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Cleaning parachutes

LCplCombat

MODERATOR/ORDNANCE APPROVED
Ordnance approved
Has anyone any tips for cleaning parachutes? I have a few that have manky canopies and cords. My first thought was soaking in detergent but will that get rid of all the silt? Slinging them in a washing machine was my second thought but the lines becoming an unravellable knot is an obvious drawback to this idea.
 
The best detergent for cleaning very dirty cloth material is washing powder like Daz either work in with a small scrubbing brush or toothbrush or just squeeze with your hands the wet material over and over again and then rinsing in water under a tap. You don't have to be too rough with the material just gental rubbing. Watch out if there are any markings on the parachute as the ink could wash off. Watch out with a hot wash or rinse as you could shrink the material, air dry if you can.
 
If you daisy chain the shroud lines, then they should not get tangled during washing.
 
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