Slightly OT - How do you clean your shop towels?

I know this is slightly off topic, but how do you all clean your shop towels? I bought some blue surgical "huck" towels for working on my bicycles since they are lint free (unlike those red things you get at the auto parts store). However, now that I'm using them on my suspension project, they are getting pretty greasy and nasty. How do you all clean your towels? I hate to just toss 'em, and really don't want to run them in the washing machine...

If they're really greasy then I throw mine away. For light grease and oil I run them in the washing machine on hot with detergent and lots of Simple Green. Then I run them a second time with just detergent to make sure they, and the washing machine, are clean.

i run mine at the laudry mat with orange, bleach, detergent and hot water. (fast orange to help cut the grease/oil)

Don't know. I'll ask my wife.

I run mine through the coin op laundry. My wife doesn't allow me to use her washer any more...

I'm a chef so we always use dishwasher detergent in the washer on our jackets, I bet it would work on greasy rags?

I do what Steve does, but run the first load at the half water level and the second wash at full level. I also make sure that the next load that I run is blue jeans and not whites! A little OT, but a friend of mine ran engine parts through his dishwasher thinking his wife wouldn't mind. Boy was that a mistake.

I so the same as Steve as well, except I just wipe out the washer with hte worst rag of the bunch, then wash my work clothes to clean it out the rest of the way. When I'm dealing with REALLY greasy stuff, I use disposable rags (the ones with holes) or paper towels.

I don't know about the nicer quality towels you have, but I used to take mine down to a local NAPA auto where they did an exchange. Bring in a 5 gallon bucket worth of dirty red rags, pay 5 bucks and walk out with a batch of clean (recycled) rags.

thanks for the ideas...i like the idea of using the washing machine, then washing my work clothes as the clean out...I also think I'll get some of the disposable rags. These surgical towels are great...ya hate to toss 'em away!

Thanks again...Paul

Have a contract with Canadian Linen Supply, or the American equivalent.

Hand wash in Dawn dish washing detergent. Cuts the oil and grease really well. Also great for washing all wax off your car.

Bob

I took the time to discuss the matter at a laundry mat. The owner had no issues to me doing so. She in fact thanked me for letting her know. The problem is doing it and not wipeing down when finished as she explained. She even told me that for letting her know she'd wipe the washer down.
As with the above advice, a plethora exists of what works and doesn't. TSP is my first line of power cleaners.

Nappysan

Tend to toss them. Best friend's girlfriend works at a medical supply company - she just drops off bundles of them every now and again.

5 gallon bucket, dirty rags, dawn, stir 'em around with a short paddle.

I made the mistake of putting in some real dirty grease laden ones in my Top O line front loader Whirlpool. I got mine when they first came out in the early 2002 or 3?
Made in Germany! My rags were from Sam's Club, the red ones. I got balls of grease that formed and rolled around with the rags after unloading. YUK! Red dye did a good deal on the next batch of whites. Pink whites ! Needless to say, got the bleach out and fixed that. If you have the time, goto a laundry mat! Add de greaser ect like the other posts! Napa deal sounds good too. The rags that did come out were decent to use again. Maybe I need to get a degreaser to go into the mix next time. ?? I used straight TIDE.
BJ

I gotta say...you guys are hilarious!

I worked out a deal with the laundry service we use at my day job (truck mechanic) $10 bucks buys 100 clean rags turn 100 back in pay $10 bucks again no washing or dealing w/dirty rags in "wifes" washing machine best way to keep the peace if you know what I mean

look guys this isn't very manly,your talking about washing and what powder is best!,engines are dirty,rags are things we wipe our sweat from our brow with and toss to the side while spitting into a spining bowl on the floor,cusing we raise our can of sheep dip to our mouths and say in a deep voice -that was a darn fine job.

FWIW bold 3 in one is best

Here is how I do it in my man castle. Craigslist hepled me out on this one Spent 200.00 bucks on a 2 yearold stacked washer/dryer that was like 1100.00 new.

Couple years ago I ran water over to the shop, put in a laundry sink and a urinal (don't want to stink up my shop). My wife was always tired of me washing them in the house washer. Now I wash what I want when I want, typically will open the washer, put stuff in it all weekend long, run it Sunday evening when I am done throw the stuff in the dryer Monday morning and I am good to go for the next weekend. I also have a small (12 gal. I think) water heater. I can mop the shop floors, throw the mophead in with some degreaser and be good to go.

I got tired of the laundramat routine and hasslin with the wife don't have to do either no more.

I can't believe it...I have washer envy! Sheesh...what's the world coming to?

Just throw in with my tidy whities and some bleach. Now everything's the same color and don't have to separate laundry any more.