I've got a ton of old oil rags/towels that have about soaked up all the oil and grease they can, I tried to clean them using regular laundry detergent, didn't help much at all. Can anyone recommend a good solution?
Originally Posted By: tdpark
maybe soak in Dawn liquid soap in really hot water- then rinse and then put in laundry machine on hot water
I didn't try soaking them, but I did put a good 1/4 cup of dawn in the washer on the second wash. They're still full of grease and oil
I put borax in it, Dawn, Bleach.. no dice
I would worry about the grease and oil sticking to the sides of the washer drum and staining your regular laundry. I usually use old undershirts/t shirts for oil rags. Throwing them out when they get bad.
When I worked a tire store there was a metal bin for oily rags and the industrial laundromat that did our uniforms also did the rags, though hopefully in their own cycle.
A hospital laundry with their fancy stuff might be able to melt the grease out, for example. How does Joe Hobbyist access this though?
I actually work in a hosptial and know some of the Housekeepers
Originally Posted By: eljefino
When I worked a tire store there was a metal bin for oily rags and the industrial laundromat that did our uniforms also did the rags, though hopefully in their own cycle.
A hospital laundry with their fancy stuff might be able to melt the grease out, for example. How does Joe Hobbyist access this though?
I have used a long soak in "SuperClean" (used to be a Castrol product) for oily cloth work gloves. Wally has it in gallon jugs in the automotive section. Rubber gloves are wise, it'll take the oil right out of your hands.
Toss 'em. According to the disclaimer on the lid of my machine, oil/gas/grease will never wash completely out. I know that's legal boilerplate, but your experience seems to be confirming that outcome.
Besides, if the latest batch of t-shirts I bought from Jockey are any indication, you won't have to wait long to restock the rag pile with fresh material.