Red shop rags

[fireeqpsrv]

Just a rant so to speak. For years me and dad have bought the 100ct bundles of red shop rags from Sams Club. Now they have had the great wisdom to no longer carry them. I did a little looking online and found some in the 100ct bundle at amazon and you can order them in colors.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QR1ANA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[coljar]

How much were they at Sam's?

 

[Fixnair]

When I had my shop, (before the economy tanked) I used to buy white terry cloth rags in a package of 36 for about $30 if I remember. That was cheaper than renting rags from my uniform supplier. He was charging me $25 a month for rags. My wife would wash them and they would last me about six months.

 

[pgilmore7]

I get my rags from work and then return them for cleaning, makes it easy. Don't tell them though. They really don't care as long as they come back.

 

[NUISANCE]

I get my red rags from Harbor Freight. IIRC they come in packs of 25 and 50, maybe you should give them a try as they work for what I use them for.

 

[TauntDevil]

I use blue soft rags from my fathers work because they come in a bag of 100 and are free. Each time he visits, he gives me a new bag and I give him the old stuff to take back to work in cali. I think they are great but I dont use them often as they are quite nice. Sorry that I dont know what brand or anything about them but they work great and dont scratch much.

I do have Harbor Freight red ones as well which I see as disposable. May seem weird but for me the rags work better than paper towels on most stuff I work with. Rag will stay in one piece while a paper towel will rip apart.

 

[J Persons]

Just a rant so to speak. For years me and dad have bought the 100ct bundles of red shop rags from Sams Club. Now they have had the great wisdom to no longer carry them. I did a little looking online and found some in the 100ct bundle at amazon and you can order them in colors.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QR1ANA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Sams website says they are "out of stock online". When they have them, they are about $14 per 100.
Having the product in stock is just one of the reasons that Amazon has surpassed Walmart in value. Amazon is now valued at $250B

 

[theoldwizard1]

I get my red rags from Harbor Freight. IIRC they come in packs of 25 and 50, maybe you should give them a try as they work for what I use them for.

They changed them. I don't like the new ones.

 

[ATC]

I don't like using the red rags. The dye bleeds and makes my hands red, stains my clothes, stains what I use them on, etc...


These are all I've ever used. I love them....can't imagine anything better:

 

[bwringer]

I don't like using the red rags. The dye bleeds and makes my hands red, stains my clothes, stains what I use them on, etc...


These are all I've ever used. I love them....can't imagine anything better:

Verily, Wypalls are the paper towels of the gods, but they're hellishly expensive -- $26.63 on Amazon for that box of 152 you pictured ($59.19 on MSC Direct!).

I use the blue paper towels you can get anywhere for three bucks for two rolls, and the red HF cloth towels, which I can usually score for $8 to $10 for 50 depending on coupons. I also have an assortment of salvaged sheets, t-shirts, and towels when I need something softer or larger.

I don't wash the HF cloth towels after use -- I don't want that **** in my washer. Sometimes I'll wash a batch before use to make them softer and to get rid of the excess dye.

 

[ATC]

Verily, Wypalls are the paper towels of the gods, but they're hellishly expensive -- $26.63 on Amazon for that box of 152 you pictured ($59.19 on MSC Direct!).

I use the blue paper towels you can get anywhere for three bucks for two rolls, and the red HF cloth towels, which I can usually score for $8 to $10 for 50 depending on coupons. I also have an assortment of salvaged sheets, t-shirts, and towels when I need something softer or larger.

I don't wash the HF cloth towels after use -- I don't want that **** in my washer. Sometimes I'll wash a batch before use to make them softer and to get rid of the excess dye.

Expensive? Yes. But I've never paid for a box in my life. My father has perks at his job

 

[Cyberbear]

Being "old school" I grew up using washable fabric shop rags, along with occasionally buying a 50# box of assorted cotton rag remnants from the local rag supplier company. Only as time passed did we begin to use various types of paper towels. They each had their specific uses.
Cloth rags were used with the knowledge they would be washed and used again, and so were treated with more respect due to their cost. Paper towels were welcome as disposable items used to wipe up spilled paint, resin and other things to be simply tossed in the trash can. For myself, I have a need for all types of rags, and who could actually perform the usual tasks w/o them?

