6 Easy Steps To Clean Shop Rags (Tricks Included)

Have you ever thrown your shop rag into the washing machine? If you did, then you probably know that it’s a terrible idea.

The dirt from the rags can leave dirt in your machine that will destroy every other clothes you put in next. So, how to clean shop rags then?

We will come back to this further down the article but here’s a link if you want to see more about the special shop rag for Washing jobs.

Well, in this article we’ll show you the steps you need to follow to get a clean and fresh rag again. Don’t worry; the steps are not that hard.

All you have to do is prepare a solution to clean the rag. Then, dip the rag in the solution. Once you’re done with that you need to wait for the solution to remove the dirt. Afterward, use a pressure washer to remove the remaining stain and then soak the rags in clear water. Lastly, let the rag dry and you’ll have a spotless shop rag again.

Sounds simple, right? It really is. So, why don’t we take a closer look at these steps?

How To Clean Shop Rags 6 Easy Steps To Follow

Yes, it’s time to answer the main question now. So, why don’t we jump straight into the topic?

Things you’ll need

But before we do discuss the steps on how to clean oily shop rags. Let’s talk about the things you’ll be needing for this process. It’s always handy to keep things close by when you work. 

So, to make your life easier here is a list of items that you’ll need.

LIST  OF ITEMS-

• Industrial Purple Degreaser. 

• Laundry Detergent.

Here is the best laundry detergent for the shop rag-

1. Persil ProClean Power Liquid Laundry Detergent.
2. Persil ProClean Liquid Laundry Detergent.

• Hot Water.
• Stirrer.

• Tong.

• Pressure Washer.

• Freshwater.

Do you have everything on the list? If you do then let’s get started with the process.

Step 1- Prepare a solution to clean the rag.

The first thing you have to make is the mixture that dissolves all the dirt and grease. To do this boil some water and pour it into a bucket.

Make sure you only fill half the bucket. Then take out the industrial purple degreaser and mix about half a cup. Once you’re done with don’t forget to add the laundry detergent.

The purple degreaser and detergent have stain-removing property. So, they’ll get rid of all the dirt for you.

All you have to do is stir the mixture with a stirrer. And that’s it. You now have a mixture to clean the dirty rags.

Step 2- Dip the shop rag in the solution.

The next thing on the to-do list is to dip the rag in the prepared mixture. For this use a tong since the water is hot and you used some strong chemicals.

But ensure that the rags completely emerge in the mixture. Otherwise, the powerful solution will not be able to do its magic.

Step 3- Wait for the solution to remove the dirt.

Once you’re completely sure that the rag has soaked in the mixture leave it that way. You see, the solution needs an ample amount of time to clean the shop rags.

So, let them soak for the entire night while you get your beauty sleep.

Step 4- Use a pressure washer to remove the remaining stain.

After one night you’ll see that the shop rags made the clear water dark and filthy. That’s when you use your tongs again to pull up the rags.

They’ll be clean but to make sure that they are usable again use a pressure washer to remove the excess dirt.

After 10 to 15 minutes the shop rags will be dirt-free and clean.

Step 5- Soak the rags in clearwater.

Yes, the pressure washer will clean the rags but to sterilize it you have to soak it in fresh-water again. 

Don’t worry; this time you won’t have to leave them overnight. Just let them soak for an hour or so and you can head over to the final step.

Step 6- Let the shop rags dry.

For the last step, all you have to do is let them dry. No one wants to use a soggy shop rag, do they?

So, just hang them in your backyard or the laundry room and let them dry off.

However, we do recommend letting them dry under the sun. Since the sun can kill off some harmful bacteria that might still reside in them.

With that said and done, let’s look at some frequently asked questions about shop rags. Shall we?

Check this guide to know more: How To Clean Kitchen Rags?

Also, read the related guide: Acetone To Clean Metal Before Painting.

Related Questions

Question: Are shop rags washable?

Answer: The goods are washed. You don’t have to throw them away whenever they get dirty. However, they should not be washed in the washing machine. Rather use the steps in our article to clean your rags smoothly. 

Question: Can you machine wash shop towels?

Answer: Yes, you most definitely can use a washing machine to clean the dirty shop rags. However, keep in mind that your washing machine tends to become very dirty from the grease in the rags. This can prove to be harmful to future clothes.

Question: Where do you put dirty rags?

Answer: Till you decide to wash the shop rags make sure you put them in a ziplock bag. This has to be done to ensure that they don’t make other things in your house messy.

Question: Can you wash oily rags in the washing machine?

Answer: No.

Final words

Hold on, before you close all your tabs and start cleaning your dirty shop rags we have one last piece of advice. That’s don’t use your hand to touch the dirty rag.

This is because the rags are very unhygienic and to top it off the mixture used in this process is very concentrated.

Thus, to keep your hands safe we recommend you use other tools to handle the rags. With that, we end our article here. Hope you had a good read and have a clear understanding of how to clean shop rags.

Good Luck with the step on how to clean greasy shop rags!