How To Wash Greasy Bike Rags???

[shootingstar]

I would tend to use a rag that I would throw away. Too much effort (water, scrubbing, detergent) to wash such dirty rags, especially bike related grease or any type of heavy grease that is not digestible by humans.

I can't imagine trying to wash such rags with other type of laundry at all. Therefore not worth it.

[DebW]

In our shop used rags get thrown in a metal trash can until the rag cleaning company picks them up and drops off a new batch. They have to be treated as hazardous waste, so I guess the shop pays a significant price to have them washed and the wash water disposed of properly. At home I use paper towels or old T-shirts that I toss out after use.

[Velocivixen]

Thank you all for your thoughtful ideas. We use old socks and such to wipe greasy parts, and use them over and over. I like the idea of using disposable rags vs washing, but just wasn't sure. Definitely want to be gentle with our environment. We have a Park Tool scrubber device that one of you referred to, but I still use a rag to wipe off the drippy parts. Thanks and happy cycling.

[HillSlugger]

<highjack on>for those of you who use the chain cleaning scrubber, how do you dispose of the greasy, degreaser solution?<highjack off>

[Velocivixen]

Well, this is going to sound bad, but I mix it with dishwashing detergent to "thin out" the oily stuff and down the sink. Great question though. I live near a creek so dumping it down the rainwater/street drain that goes directly into the creek is not an option, nor is pouring into the soil. We use simple green to clean the chain. I will be interested in seeing responses to that question.

[OakLeaf]

<highjack on>for those of you who use the chain cleaning scrubber, how do you dispose of the greasy, degreaser solution?<highjack off>

I strain out the grit through a disposable shop rag in a funnel and re-use it. I keep the used solvent in an old can. A lot of the small particles will settle out, so I'll wind up with a quite clear solvent, that I can pour off into my chain cleaning machine and then wipe out the sludge from the bottom of the can with another disposable rag. A fair amount still goes where it shouldn't when I wash the bike after degreasing the drivetrain, but at least it cuts down on the amount I use.

[sundial]

I used to use old tee shirt cut into strips and throw them away when they become too dirty. Lately I've been using shop towels to wipe down the frame of the bike and chain.

[Desert Tortoise]

Hillslugger, good question on that chain scrubber. My husband got me one and I haven't used it yet but the problem of what to do with the greasy solution is something to think about.

Oakleaf, sounds like you have a good system going there. But would that work for someone who doesn't do this often? Meaning, would it be practical if I do this every few months?

What about treating the solution like old paint? In this case, put it in a disposable container, let it dry out in the sun and then throw out that container? Doesn't sound very environment friendly.

Now I'm not sure what to do?????????

dt