RRC Archives

Petzl said that the rope should still be safe!...and, that coffee has very little acidity (about the same as human sweat)...they recommended simply washing the rope; and then, if the coffee stain is still visible, re-evaluate and perhaps retire. Thanks for everyone's input.

I found pH of 5, which is still quite acidic (100x > [H+] than water]. That said, I would still climb on it, Petzl is right about the sweat thing.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-f ... cale.shtml

BTW milk is an acid, not a base (pH 6).

The pH of rain water is generally around 5.6. We better all retire our ropes after getting caught in the rain.

edit: or a classic humid KY summer day.

I'll be accepting all ropes... even if they are still wet.