres. So now I have a Vector II to get rid of. I saw this rig scrubbing post and decided to give it a try with the Vector. A four hour soak in Woolite and I scrubbed the entire rig with a soft brush once each hour and hung to dry in the basement for 3 days. Like someone else already said, the difference was unfu**ing believable. It's a beautiful black/burgundy rig now. I just increased the resale value by $800 bucks . A bit of WD-40 on all the cables & hardware and she's ready to go.

[Spy38W 0]

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A bit of WD-40 on all the cables & hardware and she's ready to go.

Noooooooooooooooooo, no no no no... Sorry, it's a minor peeve of mine, but WD-40 is a corrosive, not an anti corrosive. Try some food grade silicone.

--
Hook high, flare on time

[Watcher 0]

Quote

A bit of WD-40 on all the cables & hardware and she's ready to go.

Spray Silicon is a bit better than WD-40 and its what many of the manufacturers recommend.

--

Jonathan Bartlett
D-24876
AFF-I

[rickfri59 0]

***Noooooooooooooooooo, no no no no... Sorry, it's a minor peeve of mine, but WD-40 is a corrosive, not an anti corrosive. Try some food grade silicone.***



O.K., help me out here... Can you suggest a brand?

[skycat 0]

Quote

***Noooooooooooooooooo, no no no no... Sorry, it's a minor peeve of mine, but WD-40 is a corrosive, not an anti corrosive. Try some food grade silicone.***




O.K., help me out here... Can you suggest a brand?

Ace hardware's brand - Ace Pure Silicon.

We use it here in CO where it is VERY sandy and dusty, after use even if the owner didn't do a single 3 ring maintenance, the cables are fairly clean with just a few black spots rather than all black like normal.

Fly it like you stole it!

[ChileRelleno 0]

Sunshine,didn't anyone tell you to stay out of "Swamp Igo" (main LZ) while at Mardi Gras?

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[bodypilot90 0]

cleaning a mirage --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

from the factory


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Quote
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This is what we do when a rig comes to us for cleaning. We send it to
our local dry cleaners and ask them to launder it in a Petroleum cleaner
that has no chemicals. This will not damage the material. The cost is
about $10. depending on what area you live in. we recommend of course
to have the container totally unpacked of course do not send any parts
either. Good luck.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Ive sent 3 + 2 hours to clean mine. Ive used a sintetic, but neutral detergent. It was rather hard, but it looks clean and smelss good.

[fjd 0]

yep, that's what i use myself. it works perfectly.

make sure not to over-spray, as it'll attract dirt and grime. the best way to apply silicone on the cables is to spray it on paper towel/clean rag and give it a wipe or two. a thin coating is all you need.

===============

[nitrochute 2]

woolite IS pretty good.ive been cleaning rigs with it for 40 years. i also use it on my funny car drag chutes.its amazing how much clutch dust you can get out of those things.

[Chrisky 0]

*BUMP!*

Hey, good thread!

Now reading all this and not having biffed in with my new H/C (close one on mud puddle on its first jump though), i wonder if that is a safe procedure for tie-dyed rigs as well?
Is the tie-dye applied to the cordura durable or will it run? Any experiences? Now?

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...