"Lint Free" rags.....ARRGGGGGG

[John Coloccia]

Where the heck to I get actual lint free rags? Not just rags that are labelled "lint free". I mean real lint free rags. I'm convinced at this point that there is ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE between any other rag and the so-called lint free rags. I've never found any but this is really starting to drive me nuts now and I could really use some.

[Wil Limanen]

How about tack cloths? They do a great job in getting rid of sanding dust. Any auto parts store should have them.

Wil

[Steve Kohn]

Tack rags are available from any of the big box stores. However, I find the best "lint free" rags are well washed old t-shirts or even old sheets. Any good guality 100% cotton that has been laundered mulitple times works for me.

[John Coloccia]

Tack rags aren't really what I'm looking for. I really want lint free rags.

Hmmm...I'm wondering if I take the "lint free" rags I have now and run them through the wash a couple of times if that will fix them up?

[Howard Acheson]

What are you using lint free rags for?

For finishing I changed to rolls of paper "shop towels" years ago. They claim to be, and I've found them to be, more than lint free enough.

Also, I recommend never using a store bought "tack rag". Many contain chemicals that may be incompatible with some finishes. Tack rags in general have a propensity to pick up contaminates spread them around the surface you use them on. Before the final coat, I wipe with a rag or shop towel barely dampened with mineral spirits if using oil based, shellac or lacquer. If using waterborne finishes I dampen the rag with water. Be user anything used is fully dry before applying your finish.

[Bill Huber]

I agree with Steve, I buy the ones from HD, bring them home and put them in the washer with a load of other things when the wife does the laundry. Run them though the dryer and they work very well but if the item you are using them on was not sanded and prepared good you will still get some lint from them if you use them to long.

I do not use the same surface for very long, once I see on little bit of lint I rotate it or get a new one.

[John Coloccia]

re: what I use them for.

Well...everything

Polishing
General cleaning
Wiping down
French polish

I'm tired of little bits of lint getting everywhere. I've found that bounty paper towels work pretty well for some of it, but I really just want some lint free rags.

Bill, I'm going to run a load through the wash today and we'll see how I end up. If it's that's simple, I'm all set.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Now if you really want seriously lint free rags you will do best at estate sales and places like Goodwill stores looking for old linen dish towels and napkins. Second best are old cotton ones since they been washed innumerable times. Not many people want them any more and you can get some great deals if you keep your eyes open. Linen, if used for non-destructive cleaning will last for 10's of years.

[Gary Herrmann]

Old cut up tshirts. I've also heard good things about the 3M rags, but don't have any personal experience.

[Jay Maiers]

when I need a wipe that is truely lint free for painting projects, etc., I use some specialty disposable towels I bought from an automotive paint supplier. They're like a paper towel on steroids, and will last for quite a while unless you're using them to wipe an abrasive or really rough surface. The down side is that they are a bit expensive, so I only use them when I really, really need a clean surface. Most of the time I just use the bulk packages of micro-fiber towels, and then repurpose them after a few washings.

[Jamie Schmitz]

+1 on the Blue Shop towels. I learned about this after seeing an auto painter using them. They actually are good at picking up dust and then holding on. Cheese cloth is good thing too for certain things.

And just to see if I can get some extra credit,the best rag on the planet....anyone.....cloth diapers.

[Bob Turkovich]

Here's a reminder if you're washing the rags (especially if your SO is doing the laundry...). No fabric softerner in the washer and no softener sheets in the drier especially if you're using them for polishing.

And a +1 on the cloth diapers...

[Bill White]

My shop towels are white cotton "dish" towels, finishing rags are cotton tee shirt material, clean ups are paper towels. The fabric towels are laundered and dried repeatidly.
I wash with some gerenic amonia and detergent. The amonia knocks out any odors. Drying fluffs out the lint. Don't use any dryer sheets. They leave gunk in the fabric.
Bill

[Kent A Bathurst]

I use the Scott blue paper towels - no texture, and pretty doggone lint free.

Also - I buy boxes of the tee-shirt cotton rags. I get mine from Lowe's.....a few years back, Depot changed their supplier, and every thing in the box was tiny. Not so with Lowes, in my experience. Dunno if this is still true about Depot, but I have no reason to experiment. However, I have found a rag company here in Atlanta that is cheaper than the big box stores, and - from the phone discussion I had with them - seem to have better quality, and certainly larger - I can always cut them down. I will try these guys next - 25# box, but I go through them pretty fast when finishing - dye, stain, varnish, glue-ups, etc.

With the cotton rags, I wash them on the hottest setting possible, with soap, and the dry them on the hottest setting possible - well beyond the phaser setting for stun. A minimum of three times. I am trying to get as much lint out of there as I can, and at the same time I want to break down the sizing that is part of the fabric production process. I empty the dryer lint trap before I start, and after each dry, and judge whether or not to go beyond 3 cycles based on the lint I am collecting. Now - this may well be overkill, but - that's what I do.

After the first wash and dry cycle, you would not believe the amount collected in the lint trap.

[Rick Fisher]

Wow.. I know how John feels..

I cant remember the name of the rags I buy but they are 8 pieces for $4.99.. Crazy .. I use them for wipe on finishes because they are 100% lint free. They come in a little tube like socks and white. Blue and clear package .... I will attempt to find the name of them ..