How do you clean out your dirty, oilly rags?

[Jen72]

After cleaning my chain I would just throw out the old cut up towels I was using to clean with but I bought some rags from the auto supply store and it seems there has to be a way to clean them without putting in the washing machine. I've tried Tide in the sink and it doesn't hardly touch it.

[msincredible]

I will clean and re-use rags that I use for cleaning the house, but I just throw out the ones that I use on bicycle and motorcycle chains (and similar things).

Definitely don't put them in the washing machine, they are flammable.

[OakLeaf]

Some laundromats have one machine dedicated to greasy laundry.

Still, remember that wherever you wash the rags, the oils and toxic chemicals go down the drain - either into a public sewer or a private septic system, neither of which is equipped to remove those chemicals from the water.

I just use the heavy duty paper towels, try to reuse them as many times as I can, then pitch them. At least the landfill is supposed to isolate their leachate from the aquifer.

If you have a friend who works at a car or motorcycle shop, maybe you could arrange to get a couple of shop rags a week through their towel service. Although there was a highly publicized decision a couple of years ago that allows towel services to put a lot more effluent into the water system than they need to...