Laundry detergent to clean oil rags

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Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Would you dump used motor oil down the drain?


It also rinses off the street into the gutter and storm sewer system. Sanitary sewers (where your grey water goes) have oil/ fat traps, IDK about separate storm systems.
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
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.


^This. I'd also be afraid it'd permanently make your washer and dryer smell like used gas and oil thus transferring the smell to your regular laundry. Throw them out.
 
Soap in 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water. Rinse clean. Re-soak one more time in fresh soap/water mixture.

Then launder. Simple Green works pretty well.

Borax add would be good too.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
Soap in 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water. Rinse clean. Re-soak one more time in fresh soap/water mixture.

Then launder. Simple Green works pretty well.

Borax add would be good too.


+1 This. He meant SOAK in .........I was about to post the same thing. Even 25/75 SG/water will be effective. Use to clean your engine and lots of other safe uses.
 
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Throw them out, or use them as firestarters..

.. and buy something like this:

2im96p.jpg


$17 or so at Sam's Club. They work well, and hold up to a couple washes, but at 17 cents each, I don't feel guilty about tossing them if they get too dirty.
 
Hmm, I might buy a pack and give a couple to my brothers as well
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
Throw them out, or use them as firestarters..

.. and buy something like this:

2im96p.jpg


$17 or so at Sam's Club. They work well, and hold up to a couple washes, but at 17 cents each, I don't feel guilty about tossing them if they get too dirty.
 
I wash them when they're new to get the loose lint off and all that extra red dye, then I use them and throw them away. Oily rags in your washer machine is not good for the machine.
 
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
Throw them out, or use them as firestarters..

.. and buy something like this:

Agreed, that's why we call them grease rags. We're not using our tea towels or bath towels or shirts and hoping to get them clean again for their original use.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
I would worry about the grease and oil sticking to the sides of the washer drum and staining your regular laundry.


Yes, I once washed an old towel (stained with oil) in the washer at work... after the cycle, I wiped down the drum with a paper towel and it was covered in a black film of oil.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Would you dump used motor oil down the drain?


It also rinses off the street into the gutter and storm sewer system. Sanitary sewers (where your grey water goes) have oil/ fat traps, IDK about separate storm systems.



Still doesn't make it a good idea and not everyone is on a municipal sewer system. Spetic tanks no likey oil.

Storm drains don't have traps.
 
I've put my towels into a hierarchy.

So you can at least use them a couple times.

New shop towels start for like glass or other clean duty stuff. Then perhaps goes to engine duty or other medium dirty stuff. Finally to oil spill cleanups or other complete mop up duty. Then trash.
 
There is a detergent that was originally designed to clean shop rags called Charlie's. I get it as Earth Fair. Get a large waste basket, mix up a solution and let the rags soak in it a while then agitate, dump the water and start all over. Do several washings. I wouldn't wash the rags in my home washer at all and personally wouldn't do them in a commercial laundry unless they were pretty clean beforehand. Final rinse and let them hang dry or if you throw them in the dryer to fluff is OK.
Good luck.
 
Originally Posted By: MikeHigg
There is a detergent that was originally designed to clean shop rags called Charlie's. I get it as Earth Fair. Get a large waste basket, mix up a solution and let the rags soak in it a while then agitate, dump the water and start all over. Do several washings. I wouldn't wash the rags in my home washer at all and personally wouldn't do them in a commercial laundry unless they were pretty clean beforehand. Final rinse and let them hang dry or if you throw them in the dryer to fluff is OK.
Good luck.
http://charliesoap.com/ Buy it off of Amazon.com
 
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