Just bought a big 50 bag of shop rags for work. you know, the little square red ones, that you can just throw away when they get real dirty. I've bought a bag here and there before, but these were different. I got em from HF, and they all look completely clean but MAN do they have a rank smell to them. They smell like someones sweaty feet after jogging 10 miles in 100 degree weather with boots on. Or smell like someone used them to clean their rear end. usually smells dont bother me but these damn things smell! Co-worker of mine says that they add a chemical to them so that they come clean when they wash them, sounds like BS to me, but has anyone else ever experienced this before?
Mechanics Shop Towels
- Thread starter EFS463
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waterboy12
Well-known member
Yea hf towels smell. I've gotten used to it.
Oh man I was gonna say maybe the little chinese boy who bagged mine decided to give me a little treat! lol all jokes aside these things are nasty but you get past it for the cheap price. Ill be laying on the floor under a car and thinking what the hell is that smell and then ill turn my head to see the rag next to me and remember lol
machine_punk
Well-known member
Forget the HF shop rags, the HF 'store' stinks...not quite sure what it is, but you could walk me blindfolded into the store and I could tell you it was HF, just by the smell.
Goobzilla
Well-known member
When they moved the HF here, it took two weeks for it to go from fresh paint smell to HF smell.
tribbles
Well-known member
Yeah, I don't know what special things the Chi-Coms add to their cosmoline, but it stinks in its own unique way.
Next time chase down a Cintas man or women. They sell their old rags for $1 a pound. 10 pounds will fill up my 25 gallon can.
They are clean, but sometimes stained, have a few globs of sealant dried on them, or just have holes in them. I dont even bother washing them at that price. I use them and toss them.
They are clean, but sometimes stained, have a few globs of sealant dried on them, or just have holes in them. I dont even bother washing them at that price. I use them and toss them.
Zeke
Well-known member
Why not run the rags thru the washer with no detergent but some peroxide and baking soda?
Find out who does the laundry for the local hospital. They can only use the blue/white towels one time. They laundry them to where they look like new and sell them by the pound cheap. I think they are slightly larger than the red towels. They have no odor. At least give it a try.
How do you find those guys?
Sounds like a great deal.
I see their trucks but never off the interstate.
bob15
Well-known member
I don't even bother with cloth wipes anymore. Try these (can be bought cheaper, and remember the price is for a case):
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GEORGIA-PACIFIC-Wiper-6RA67
A wall bracket to hold the boxes can also be purchased.
bob
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GEORGIA-PACIFIC-Wiper-6RA67
A wall bracket to hold the boxes can also be purchased.
bob
SILVERPLATE
Well-known member
I get a bag of them at Sam's or Costco.
lotsoftools
Well-known member
I currently have a roll of these http://www.kcprofessional.com/us/product-details.asp?prd_id=41600
I try to avoid the red rags at all costs, regardless of their source. I just don't like them.
I try to avoid the red rags at all costs, regardless of their source. I just don't like them.
Call them if you dont have a uniform guy. they also sell their old large rugs that are perfect for a garage floor at the bench or in front of a man door for $5. They will have small defects like a torn corner, small slit, or a stain. At that price though they are almost disposable
Top right corner, Find location
http://www.cintas.com/?source=googl...gkw=cintas&9gad=13583411610.1&9gag=3403769370
FunkyfullWidth
Well-known member
At my job we use recycled t-shirts. 50 bucks for a 50 pound box. Every once in a while you get a shirt that's been bedazzled and can't be used for wiping anything important, but for the most part they're all just standard t shirts all cut up.
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
I get the red ones from BJ's and never had the smell. You have no idea what chemicals those things are off gassing, and you are breathing. May want to wash them with a good detergent, and never buy them again.
Chris
Chris
darkk
Well-known member
WasH? They're not strong enough for washing, mine fall apart when cleaning up anything strong!
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
What kind are you getting? I know several people who regularly wash their red shop rags. A friends wife used to wash mine and they held up fine. I toss mine now, because they are cheap enough at BJ's for me to not worry about, and I'm not planning to was shop rags in my wifes new washing machine. With my luck everything in the next load would be pink The red in those rags runs like crazy.
Here is a thread on the subject. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77062
Chris
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wornoutoldman
Well-known member
I avoid used rags/towels due to potential swarf contamination.
e30bradley
Well-known member
what is swarf? ..
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
wornoutoldman
Well-known member
Also little bits of wire or any metal that ultimately gets picked up in the rag. Then the uniform service cleans em and returns to the shop.
You put your new/used/cleaned pile of rags on your toolbox or cart and the customer or salesman with the Rolls Royce (and a new paint job) grabs one to rub a little spot of dust off his new car...
