oily gun rags in the wash?

[leadcounsel]

My washing machine warns of putting oily or flamable stained clothes/rags in the wash. Mine is a front loading washer.

I use towels and rags when cleaning my guns and they become wet with solvents and oils.

Anyone had any issues putting theirs in their wash and/or drier. I could hang them dry.

 

[kingpin008]

That's simply the company playing CYA.

Some people put the dirty laundry in the washer and let it build up until they have a load's worth before actually washing it. Only problem with doing that with oily or similarly soiled rags, is that they have the capability to self-ignite.

So, as long as you put them in and then directly wash them, it's all good.

 

[Magoo]

I thought that's what laundry mats were for?

 

[Kingofthehill]

I use the same rags all the time, i wash them by hand in the stainless sink and then just let hang dry.

I goofed up and put them in the wash once and it ruined a whole load of clothes... it left a weird smell on everything in the next load. Ruined some nice work clothes. I don't care to do that again.

JOe

 

[jnyork]

I dont even mess with trying to clean them any more. I either use the roll of blue paper towels from the Walmart auto dept or go to Sam's Club and get a package of red mechanic's rags for 12.50/100,, throw them away when they get too grody.

 

[kanook]

I use old clothes and towels for my rags and pitch them

 

[woodsoup]

I save them all up in a small laundry basket. When there's enough I wash them using PineSol, on the max cleaning cycle with extra rinse. Mine is a Maytag Neptune no mention about not washing oily stuff in the destructions book. just toss in the dryer until it beeps at me. Oh, don't use fabric softner or dryer sheets and your rags will be much more absorbant.

 

[wishin]

Since I do my own car maintenance and repairs, I've used our top loader many times to wash oily and gas soiled towels that I reuse for that purpose. Never have had a problem. Needless to say, they're washed and dried separately from the normal stuff.

 

[Kimber45acp]

Man, why would you wash a gun rag? That oil is going to leave traces in your washer and get on your clothes. Get packs of cheap rags and throw them away when they become unusable. The thought of washing them makes no sense to me.

 

[hso]

Don't wash gun/shop rags in the same machine you wash underwear in! At least wash them by themselves and then run the machine a couple more loads empty to get the butt-eating chemicals out before you put your tighty whiteies in.

 

[oneounceload]

You need to worry more about making momma mad when you get those oils and solvebts in her machine and they get on the next load of clothes.

I wash mine in a bucket of Dawn and warm water, rinse them in my outdoor sink and let them air dry. OR, you could take them to a laundromat and use their machines...

 

[leadcounsel]

Very helpful - sometimes a sanity check is good. I'm not gonna ruin an expensive machine or other clothes over a couple spare towels.

 

[miamiboy]

I'm not too sure, but I think that some of the older washers and dryers may have been powered by things other that electricity, like gas- don't want to get flammables near that. Not positive, but I think so...

+1 on washing them separately also. Trust me!!

 

[The Bushmaster]

Old cotton T-shirts. I even cut them into patches. after they are too dirty to use on a clean gun I toss them. Of course I never reuse patches.

 

[chevyforlife21]

why would you wanna do that all those solvents and oil residue is gonna get on your clothes. just wash it in the sink, or even go to the laundry mat haha

 

[W.E.G.]

Whenever I have a pair especially crusty skivvies, I toss em in the tumbler for a couple hours.

 

[wishin]

Very helpful - sometimes a sanity check is good. I'm not gonna ruin an expensive machine or other clothes over a couple spare towels.

Or a marriage...........It's really OK, until the wife begins to complain about her off-white bras.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Come on guys... why take em to the laundry mat and let someone else get all that crap on their clothes.

That's just rude.

Throw the stuff away and buy more, it's not like there is a shortage of tee shirts in the world for .10 to .25 cents.

 

[bakert]

For goodness sake don't put them in a washer. If you must wash 'em, a five gallon bucket with a cup of good dish detergent works right well. let 'em soak then rinse and dry out side on a line, fence or whatever is handy

 

[MAKster]

This reminds me of the posts where people say they put gun parts in their oven or dishwasher to clean off the cosmoline.

 

[oneounceload]

Knew a few folks who washed their shotgun hulls in the washer and dried them in the dryer - they each did that ONCE - and momma got new machines out of the deal.........

Remember - "If momma ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy"........

 

[Sediment]

+1 on the blue paper towels. Cheap, tough and disposable.

 

[brassdog]

I couldn't image using your own washing machine for those solvent soaked rags.
Use your neighbor's instead!

All kidding aside, I used to work for a small industrial shop. My boss was okay with me borrowing a few shop rags to clean my stuff with and bringing them back to be cleaned by the shop service. No muss, no fuss...

Only thing I had to do was help clean out the boss's crusty old muzzleloaders that his grandsons forgot to clean.

 

[scottgun]

Old t-shirts get cut up into rags, and then used for cleaning guns or in the garage, then tossed.

I don't see any value in cleaning rags for re-use. If I run out of rags, there's always a few more t-shirts that need to be retired.