Gents-

Where do you get your mechanics rags?

I had a bunch I bought years ago at Harbor Freight. They were good-quality, absorbent, and I liked them a lot.

When I went to HF to buy another bunch, I was disappointed at the quality. The new ones are extremely coarse, more like gauze than fabric, and not absorbent at all.

So where do y'all get decent rags?

I'm just a weekend warrior trying to keep my '82 wagon running...

-Hendoo

Harbor Freight may have them?
Dan

I got a large bag (50?) of those red shop rags at Costco about 12 years ago and still have a few left. Too long ago to recall pricing, but they were pretty cheap. They are about 35cm square and decent quality, somewhat absorbent.

Don't wash them - they bleed red dye and will strongly tint anything else in the machine. fortunately I found this out at the expense of just a few old t-shirts.

12 years is a lifetime in retail marketing so they may be NLA, but worth checking if you or a friend have a Costco membership.
--
Bob: Son's XC70, my 83 244DL, 89 745 (Chev LT-1 V8), 98 S90 (recently sold) and 2010 XC60. Also '77 MGB and four old motorcycles

I'll check Costco -- I don't recall seeing them in the store but I'll have to check next time I'm there.

Thanks to everybody for their suggestions. I prefer the traditional red shop rags but if I can't find any then painters rags will fill the bill.

-Hendoo

Working on GM's most of time...50 lasts a weekend.

You want 100% Cotton.

I use old bed sheets torn into rags, old flannel shirts, old towels, etc.
My wife saves any cotton cloth that she would otherwise throw away....just for me.
I have never actually bought a "grease rag".

I use the dirty rags to start fires in my wood burning heater for my shop.

Win/Win

Hi Hendoo. When I run out of rags I go to the nearby thrift store and buy some used towels-not fluffy plush ones because you don't want them to shed.And I cut them up into about 8 or 10 pieces.You can use Goop to clean 'em or just throw them away.--------------- Tinkerbelle

I just use the big bag of "lint free rags" from the painters section of Menards (any big box store will have them). Advantage other than availability and price, the ones not too disgusting can go right in the was with my bathed in ATF clothes and be used again.