Have an old washing machine that we use for oily rags and feel like we haven't quite found the right product(s) to produce degreased rags. Any tips or tricks or magic potions?
Have an old washing machine that we use for oily rags and feel like we haven't quite found the right product(s) to produce degreased rags. Any tips or tricks or magic potions?
Are you using hot water or only cold water ?
Hot water and a splash of simple green added to the detergent.
Hot water and a small splash of Dawn maybe. Might make a sudsy mess though.
Had been using it in the driveway hooked to hose bib, so cold water only. Perhaps that's part of the problem?
Ammonia. Cup added with the detergent. Pre-soak beforehand with a similar mix.
Ammonia catalyzes oils. It chemically destroys the bonds between oils. Most soaps will grab the oil and separate it from the fabric but the oils are generally strong enough that when the soap is washed away the oil just resettles on the fabric and you've still got oil on the cloth.
Ammonia, on the other hand, grabs oil, separates it, and then tears it apart at a molecular level.
So, presoak in Dawn and ammonia to help lift the oil off and destroy it. Don't pour the soak oil into the washer, dump that out and then use clean water and more ammonia.
Dry Tide or Lestoil. A guy at work swore by washing his greasy clothes in Lestoil, he stank of Lestoil. Tide is Trisodium Phosphate .
You really want to get the job done dunk them in liquid freon. Just don't breathe the fumes...
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