How to Clean Your Rowing Oar

To clean a rowing oar, rinse it with fresh water after every outing, wipe it down and dry the sleeve and collar. As a rough guide, that takes about 2 minutes per pair. Every few weeks, wash it properly with mild soap and check it for damage as you go.

What you need

• A bucket of lukewarm water and a little mild washing-up liquid.
• A soft sponge or cloth, and a soft brush for stubborn algae.
• A clean towel.
• Spare grips, if your oar has replaceable ones.

Avoid abrasive pads, solvents and strong cleaners. They scratch or dull the finish, and a scratched surface collects dirt faster.

After every session

1. Rinse with fresh water. Concept2 says to do this after every use in salt water, paying most attention to the sleeves, collars and oarlocks.
2. Wipe the shaft and blade. A soft cloth removes grit before it scratches the surface.
3. Dry the sleeve and collar. Water and grit sitting here cause wear.

On a river with a lot of algae or silt, don’t leave the dirt to dry on. It’s much harder to remove later.

A deeper clean

Do this when oars look grubby, or every 2 to 4 weeks if you row often. As a rule of thumb, allow 10 to 15 minutes for a pair of sculls.

1. Wash with mild soap and warm water. Use a soft sponge or cloth. Work from the handle down towards the blade.
2. Clean the blade. Check the edges and tip as you go, since this is where chips and cracks start. Use a soft brush on algae.
3. Clean the handle and grip. Rubber or foam grips pick up sweat and grime. Wash and dry them, and replace any that have gone hard or slippery. Concept2 lists routine grip cleaning as part of normal care, and its support pages give advice by grip type.
4. Clean the sleeve and collar. The sleeve is where the oar sits in the gate, so grit here wears both parts. A clean sleeve also feathers more smoothly.
5. Rinse and dry. Rinse off all soap, because residue makes the handle slippery. Dry with a clean cloth.

If a grip is very greasy, a damp cloth with a little washing-up liquid will usually shift it. Rinse and dry it fully before use.

Sleeves, collars and lubricant

Most oar problems that feel like a technique fault start here. If the oar won’t feather smoothly, clean the sleeve and gate before you change anything else.

• Lubricant is optional. If you use it, choose a light silicone spray and wipe off the excess. Oil and grease hold grit against the sleeve.
• Don’t over-tighten the collar. Concept2’s oar manual warns against it. The clamp only has to keep the collar’s teeth engaged in the sleeve.
• Turn a worn collar round. On Concept2 oars, either side can face the oarlock, so when one side wears out you can rotate the collar and use the other.

Indoor kit has its own care list: our pick of handy rowing machine accessories covers the basics, and Concept2 rowing machine accessories covers the RowErg.

What to inspect as you clean

Part	Look for	What to do
Blade	Cracks, splits, lifting layers, worn tips	Stop using it if cracked and tell your club
Shaft	Chips, exposed material, bends	Roll it on a flat floor to check it runs true
Sleeve	Deep grooves, wear	Replace when it stops seating well in the gate
Collar	Slipping, loose clamp	Reset it to the marked inboard and tighten
Grip	Hard, shiny or slippery surface	Replace it

A damaged oar can fail under load, so don’t use one you think may be damaged. Small paint chips can be touched up, but structural damage needs a repairer. If your blade has a plastic Vortex Edge, Concept2 says not to paint that piece, though you can paint the rest. Always inspect after a collision before you row on.

Storage

Store oars out of direct sunlight, in a dry place, supported along their length. Concept2 warns that long-term sun degrades the surface and shortens the life of the oar. Keep wooden handles away from damp, and never leave them on wet grass or damp ground. Don’t lean oars against walls for long periods or leave them in hot cars. Keep the blades off the floor, and don’t stack anything heavy on them. If you transport oars, use padded covers.

Carbon oars conduct electricity. Keep them well away from power lines, especially when carrying them upright or loading a trailer.

Moving between waters

Oars can carry plants, tiny creatures and diseases from one river or lake to another, so clean them before you move to new water. The national Check Clean Dry campaign asks water users to check kit, clean it and dry it fully. Treat a head race or regatta as a reason to do this, and let everything dry before the next outing. Our page on eco-conscious practices in your rowing routine has more on looking after the water.

Habits that keep oars cleaner

• Don’t push off the dock with a blade. Concept2 warns this causes splinters and other damage.
• Land with the blade tips up, then keep the blade face up on the dock, which avoids wearing the tips.
• Carry oars with the blades forward and watch the tips when you turn, since knocks often happen in doorways.

Quick routine summary

When	What to do
After each session	Rinse, wipe, dry: about 2 minutes
Every 2 to 4 weeks	Wash with mild soap, check grips and collars: 10 to 15 minutes
Each season	Full inspection, replace worn grips, touch up paint

Oars are one part of a wider routine, so see how to maintain your rowing equipment for the rest. Our guide to choosing a rowing blade helps when you need replacements, and boat maintenance covers the gates your sleeves run in.