Rags (for chain cleaning etc)

Old boxxers, t shirts, kids clothes, tea towels etc. Never buy rags.

Socks are best

Pop one on your hand and then you can just wipe the chain clean whist spinning the cranks

Doesn't get caught up in the drive train and your hand stays clean!

Have kids who're growing and/or wearing out the knees of their leggings constantly - never-ending supply of rags for the garage/bikes.

I've got a box of old bath towels that have lasted me years. I just cut off a fresh bit whenever I need it.

T-shirts, shirts and boxer shorts. Always a bag full ready for use, so never going to go short

I buy used lace knickers from a “friend” on the internet.

and he thanks you for your custom

Scott shop towels, I was sceptical and often used to use kitchen roll if I didn't have a spare rag but it's way stronger and more absorbent.

Asda, microfibre cloths.

In Oz you can buy big bags of rags from charity shops.

Pretty sure i'll never need to do that though.

Old duvets.

Blue,red,red check all out and now we're in grey and grey check.

I'm so going to hell. I reuse old clothes as rags to wipe down bike. Once really oily and grimy I rip them into shreds and put them in a big pot that I top up with oil from jars of olives etc. Superb for lighting the woodburner.

Sorry, not sorry.

Duvet covers, bedsheets, towels.

Once they've expired, they get cut up.
I've currently got a couple of carrier bags full of rags, or protorags

I once contracted at a place where they'd throw away tea towels instead of cleaning them. The cleaners were contractors and basically it was cheaper to replace new than faff around washing them.

There was a large box in the communal kitchen saying "please take as many as you want".

A sad state of affairs given the impact of cotton growing on water resources, but if anyone here works in a large office you might find similar systems in place.

Old boxxers

Not the cheap option at £600 a throw.

I’m so going to hell. I reuse old clothes as rags to wipe down bike. Once really oily and grimy I rip them into shreds and put them in a big pot that I top up with oil from jars of olives etc. Superb for lighting the woodburner.

Sounds perfectly sensible from a re-use, reduce perspective.

You're only going to hell for owning a woodburner 😉

Asda, microfibre cloths

same but from Quality Save. 20 for £4.99, washable as well

The rags at the bottom of my rag bin must be over 20 years old now, I never get close to the bottom.

For the "lighting woodburner" perspective, i do the same if i think of it.
End of life bedding => decorating sheets => frame rags => wash => driveline rags => fire lighters.

Obviously miss out the first stage if i'm not decorating!

Also use paper towels to clean the oily/greasy pans, they get used as firelighters too. Rather than washing the oil/grease down the sink, or putting it into the bin. Moving to washable kitchen bamboo/paper towels soon, they'll probably go in the fire once they are beyond cleaning.

We use old T-shirts etc, but I really like hand towels - perfect material and size etc. We don't tend to get through that many, so I keep wondering about buying a stack of cheap ones from Asda etc...

On the subject of going to hell, years ago for my nephew's 10th B'day party, we made a flaming 10 sign - loads of old clothes, meths and chicken wire..

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^ I so wish I'd thought of that when I was asked to make a big sign for my sister's wedding with their initials

Tea towels. I used to recycle the old ones, but "domestic issues" meant I just buy cheap ones now! They go in the washing machine on a hot wash.

We seem to wear out cotton clothes, towels, bedding, etc quicker than I can use as rags.

Put a hook blade in the vice and you can turn a pile of old stuff into neat squares in no time.

I have a massive bag of old socks, cut up tshirts, and old tea towels. More than I'll ever need in a lifetime.

You can also buy big bags of pre-cut rags from hardware stores.

Old boxxers

Not the cheap option at £600 a throw.

😀 I did notice I'd done that but was too late to edit!!

Usually have a stack of old t-shirts. Did buy some cotton from a place called Abakan (North Wales) earlier this year as I was running out. That'll keep me going a fair while as the knackered t-shirts are building up again.

Muslin cloths from when the kids were little, in various states of oilyness. We must have bought so many, I doubt I will run out before they have kids of their own.