easy to clean skins

Tips for extending the life of your climbing skins with proper care and cleaning

April 14, 2021

Through early season snows, mid-winter powder days, and spring corn, your skins have been your trusted companions. But by their nature, they take the brunt of use on the skintrack as you rack up vert and transitions. Here are a few tips to keep them clean and happy.

Through early season snows, mid-winter powder days, and spring corn, your skins have been your trusted companions. But by their nature, they take the brunt of use on the skintrack as you rack up vert and transitions. And along the way the inevitable happens: a gust of wind blows your skins onto your peanut butter and jelly sandwich or you suffer a bout of clumsiness and drop them, tacky side down, into the gravel parking lot at the trailhead. It happens, but to extend the life of your climbing skins beyond one season, here are a few tips to keep your climbing skins clean and happy so you can continue to tally laps winter after winter.

    Cleaning regime

    For BCA Climbing Skins, you can quite literally wash your skins with mild household detergent and water. Just apply detergent to the base of the skin in a thin drizzle, spread the detergent across the tacky side with the soft part of a wet dish sponge, and then rinse the detergent off with water. Finally, drip dry your skins and you’re all set.

    Need a quick fix for minor grime that’s starting to compromise grip? The BCA wipes can sweep away residue picked up on a tour or in a pack with a fast swipe. Every pair of BCA Climbing Skins comes with a set of wipes, which is enough for cleaning one pair of skins. These small packets are perfect travel size and can be easily packed on hut trips, traverses, and other multi-day adventures where you never want to fear skin failure.

    For more persistent wax and dirt buildup, you can wash them with mild soap and water, or use our BCA skin cleaning spray. To use the spray, spritz the tacky side of the skins. Once the spray coats the base, apply pressure and wipe with the rough side of a sponge briefly before wiping again with the softer side to remove stubborn dirt. Both wipes and spray are sold here, but this doesn’t mean you can treat your skins with disdain and ignore storage protocol.

    Store in a cool, dry place

    You might enjoy basking in the sun’s rays, but your skins do not. All skins can degrade from exposure to high heat and moisture, so always store them in a cool, dry place without any direct sunlight during the off-season. If they’re in your garage, make sure it stays cool enough in there during the dog days in August. Another great location for storage is a dry basement. And if you want to go the extra mile, store them in their stuff sack so they don’t pick up any unwanted dust bunnies while they aren’t in use—that way when you return to the skintrack your skins are ready to take on any adventure you have on tap.

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