Shop rags

[pcmeiners]

"Piling them in a metal can with a tight lid would be a good idea spontaneous combustion can happen."

My folk's house went up in flames, to the tune of 150k to repair due to a contractor leaving drop cloths and rags with oil/solvents in a pile; only took 3 hours from the time he left until the blaze, believe turpentine mixed with oil was the major culprit.
All my oil/solvent rags go outside in a metal container.

 

[papavolume]

Do not take the chance of washing them in the same washer that your wife uses. There will be some residue from those rags that get on her clothing. And you will not only hear about it, you'll be buying her some new blouses.

I'm talking from experience. That's why I use a separate washing machine.

Haha, I appreciate the info. It sounds like the best way for me to wash the ones I want to keep will be in a large bucket with some soap and water as a few other people have also mentioned.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I take 'em back to work and get clean ones....aka hidden benefit.

This. DId that until we changed laundry contractors at work (while I was on vacation), the new contractor wouldn't take my rag stash. When they get good and nasty take them to a Laundromat, use Simple Green, Tide, Washing soda, and a couple cans of Red CocaCola... hot wash, they come out usable.

If I put them in my own washing machine, I'd kill me. Someday I'll find one of those old Gas powered Maytags and that'll be my dedicated rag and coverall washer.

I thought Tucks were a hemorrhoid treatment...

Me too... I know some jobs are a PITA, maybe that's what he uses them for...

"Piling them in a metal can with a tight lid would be a good idea - spontaneous combustion can happen."
My folk's house went up in flames, to the tune of 150k to repair due to a contractor leaving drop cloths and rags with oil/solvents in a pile; only took 3 hours from the time he left until the blaze, believe turpentine mixed with oil was the major culprit.

Linseed oil soaked rags WILL spontaneously combust in air. Saw a pile of them (luckily on a concrete pad) burning merrily away one warm summer day. Unless I have a real good reason for using it, I avoid that stuff like the plague.

 

[48RON54]

Get them from the same company that handles our uniforms. They pick up the dirty rags and drop off clean ones. I can look at the next invoice to see what it runs us. Its convenient for us.

 

[Zapp Branigan]

I throw them out. That's why they call them rags. They are one step away from being trash already.

 

[ZRX61]

I use paper towels also, but a lot of those "surgical rags" I think they are called tucks???

Huck Towels, I used em for clean work. They are lint free & if I'm rebuilding carbs or brake calipers etc, I just lay them on the bench to work on. They last forever.

My garage rags consist of Huck towels, blue Scott paper towels, white terry towels & a bag of the red shop rags they sell at Sam's Club.

http://www.towelsbydoctorjoe.com/lint-freewindshieldtowel.aspx

 

[gahrajmahal]

I am surprised that no one has said they just use their old clothes cut up. I remember recently a call from my now grown son offering me his old white cotton socks. I told him I felt like Dobby from Harry Potter!

 

[48RON54]

I am surprised that no one has said they just use their old clothes cut up. I remember recently a call from my now grown son offering me his old white cotton socks. I told him I felt like Dobby from Harry Potter!

At home I do this. My never ending pile of t-shirts is finally manageable now.

 

[crf731]

My wife would kill me if she caught me washing dirty rags in the washing machine.

Mine just go in the garbage, there are plenty more where they came from.

 

[bob15]

I am surprised that no one has said they just use their old clothes cut up.

Bottom of post # 16. Old t-shirts. Socks are nice for storing camshafts.

 

[66354dream]

I take them to the local laundromat and wash them in the hottest water, then ill do a load of my work clothes right after.

 

[ozyborn]

With 2 kids I get tons of old cotton shirts and socks. Wife's cotton work shirts. Heck I have 5 nylon mesh bags worth. I will use them. Why not? Use and toss.

 

[dlcwent]

Huck Towels, I used em for clean work. They are lint free & if I'm rebuilding carbs or brake calipers etc, I just lay them on the bench to work on. They last forever.

My garage rags consist of Huck towels, blue Scott paper towels, white terry towels & a bag of the red shop rags they sell at Sam's Club.

http://www.towelsbydoctorjoe.com/lint-freewindshieldtowel.aspx

Thank ZRX. That right Huck towels. They used to be reasonably priced, but now they are crazy money(for rags). I bought 40lbs. of them years ago. And I love them, that's why I wash and reuse.