 

[APEowner]

I can't really claim they're better than any of the alternatives but I really prefer the classic red shop rag. After over three decades of using them anything else just feels wrong. I get mine here -> http://www.newpig.com/pig/US/workwipes-red-shop-towels-in-bag-wip547?cm_cat=order_history

 

[Falcon67]

I buy 10 lb bags of surgical rags from a local cleaning company that works for the hospitals. All the shops and car guys know about it so they are kinda hard to get. The rags have to be cleaned and sterilized then cannot be re-used. They used to go for $20/bag. And that's a big azz bag too, about 4' x3'. I have enough that I haven't bought rags in about 2 years. The rags here are blue and they don't bleed color even if soaked in thinner, plus they are pretty much lint free. Very high quality.

 

[c4cruiser]

A local automotive swap meet will usually have vendors selling old shop shirts, coveralls, rubber-backed carpet mats and shop rags.

Last year at an event where I worked, I picked up two 100-count shop rag bundles for $6 each . Most are in pretty good shape although a few had some small holes or worn thin. But for the price, they work great for a one-time use and then I just toss them.

 

[Thumper68]

Funny this should come up, I was just washing my shop towels and as I was folding them I noticed that a few of them came from my fathers old print shop, stained with ink, brought back memories from my youth.

I have been getting nice white terry cloth hand towel sized rags from my wife's work for the last year. Best shop towels I have ever used.

I keep the blue paper towels and regular paper towels in the shop for real messy stuff, the cloth only gets used on stuff I know will wash out.

 

[bigredmf]

Back in the day shop rags started out white and once they were laundered they dyed them to indicate they had been previously used.

What did that mean? Do not used Red rags for detail work on painted surfaces etc. they may have been clean of grease and metal shavings but maybe they were not.
Had a friend who did not know this and the scratches they left on his truck were horrendous.
I am not sure if this is still true but keep it in mind.

Red


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[CJM8515]

IDK I got mine recently at sams, white rags tho. I dont like the red ones as they bleed dye everywhere.

 

[1930artdeco]

What is the best way to clean the red/cotton rags? I don't like using and tossing if I can help it.

Mike

 

[fireeqpsrv]

The 100 ct at sams shows $16.88 online and now they show they are stocking them again.

 

[nine4gmc]

Funny this should come up, I was just washing my shop towels and as I was folding them I noticed that a few of them came from my fathers old print shop, stained with ink, brought back memories from my youth.

I have been getting nice white terry cloth hand towel sized rags from my wife's work for the last year. Best shop towels I have ever used.

I keep the blue paper towels and regular paper towels in the shop for real messy stuff, the cloth only gets used on stuff I know will wash out.

What is the best way to clean the red/cotton rags? I don't like using and tossing if I can help it.

Mike

Anyone using the home washing machine for these or what method is best? I have a container full of grease rags that I need to do something with.

 

[firworks]

Verily, Wypalls are the paper towels of the gods, but they're hellishly expensive

Yeah but they wyp ALLLLLLLL!

 

[absolutelybillsmood]

I use the home washer, but I clean up afterwards. I wipe the washer out and run a load of something dark in case there's any dye left.

 

[vintovka]

Red rags are ok but a PITA to safely maintain and reuse. I have a fire rated can with a foot operated lid. Have had a near fire situation from used rags so would never leave in an open can or box. The system works ok but tough to run down to laundromat to run a load when can is full. I would never run oily greasy, solventy, dirt and metal chip encrusted nasty rags in my home machine as wife might end me if she found out. I have seen metal shavings stick in the cloth and other stuff transfer. I've switched to commercial rags in a box and toss em.

 

[larry_g]

Back in the day shop rags started out white and once they were laundered they dyed them to indicate they had been previously used.

