Washing old lines / ropes/ running rigging: cheapo or thrifty!

[Be Free]

The "slimy chemical feeling" is what soft water feels like on your hands. It's a side effect of the calcium ions in your "hard" water being replaced by sodium ions. It could be the last of the detergent rinsing off your hands but if you were only using the oxygen bleach it was more likely a surfactant. Either will decrease the surface tension of the water and make it feel "slimy".

[JamesToBoot]

Its chemistry class Monday!

Stuff I didn't know that I didn't know. Good info @Be Free

I'm going to dig more into this and the other ingredients in my generic oxy bleach. Thanks for the knowledge.

[Be Free]

If the manufacturer does not list all of the ingredients on the label see if there is a "material safety data sheet" for it online. That's usually a good source of information.