 

[GTO]

I use paper most of the time,but I also use old underwear and t-shirts too.
I just throw them out when dirty.I can't be bothered with cleaning rags.That guy who posted that picture with the rags and all his cleaning stuff has way too much time on his hands.JMO

 

[RobSmith]

I wash them in normal detergent then rinse in cold water then wash again with "softly" conditioner to make them cuddly soft !
Are you kidding ? old bed sheets, shirts and pants torn up ...use them then toss them or burn them...they are RAGS . Paper towels are good for emergency spills.

 

[steel 35]

Thank ZRX. That right Huck towels. They used to be reasonably priced, but now they are crazy money(for rags). I bought 40lbs. of them years ago. And I love them, that's why I wash and reuse.

I Have 7 nurses and one Dr. on my block with two other sources; I have a few some get thrashed and some get washed.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I had never given any thought to one grease or oil being more responsible than any other when it comes to spontaneous combustion (I was aware that Linseed oil is a fire waiting to happen however) until someone on here commented that petroleum based oils and greases won't cause spontaneous combustion, and that it occurs only with plant based oils such as linseed and turpentine.. Don't know how true that is.

 

[dlcwent]

I Have 7 nurses and one Dr. on my block with two other sources; I have a few some get thrashed and some get washed.

Can I buy some from you? They are the BEST rags ever.IMO

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I have an endless supply of rags from clothing that wouldn't be worth giving to the thrift store. They go in the trash when they get too soiled. I won't wash them because I don't want my wife to get her hands greasy when she goes down to the river with the wash board.

 

[fsae0607]

I take 'em back to work and get clean ones....aka hidden benefit.

This.

When I was ready to quit one time, I washed my old ones in a 5-gal bucket with laundry detergent and the hottest water that came from the tap. Stirred with a broom handle and let soak for about an hour. Got them clean enough for reuse.

 

[WVBrady]

...I won't wash them because I don't want my wife to get her hands greasy when she goes down to the river with the wash board.

There was a woman from Germany who lived in my home town after WWII who took her laundry down to the river to wash. She also collected tobacco from cigarette butts and sent them to her father back home. Frugal times.

 

[akdiesel]

I found these at work and they work great for cleaning hands quickly. Amazon sells them.

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[JCQuick]

YEP my son takes them to work and swaps them out for clean ones

 

[BDT/NWMN]

There is enough old clothing that gets discarded at Goodwill stores.. I have picked it up before for free. We both win, as it reduces their disposal burden. Between this and paper towels, my needs are covered.. They all go in the trash..

 

[jashink]

I go to garage sales and buy old towels and flannel sheets and etc. I then cut them up into towel sizes. I can usually get all I need for a couple months for $5 or less. After i use them I burn them or just throw them away. I have been doing this for years.
Jim

 

[Richard Cranium]

I purchased a very large box of scrap T-shirt material from the ace hardware whse. yearly yard sale and I just hang them on the handle of my floor jack until they are dry. Then toss them out after wards. I used to go to the cleaning company in town and by their rejects for 1.00 per bag of 12 dozen. Just is not worth trying to clean them. I hope that if my personal washing machine ever breaks down on me, that I don't get a greasy washing machine at the laundry mat after some one has washed their shop rags in it. Rich

 

[kc10a]

Wisk and a 5 gal. Bucket for me. I use a toilet plunger to agitate them occasionally while they soak. Then rinse and hang up to dry.

 

[PhantomEB]

Mine are just cut up old shirts in a bucket, free!

 

[jvitez]

Dollar store paper towels are number one. They're so cheap if a I use half a roll for something so what? Next are the Scott blue paper towels, then cut up old T-shirts and towels. Nothing gets washed, just thrown away when too dirty. I've got a monster bag of our too-small kid's T-shirts and old towels my wife collected.

I've had no luck with red "shop" rags. I had a few from my dad that were about 40 years old when they fell apart. Superb quality. So I wanted more of the same and thought I found them at Princess Auto (Canuck version of Harbor Frieght). The first time I washed them they leached most of their colour and everything turned pink and left pinkish/red stains on everything they touched. I threw them out. I found out later that they were made in India. Never again.

 

[ATC]

Dad gets them by the case from work. It's gonna **** when he retires in a couple years!

 

[94EG8]

I buy white cotton T-shirt rags from a local used clothing store. It's $25 for a large box. I just throw them out as they get dirty.

 

[dlcwent]

I'll stick to the huck towels. They absorb better than any thing else I've used. JMO