Glue/Shop Rags....What do you do??

[Pete Hotard]

So here's a question that I haven't seen covered before. Tried the search and came up with nothing. I just finished a large glue up and am about to start a new one. I have a large pile of dirty rags from wiping glue, cleaning tools and wiping blades after sharpening (wet stone, sandpaper grit, and glass cleaner my makeshift lapping fluid) The question is, what do you do with your shop rags? Do you attempt to wash them or do you simply throw them away and get more? I have an old washing machine so i'm not worried about ruining it. To be clear, these are not oily, fire prone rags that i'm saving. So the danger of storing them is not too bad. Thought this could spark an interesting discussion

[Jim Andrew]

I use paper towels and put them in the trash when I'm finished with them. If you let a rag dry with glue on it, it is hard to get it soaked up soft enough to wash out the glue. If you want to reuse a glue soaked rag, you should just throw it in the washer right then.

[Von Bickley]

I live in a rural area, so I just throw them on my burn pile.

[Bill Huber]

I use the blue towels rolls I get from Auto Zone or Walmart, they take water really good and work good when dry.

[Brian Tymchak]

I use the blue towels rolls I get from Auto Zone or Walmart, they take water really good and work good when dry.

+1. I get mine at HD.

[Stan Mitchell]

Definitely disposable.

I keep a keep roll of cheap paper towels handy for wiping up glue.

And like Bill, I also use the disposable blue shop towels - at least for heavy duty applications.

[Ole Anderson]

Three words: blue shop towels

[Erik Loza]

I use the blue towels rolls...


+1. I get mine at HD.

+3. Could not live without them, great for everything. My wife drew the line at replacing our toilet paper with them, though....

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Stan Krupowies]

I use the blue towels rolls I get from Auto Zone or Walmart, they take water really good and work good when dry.

+1 - I get mine at HD or BJ's wholesale. I use them for just about everything!

[John Coloccia]

I mostly use paper towels or the blue rags. For other jobs, I buy boxes of lint free cloth. They look like ripped up old t-shirts. They're cheap enough that I just toss them when I'm done.

That said, stop wiping up the glue. Let it gum up for 5 or 10 minutes, and then come back with a "glue chisel". Just go to the antique store and find a beat up old paring chisel (something long). Clean up the edge but leave it dull. This is perfect for scraping off glue, and it's especially good when the glue is slightly gummed up so you don't smear it all of the place. The chisel also lets you get right into a corner. I very rarely wipe up fresh glue anymore.

[glenn bradley]

Paper towels. They go in the recycle bin once used.

[Brian Tymchak]

+3. Could not live without them, great for everything. My wife drew the line at replacing our toilet paper with them, though....

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Well, now, there's a use for 'em that had never occurred to me... :D

[Rick Potter]

Okay, I will be the oddball. I buy terrycloth rags and microfiber rags at Costco, and, unless they get something like glue or globs of grease on them, I wash them in the regular washing machine. The ones with a LOT of dirt on them get rinsed in the slop sink first. They come out just fine, and useable. The microfiber rags are for car washing, outside furniture, porch rails, etc.

For bad jobs, I also have paper towels, and blue towels. Just finished wiping off stain on a couple face frames....used paper towels for that. Set them out to dry, then in the trash.

Rick Potter

[Art Mulder]

toss 'em. between old t-shirts, and socks with holes in them, I have no shortage of rags for this hobbyist.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Okay, I will be the oddball. I buy terrycloth rags and microfiber rags at Costco.
Rick Potter

I buy them too. Anyone know how to get the wood chips out of a microfiber cloth? After they get loaded up with wood chips, I use them to wipe up glue then finally toss them out. I cant seem to get wood chips out of the micro fiber. Washing/drying seems to make them stick better.

[John Coloccia]

I buy them too. Anyone know how to get the wood chips out of a microfiber cloth? After they get loaded up with wood chips, I use them to wipe up glue then finally toss them out. I cant seem to get wood chips out of the micro fiber. Washing/drying seems to make them stick better.

I can't figure it out either. It's like velcro. That's why I don't use the microfibre cloths in my shop when I'm wiping down guitars. I'd love too, but I can't keep the scratchy bits out.

[tim vadas]

i use a kitchen sponge and bucket of water. after you rinse the sponge out, it's quite clean and i save it for next time. dump the rinse water down the drain.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

+1 more for the blue shop towels. Good stuff.

[Troy Turner]

toss 'em. between old t-shirts, and socks with holes in them, I have no shortage of rags for this hobbyist.

Same here. We bought a couple of packs of the lint free cloths for a paint project we did. Didn't use half of them so I ended up with a ton. Still using them. Occasionally I'll grab from the orphan sock and holey underwear bin. Most of the time I get lucky and they're clean :D

[Charles Coolidge]

I live in a rural area, so I just throw them on my burn pile.

