We have a question about rope. Do you or your partner know of how to make hemp rope smell differently? Neither of us like the smell much, but we do love how it feels.
We’ve never worked with hemp before, but I have dealt with some very stinky cotton & jute ropes, so I can share what I’ve learned from that:
The “cleanest” way to change the smell would be to rewash, re-treat and re-oil using products with an agreeable scent. But I’d be hesitant to do that since you said you really love how it feels. The texture might change with another round of treatment.
If there’s something on your rope (a previous treatment maybe) that makes it smell disagreeably, washing it could help. But if it’s the innate smell of the rope, that won’t do much.
If you and your partner don’t have any perfume allergies or sensitivities, I would recommend just masking the odour by oiling your rope with any natural oil you enjoy the smell of.It’s the fastest and easiest way, and has the lowest risk of changing your rope texture.Just coat your hands with the oil and run the rope through them, adding more oil as you need to (not too much, just enough so the rope will absorb it as you go). Put it in a plastic bag overnight so it can really take on the smell, then store as usual.
When in doubt (especially if you’re not 100% sure on how or what the rope was treated with before), snip off a few inches of the rope and try stuff out on the ‘trial piece’ first. That way you can see what works without potentially destroying all your rope!♥ Hazel