What did that mean? Do not used Red rags for detail work on painted surfaces etc. they may have been clean of grease and metal shavings but maybe they were not.
Had a friend who did not know this and the scratches they left on his truck were horrendous.
I am not sure if this is still true but keep it in mind.

Red


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe this is true. The plant I worked at used white rags in the machine shop. I was told these were new rags and then went to the laundry where they came out red.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Tbender78]

I go to the Salvation Army once a year and buy a bunch of 100% cotton bed sheets for less than $20, spend an hour cutting them up and I have enough rags for the year.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Anyone using the home washing machine for these or what method is best? I have a container full of grease rags that I need to do something with.

I would soak/swish them in a bucket of solvent and then leave them out to dry before washing with soap and water.

 

[Thumper68]

I Have a old washing machine that I use for really dirty stuff (shop rags, coveralls, work clothes) my process is very simple and gets them clean enough for me.

Put rags in washer, add dawn dish soap, bleach, Fill with hot water, run machine until everything is well mixed, let soak until water is cold (couple of hours) Switch to spin cycle and get the cold water out, refill with hot water add clothes soap and another dose of bleach, run heavy wash cycle and then check to see how they came out if still dirty repeat.

Then in the dryer they go.

The washer I use came off craigs list free.

 

[Revin]

dam I must be the only one that uses my old t-shirts!
Car show shirts that were worn when I had a breakdown and oil stained them a bit...now a rag.
Free radio shirts that are too small. etc.....
cut them up use them.

heck I have even used old bath towels.(and maybe some from hotel stay for car shows...lol)

 

[kev2015]

Once in a while u can can pick up 50 of the same durable shop towels that are sold by uniform companies for 6.99. Usual price for 50ct @ menards is 12.99 approx. great durable towel.

 

[slip knot]

It pays to be nice to the uniform guy. He swaps out my rags, no charge. says the contract call for red rags every week but doesn't specify an amount. He can leave 100 or 1000, same cost. Same with the rugs. If I need one it'll be in my truck when I leave. All it costs is sharing a donut or handing him a gimme cap.

 

[ZRX61]

I buy 10 lb bags of surgical rags from a local cleaning company that works for the hospitals. All the shops and car guys know about it so they are kinda hard to get. The rags have to be cleaned and sterilized then cannot be re-used. They used to go for $20/bag. And that's a big azz bag too, about 4' x3'. I have enough that I haven't bought rags in about 2 years. The rags here are blue and they don't bleed color even if soaked in thinner, plus they are pretty much lint free. Very high quality.

They're called Huck towels.

 

[zoomzoomjeff]

dam I must be the only one that uses my old t-shirts!
Car show shirts that were worn when I had a breakdown and oil stained them a bit...now a rag.
Free radio shirts that are too small. etc.....
cut them up use them.

heck I have even used old bath towels.(and maybe some from hotel stay for car shows...lol)

Nope. I do that too. Old socks, shirts, pants, everything....gets cut up into individual rags. I have several boxes worth, no need to buy any. Before I was married, I used the red rags, but they were a major PITA to clean. Several cycles in a top load with tons of Dawn dish soap, bleach, rinses, more wash cycles, then you had to do an empty load afterwards to get rid of all the grease. Today...married...with a front load washer?? You can forget that ****! Anything gets greasy, it goes in the trash.

 

[ZRX61]

Huck towels:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LPYYF56/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[johnbennetch]

I made a cool dispenser for my rags. Take a Bucket with a lid. Then with a hole saw cut a 2 inch hole in the bottom center. Use a fine tooth plywood blade on your power saw and cut across a opening of the hole at six different angles to create long flexible fingers in the bottom of the bucket. Fill it with rags and put the lid on and hang it from the ceiling above the work bench. All you do is reach up and pull on the rag and it is like a giant Kleenex dispenser. This way when you are grinding and welding you don't have to worry about your rags catching fire.

 

[bullnerd]

the white cotton towels are sweet!

I like those huck towels, thanks for the link.