Here's my predicament... I have a bucket full of old towels and such that I've used to wash the cars over time. They've got polish, wax, soap, etc... on them. In addition, I've got a pair of those "mechanics" gloves and a few other oily towels that could definatly use a washing. The gloves are seriously oily and dirty after taking out the tranny and engine on the valiant.

Second, and more importantly. We got rid of our leaky junky washing machine a few months back and got one of those HE3 thingys from sears. Very nice, the wife loves it. Am I being stupid by thinking I could wash all that stuff in the new washer? Looking for some advice prior to making the wife really angry...

cheers,

Matt.

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

If you're really worried, a safe bet would be to get yourself a roll of quarters and take the bucket of rags to a laundromat.
Just to get them somewhat clean, and not even use their dryer might save your marriage from a nasty argument.
If it were me, I'd probably get some of the "serious" oil off the gloves with a few dousings of brake cleaner prior to laundering them, or just throw them out.
My wife washes my detailing rags but it's her putting them into our 18 year old Maytag... not me

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Rags are about $2.00 a bag right?

Howdy Matt,
The gloves have a lifetime guarantee. I would make sure they have a hole in them and send them in for new ones. Save $25.00.

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

You don't have a predicament yet. You wash it in the nice new washer and you might be finding a place to sleep for a long time. You wash your rags in my 8 yo washer and I will shoot you. Take it to a laundromat.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

It's mostly the gloves and towels. I didn't know they had a lifetime warranty, that's too bad they just got ripped the other day...
Laundromat it is for the rest of the pile.

thanks all.

__________________
-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

I managed to collect a half-full 55 gallon drum of shop rags. Both oily and waxy. I took a good amount of them over the laundermat, as I'd get killed if I used the home washer for these. I used 3 of the largest front-loaders they had. Had some errands to run, so I left the rags in the machines.

When I came back, there was a note from the attendant asking (demanding, actually) that I not return to their laundermat with greasy rags again. LOL.

So what I do now is go there either really late or early when there is no attendant present.

__________________
Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

MBCA Member, Chicago Region

Buy new ones. You'll get an oily ring on the washer drum. (ask me how I know)

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

Good point.

If it's a rag that is cheap and totally filthy, I'm likely to throw it away.

Recently I used an old cotton sock to detail the MB-Tex on the SD with Lexol Vinylex. No way I was going to launder that thing. It was totally black by the time I got done wiping down the lower door sills, window rubber, and weather stripping.

If it's just sooty my wife will wash it.

Now as for my microfiber towels, I wash those, and even really black ones (not oily thogh) have come perfectly clean.
I try not to put them into the dryer though.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic