OT: Dirty Work Clothes

RBnSC · Mar 6, 2011

How many of you help out at home? I cook when ever I can and help with whatever there is to do around house. Makes life better for both of us.Learned to do house work after My first wife died. For four years it was just me and my daughter.
Working with heavy equipment every day there are times I get my clothes very dirty (oily and greasy).I am thinking some of you do as well. I was wondering what you guys do to get your work clothes clean. Personally I use dish washing detergent along with Oxyclean and regular clothes washing detergent. Works better than anything else I have tried. What do you use?
Ron

Anonymous-0 · Mar 6, 2011

use old time wringer washer in the shop, keeps all the mud and sand from getting into good washer.

super99 · Mar 6, 2011

When we moved into our new house, wife got a new washer and dryer. I kept the old washer and put it in the basement for my work clothes. No worries about film or stains in her washer. I use cheap liquid detergent from Menards and add Fast Orange hand cleaner to water and do my own dirty clothes. Hang them up to dry. Chris

Aleuicius · Mar 6, 2011

Use DAWN dish liquid added to homemade laundry soap. Use it directly on the bad cases. Works fine.

buickanddeere · Mar 6, 2011

That is a better idea than the time I washed then put the old pistons from the 70 diesel in the wife's dishwasher. For a final polishing.
I had no idea there was that much black soot in the pores of the otherwise clean looking pistons.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 6, 2011

Years ago, I read a handy tip (in a car magazine) that a self cleaning oven was just the ticket for cleaning dirty/rusty/grime covered tools/parts/ect. Put 'em in, run the cleaning mode, and PRESTO!

The "handy tip" didn't say ANYTHING about NOT using the wifes NEW oven or using it IN THE HOUSE....

I'm reasonably certain I'll not make that mistake a second time...:O

GordoSD · Mar 6, 2011

Add some powdered borax.

kyhayman · Mar 6, 2011

I normally use Gain with oxyclean in the washer for shirts and jeans. If its a bad stain in one spot maybe pour a little Wisk on it over night. Mostly though I just run them through and let the stains be where they may.

TriTownTB · Mar 6, 2011

i second the vote for the old wringer washer. throw your dirty clothes and shop rags in there, good launtry soap, dish soap works good too to get oil out, and let the old washer adgitate for a couple three hours. you"d be surprised what"ll come clean.

Brad Gyde · Mar 6, 2011

I do a pretty good job of destroying clothes..I have cleaner shop towels than t-shirts.

The upside is blue jeans usually don't get as bad, as they usually get ripped about the 3rd time I wear em, and once that starts, kiss em goodbye.

As for my overalls and such.. During the cold months, my carhartt bibs and my coveralls usually end up a mess.. when we get to the rainy season, I'll hang them on the line and soap up the bad spots. 2-3 rains really helps, then toss em in the washer with detergent and some dawn dish soap.

I've also took my coveralls to the quarter car wash and hang em on the "mat hooks" when I wash my truck.. Still not super clean, but gets a lot of the crusty grease off of em.. then they usually won't make too big a mess in the wash machine.

Not the best ways, but they work for me.

Brad

BDT in Minnesota · Mar 6, 2011

Well; it is Sunday morning. As I glance out my kitchen window; a nice gentle snowfall is brightening the earth and the evergreen trees are a picture perfect Christmas scene..

I like to do my Christmas shopping early and avoid the big, last minute rush in December. Practical gifts are a priority on my gift list.

A good, used washing machine would be a great gift for many of us..(keeps guys out of hot water)

For buickanddeere and MF Poor,, the gift list includes a good quality hard hat (rolling-pin proof)

I have often used the kitchen oven for pre-heating parts.. The parts cleaning mode is a good Idea... THANKS

Now have another use for the "shop oven" on the "Me" list

Bob - MI · Mar 6, 2011

I have found that a little Pine Sol added to standard laundry detergent will do the job well.

Downside is that it will smell the laundry room up a bit with that "clean, fresh, pine scent".

trucker 40 · Mar 6, 2011

On greasy clothes take a can of Goop hand cleaner,put it on the greasy spots,work it in a little and they will come out a lot cleaner than any other way Ive found. I haven't tried it,but If you put some Goop on greasy coveralls and took them to the car wash,and hung them on a mat hook,and washed them like that,I bet it would get them clean.Maybe if they were just a little greasy after that put them in the washing machine with some dish washing soap and it will probably surprise you how clean they are.

Phil in MI · Mar 6, 2011

Pre clean with the power washer or car wash. Just put on your boots, stand on the pant legs and wash them clean. It removes all heavy grease and most of the stain. Then machine wash. Phil

Paul Janke · Mar 6, 2011

I was just told this last Friday that a coworker pours a can of Coke in the washer along with the regular detergent and greasy clothes. I had never heard of that before, but it might be worth a try. I wonder how that was discovered. Another product I know works for spraying on ahead of the washer is Citrol put out by Schaeffer Manufacturing Company. This stuff seems to be second only to brake parts cleaner for most any cleaning.

old · Mar 6, 2011

Well you are the first person other then my self that I know of that uses dish soap tp help get cloth clean. I also have used shampoo and the auto parts store hand soaps and some times all three plus laundry soap, oh and hot water not cold or warm

W.A.S. · Mar 6, 2011

I do try to help out as much as I am home to do so. I will have to ask the boss to see. The Lady of the house says Dish Soap or Hair soap is her best weapon.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 6, 2011

I put in a teaspoon of Watkins degreaser and they always come out clean. I back down the regular detergent just a bit

Joneil · Mar 6, 2011

I use my work uniforms at home. Throw them in the basket at work, they come back clean the next day.

bison · Mar 6, 2011

I let my wife handle the cloths washing,i concentrate on making them dirty.
That way we spread that workload equally.lol

Wardner · Mar 6, 2011

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Rare IH attachment. I only get to wear clean clothes in the summer.

Lesformore · Mar 6, 2011

I like my jeans and coveralls to be clean with no stains. I use TSP ( Trisodiumphosphate) disolved in water and sprayed on the stains and then normally washed. It's the degreaser used by painters to wash walls.

Tony S. · Mar 6, 2011

Kinda like money. I earn it, she spends it.

JayinNY · Mar 6, 2011

Before my wife will wash my pants, I have to shake them out. Every pocket on my carpenter pants gets hay or grass in them. I guess she dosent want it in the machine. If there coated with cow poo, I have to spray them off with the garden hose! Any grease stains, oil ect she uses goop hand cleaner on them, as Trucker 40 said too.

Larry in IA · Mar 6, 2011

Spray WD-40 on the stained spot immediately before putting into the washer. Don't let set as the WD will stain. Sounds crazy but it works well. The wife has a can ready for use in the laundry cabinet.

landlord7012 · Mar 7, 2011

Foundry guy I worked with swore by shampoo for oily hair to remove the gar-loc (heavy black mold sealing grease) that freguently soiled his dungarees. By the looks of it, it worked for him.

Good clean fun,
landlord

greygoat · Mar 7, 2011

Use a cup of Ammonia, plus whatever detergent
the wife is currently using !

OT: Dirty Work Clothes

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