Environmentalist ALARM!! Seize him!! Just kidding, I have been known to dig a hole with my backhoe and bury stuff. ;)

[Dennis Nagle]

I put my glue rags in a bucket of water after I use them. Let them soak until I am ready to deal with them and then through them in the washer. I only use white glue and it is water soluble. By the way, they don't have to soak, you can rinse them out in water and that will break down the glue enough not to worry about it.

[Charles Coolidge]

The next question is who freaks out thinking they will burst into flames via spontaneous combustion? :eek: When my 5 gallon trash bucket gets looking like a fire hazard I place it outside away from the house.

[John Coloccia]

Environmentalist ALARM!! Seize him!! Just kidding, I have been known to dig a hole with my backhoe and bury stuff. ;)

I'm pretty certain that some of the turners here would weep if they saw some of the offcuts that end up in my fireplace...

[Mikail Khan]

I rinse my rags in hot water and reuse them.

MK

[Thomas Hotchkin]

I picked up a 12 Lb box of cotton rags for $5.00, with anything on them, but grease they go in washer. That box of rags is still going strong after 5 years. Tom

[William C Rogers]

I use the Scott's Rags in a box (paper towels). I was kind of surprised they were not mentioned before. Maybe they are pricy, but I like them better for general use. I used the blue paper towels if I am doing anything with CA glue. I also have the lint free box of cloths for use, but usually not glue. I trash or burn the all.

[Keith Mathewson]

Why do you end up with a large pile of rags? How much glue are you applying when you do a glue up, perhaps it is a bit too much.

[Rich Riddle]

Blue towels here for glue and very messy stuff. I do use rags on other things but toss them as well. Go through enough t-shirts and sweat pants that it offers a constant supply for the limited amount of work done in the shop.

[Brian Tymchak]

I use the Scott's Rags in a box (paper towels). I was kind of surprised they were not mentioned before. Maybe they are pricy, but I like them better for general use. I used the blue paper towels if I am doing anything with CA glue. I also have the lint free box of cloths for use, but usually not glue. I trash or burn the all.

The blue shop towels I get in the roll from HD are the same thing, just in the roll. I think they're a bit less expensive than in the box.

[William C Rogers]

The blue shop towels I get in the roll from HD are the same thing, just in the roll. I think they're a bit less expensive than in the box.
They must be slightly different as CA does not readily stick the towel to the work as does the Scott's, but probably about the same in all other respects.

[Jerry Olexa]

Let them dry out (esp BLO) then discard...

[Andy Pratt]

I keep paper towels around for things like glue and I buy white cotton rags in bulk for all the times you need something more substantial.

[Doug Herzberg]

Environmentalist ALARM!! Seize him!! Just kidding, I have been known to dig a hole with my backhoe and bury stuff. ;)

I buried my textbooks after law school. Recyclers didn't want them, they were taking up a lot of space and I figured a landfill in my backyard was no different than the one the city ran.

I have a standard laundry basket (no cover, holes in the side) just outside the shop door for oily rags from metal and automotive work. A five gallon bucket of water for glue/paint rags I want to keep. I buy the T-shirts for finish work and throw them away when done. And there are rolls of white and blue paper towels on dispensers on the wall for when they are needed.

SWMBO won't let me wash the rags in her laundry room, especially the red automotive ones. Fortunately, I have commercial machines at the rental houses, so I take them with me when I go to get the quarters.

[Alan Bienlein]

Depending on what I'm doing depends on the quality of the rag I'll use.

For staining I'll spend a little and get some decent quality rags for staining that are of the cut up t-shirt variety.

For glue ups, machine maintenance and automotive work I'll use old socks, underwear, t-shirts and any other old clothing that will absorb water or oil easily.

As for disposal I have a 55 gallon burn barrel for that.

[Keith Hankins]

I quit using rags years ago. I use a dual purpose sponge. They are made by Mr. Clean and you buy them 6 in a pack. One side is green and abrasive pad, and the flip side is yellow and soft sponge. When I start a glue-up I have a pan of warm water and wipe and dip in the pan of water and ring it out and repeat. I have not scraped a glue joint in for ever either. Throw it in the dishwasher while still damp and reuse till it falls apart. I use rags to clean my hands up and use old T-shirts. Good luck.

[Mark Blatter]

That said, stop wiping up the glue. Let it gum up for 5 or 10 minutes, and then come back with a "glue chisel". Just go to the antique store and find a beat up old paring chisel (something long). Clean up the edge but leave it dull. This is perfect for scraping off glue, and it's especially good when the glue is slightly gummed up so you don't smear it all of the place. The chisel also lets you get right into a corner. I very rarely wipe up fresh glue anymore.

+1

Removing the glue when it has started to harden, but is still pliable, is the best way. You don't get smears on the wood that you later have to remove by sanding, or miss until you start the finish process.