Murphy4570
Well-known member
Also little bits of wire or any metal that ultimately gets picked up in the rag. Then the uniform service cleans em and returns to the shop.
You put your new/used/cleaned pile of rags on your toolbox or cart and the customer or salesman with the Rolls Royce (and a new paint job) grabs one to rub a little spot of dust off his new car...
That is true.
I personally hate all the little lint fuzzies that come off of the red rags. Makes it impossible to do an engine rebuild with them. I have yet to find any truly lint free rags. I wonder what machine shops use?
darkk
Well-known member
I've purchased several types at local stores and they always seem to have little bits every where, they fall apart, they don't hold up well at all. Lately I've been using *Kleenex Brand* tri-fold paper hand wipe towel like in garage hand towel dispensers. They have been working out well for me. I buy them by the case now. If I need a rag that will hold up for something I have to scrub, I save old cotton *T* shirts and cotton socks for that, I have family and friends save them for me also. Otherwise it's paper.
Daniel Dudley
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Daniel Dudley
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I use the blue ''shop'' paper towels. They are lint free enough that you can use them for furniture finishes, and they won't lint up.
Weekend_warrior
Well-known member
My buddy sold for a uniform and linen service. When he moved out of his place he gave me a huge cottom sack with nice gromets on it full of nice towels to use as shop rags. Several bundels of nice terry cotton rags. That and old towels, t-shirts, or any kind of cotton stuff. I just take them to the laundry mate or hand wash them in a bucket and degreaser. When they get to worn or out or to nasty I just chunk them.
concealer404
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I wash them... they absorb a LOT better after they've been washed once, too.
Erampu
Well-known member
I use old T-shirts, socks, underwear, and whatever is handy, like the cat.
Keep
Well-known member
Thats what I use as well.
I have more old sheets, towels and t-shirts to last me a life time making shop rags.
ZRX61
Well-known member
I use terry towels from the 50packs at Costco, shop towels from the same source (beige, not red) but they don't always have them in stock, Scott blue paper towels (Costco) & I also have some Huck towels which are the ones used in hospitals, usually blue, but other colors available:
http://www.burdisco.com/p-24-100-surgical-huck-towels.aspx
http://www.burdisco.com/c-3-surgical-huck-towels.aspx
http://www.ercwipe.com/huck-towels.html
http://www.burdisco.com/p-24-100-surgical-huck-towels.aspx
http://www.burdisco.com/c-3-surgical-huck-towels.aspx
http://www.ercwipe.com/huck-towels.html
Falcon67
Well-known member
Try this trick sometime. Go to the local hospital and see if you can find out where they send their used surgical rags. The ones locally are the good blue rags that won't bleed color even soaking in naptha. They are sent to a processing facility that cleans the rags but they cannot be reused by the hospital. The local place sells the bags o' rags (about 10 lbs or so) for $10 a bag. You can't hardly get a bag because every hot rodder and shop in the area knows the trick - got to be there when they have the rags, word gets out quick. They are top notch rags if you can get them.
There is something else to the trick! If they have a "spill" and someone opens the bag to get a some rags. The whole bag is "contaminated" and can't be used. Even though they were never touched. I have seen these rags in guys garages before. I don't know if this is an inside job or not. I have never been that lucky.
You need some of the blue surgery towels, aka hospital towels, they are lint free.
ZRX61
Well-known member
I posted some links, they are called Huck Towels
I get my towels from hotels. I never been asked to pay for them. I just ask for the maintenance guy and they always hook me up. I use the sheets for over spray, pillow cases to cover tires, bath mats for assembly on the bench, hand towels for waxing and I cut up the bigger towels for general clean up. They are all cleaned twice and sorted out if they have a stain. Best of all they are free and when I have so many they become a problem I donate them.
PeterT
Well-known member
Shop towels are overrated. I can change oil & filter, overhaul a ****** and do a chassis lube in a white dress shirt w/o getting a spot on me. Just kidding, I get full of oil just walking into the garage.... When its time to install a new grease cartridge, I go through 3/4s of the tube, just installing the damn thing.
I prefer the bounty in a box shop towels.
I prefer the bounty in a box shop towels.
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Steevo
Well-known member
I have bought a half-dozen bundles of red rags from HF and never noticed any foul odor from them. Then again, I don't smell my own farts, either.
As for contamination, and swarf in shop rags, I'd never touch any quality surface, especially a painted surface, with a "shop rag".
That is what chamois, and old t-shirts are for.
As for contamination, and swarf in shop rags, I'd never touch any quality surface, especially a painted surface, with a "shop rag".
That is what chamois, and old t-shirts are for.