Oil & Fuel cheap or not

[zman007007]

I was just wondering if anyone else saves some of their paper towels, used in the shop, to use for other things after washing, and drying their hands for things such as soaking up spills,or do you just throw them away. We use the heavy duty blue towels at work and even after they have grease on them, they are useful for soaking up hydraulic fluid spills. I am not sure if this is the right forum. if not not please move to the right one and let me know. thanks. I was taught you waste not and you want not. zman

 

[travis potter]

I like your idea. will start using it.

 

[buck12]

I don't save paper towels but if I use a paper towel to check the oil in tractor, ATV, lawnmower or use one to clean the windows on my truck I will wiped excess grease off the tractor's loader pins or bush hog's tail wheel. I do the same thing with old rags. Before I toss it I wipe excessive grease off the tractor.

 

[flyingcow]

I was just wondering if anyone else saves some of their paper towels, used in the shop, to use for other things after washing, and drying their hands for things such as soaking up spills,or do you just throw them away. We use the heavy duty blue towels at work and even after they have grease on them, they are useful for soaking up hydraulic fluid spills. I am not sure if this is the right forum. if not not please move to the right one and let me know. thanks. I was taught you waste not and you want not. zman

i do the same, but only with the thick blue ones. Thats all I use in the garage. Intailly, they cost more, but I'll have a case of blues ones around a lot longer than typical white ones.

 

[flyingcow]

How about this thrifty idea. When we first moved into our new house(16yrs ago) my wife put a small container for kitchen garbage under sink. All those plastic grocery bags that the greenies are saying we need to ban, they fit perfectly in the container. Haven't bought a regular garbage bag for yrs. Yeah we need to "take out the trash often", but we're making good use of those bags. No smell either.

 

[Gordon Gould]

My mothers favorite saying was "Waste not, want not". And it stuck with me as it did you, I dont use paper towels but I do cut up all the old clothes and towels etc. for rags. Then they progress thru the shop for different jobs from clean to gobbed with grease when they get tossed.

 

[jpm]

i also use the blue ones for shop/tractor use they last a much time than the cheap white one

 

[zman007007]

When I say paper towels in my shop it is not the type like you buy in the store. I went to a uniform company not far from my house and purchased one of their used towel dispensers, [pulls from the center of the roll], and 6 rolls of towels. It only cost me about $40 for all and should last me a long time. Pete

 

[zman007007]

Granted these towels aren"t as tough as the blue towels, but tougher than what you get in the store. I bought a case, for $24, it has 6 rolls and with 500 sheets per roll, I think its a pretty good bargain. The last roll of blue towels I bought from so and so, was a little over $80, and I believe there is only 750 towels on it. So it is totally your choice,750 for $80 or 3000 for $24. Pete :confused2:

 

[Soundguy]

lately I have been using red cloth shop rags.. and then when I get enough dirty ones i wash them in a 5g bucket with simple green and detergent, letting them soak a few days, then sun dry. don't get them 100% clean.. but clean enough for another go thru the shop..

soundguy

 

[Mace Canute]

Yes, my paper towels get used and reused as many times as I can manage it, the progression is usually from when I wipe my hands clean of hand cleaner to using them to wipe clean my lathe and mill to general clean up to wiping up oil and grease. By the time a paper towel hits my garbage bin, its been well used!

 

[zman007007]

thats cool Mace and I can tell from the serious look on your avatar you don"t kid about things like paper towels. lol Pete :laughing:

 

[TGF]

I use scott rags, they are similar to the heavy duty blues, I just throw them away, they aren't that expensive.

 

[nickel plate]

I made this double PT dispenser with a single roll of TP for those little wipe up jobs and yes, I do on occassion keep a lightly used paper towel around for a second cleaning.

 

[zman007007]

good job on the dispenser nickle plate:thumbsup:

 

[some zilch]

no

345

 

[CBW1999]

Can't say I keep them around intentionally, but if one is around, I'll use it for spilled oil and such. Most often, I use paper towels or paper napkins when using the grease gun.

Good idea though, with the cost of things- it wouldn't hurt to have a small "Clean" garbage can by the sink. If you know they were only used to dry your hands, you know where to grab them quickly to use.

Not much different then sorting recyclable materials into different cans.

 

[zman007007]

some zilch would you like to elaborate on that answer? no lol :confused2:

 

[magicheater]

The planet welcomes any effort to conserve it's resources. I have a check down of uses for a vast number of things until they are of no use and either return to the earth, get recycled or unfortunately go to the landfill.

 

[zman007007]

You know I thought more people on here would admit to being cheap, uh , I mean thrifty, but I guess they are too embarassed. LOL zman:laughing: