Old rags

[bigpoppa]

Forum Sponsor

How do ya'll clean old rags that you use wipe chains or clean up oil/grime around the garage?

Assuming throwing it in the washing machine is a no-no with all the chemicals/carcinogens + wife aggro...

 

[Wingboy]

You don't.

 

[mimico_polak]

In the garbage they go…I mean a waste disposal site.

 

[matthew]

If they're not destroyed I give them a scrub with dish detergent and put them back on chain duty.

 

[85K100]

I use them for fire starters.

 

[bitzz]

 

[Hardwrkr13]

My old rags are old t-shirts. If they're oily/greasy they go in the garbage. I go through enough t-shirts to have plenty of "rags".

 

[ReSTored]

Never a shortage of rags. I cut old t shirts, towels, etc.. to the right size and keep them in a large drawer in the garage.

At one point spouse tells me I need new shirts, things are getting old, worn looking. So I say OK, just go through my closet and drawers, pull out the stuff you think is old and should be thrown out. An hour later she is finished and I come back to see about 2/3's of the clothes I own is sitting in a pile on the bed. Rags for years.

 

[Renboy]

Clothing life cycle
Nice t-shirt -> work t-shirt -> garage work t-shirt -> rag -> garbage

 

[oioioi]

Be careful when throwing out old rags.
Maybe not so much with just chain oil etc.

I have a friend who was staining his newly built gazebo and threw some old rags into a blue bin in the back yard.

15 min later. He has an inferno in the backyard.
New gazebo had burn damage, bricks needed to be replaced on the house and 2-3 windows and door also needed replacing.

He rewatched it all on the security camera untill it melted itself.

Chemical reaction don't only happen in movies.

 

[ReSTored]

Be careful when throwing out old rags.
Maybe not so much with just chain oil etc.

Good point.

When I put my oily rags in the garbage bin I lay them out flat so they don't have an opportunity to heat up and self combust.

 

[GreyGhost]

If I have oily/gassy/solvent rages, I spread them out for a few days to evaporate before I put them in garbage. Pily rags never go straight to garbage . They also never get washed. Oil/grease is the last step before garbage.

 

[nobbie48]

Good rags IMO are cotton as they are absorbent. Some synthetics tend to be oil spreaders.

If the item is really caked in grease I start with a scraper then less desireable rags. Old socks work as well for the second go around. Work towards soft cotton for a final wipe.

Forum Sponsor