# Oily rag storage?



## Fronzizzle (Aug 5, 2018)

Hello all,

I do all of my own oil changes, plus maintain lawn and winter equipment. At any given time, I end up with 6 or 7 red shop towels, soaked to varying degrees in oil. Some are really wet, some just have smudges on them and others are in between. About once a year, I take my oily rags down to my brother's shop, put them in his barrel, and take a fresh stack. 

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out the best way to store the rags before I get enough to drop them off. Right now, I tend to leave them laying on a work bench or draped over the edge of a trashcan. I know they make those metal trash cans with the safety lids, but not sure I want to spend $90 on one unless it's the best/only option.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Spending the $90 will be cheaper than replacing the shop or burned contents when they spontaneously combust due to improper cleaning and storage. I have a 5 gallon galvanized trash can with a good lid that I keep mine in, but it is set out in the dirt area in front of the shop until I need to do some burning of brush. I use them as starters.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Even a 5 gallon bucket with a lid would be better than leaving them out in the open.


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## notnew2diy (Sep 1, 2017)

I stick them in a 5 gallon bucket of water when they get real bad.
Otherwise, I've got a metal yard cart/wagon. I drape them over the edge of the cart to where they don't touch.

HTH...Don.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Somewhere i read drying oils like linseed oil are the ones to be concerned with and lube oil not . Put one in a open metal container for a year as a test .

BTW , brother's shop towel service is the way to go .


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Motor oil is ok but I used to put mine in a metal bucket with a lid so welding/grinding sparks don’t ignite them. Now I use old tee shirts and toss them out or paper towels.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Fronzizzle said:


> I know they make those metal trash cans with the safety lids, but not sure I want to spend $90 on one unless it's the best/only option.


Thank you for posting this thread. My current methods are pretty much same as yours, except I would lay it out on my concrete basement floor rather than my wooden workbench. Your thread inspired me that I really should come up with a better method. I have been doing some finishing samples recently of Tung oil on hardwoods, and disposal of the rag has been a bit concerning. 
One of those steel red cans will make for a good shop waste can, and really does sound like the best option.

Could also be that something catches fire while working on it. That can could be an option for where to dump it.

My understanding is like Senior's -- if its an oil that cures, the chemical reaction can cause heat. If its just a solvent, like mineral spirits, it won't heat up. Not sure how accurate that is, but it makes sense to me.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

At work we always had the red metal cans with the hinged lid. And they always have "empty daily" printed on them in yellow. Really? Then where do the rags go? We emptied them weekly, when the service swapped them out.

At home, I use a metal popcorn can:









Steel, airtight, cheap. I bet Santa will bring you one (full) if you drop the right hint.

BTW, I also think curing oils like tung or linseed are more likely to spontaneously combust, as the curing is exothermic. But I have picked up rags in the auto shop that felt warm, and have heard of them smoldering. Let caution prevail!


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## u2slow (Feb 9, 2012)

I burn them by time a have 3 or 4. Less than that, I leave them outside on something non-combustible. Maybe I'll repurpose an old metal solvent can or something.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

My understanding is that an open metal container, away from spark and flames is the safest way to store those. Sealed up, the vapors can build up and become combustible. Leaving them out in the open is typically pretty safe, unless you're using flame near them or showering them with sparks.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

HotRodx10 said:


> Sealed up, the vapors can build up and become combustible. Leaving them out in the open is typically pretty safe, unless you're using flame near them or showering them with sparks.


Its not a build up of vapors that is the issue, its that an exothermic reaction occurs when some oils dry and cure.

Indeed, they say that spreading the rags flat, by themselves, in open air, is best because it prevents any energy from heating up the rag to it's ignition temperature. That's what I used to do, but its a little concerning going to bed knowing you have oily rags on your basement floor, garage, or driveway. 

This thread prompted me to finally get one of those red steel safety bins. As post #8 mentions, it says "empty daily". I suppose that pretty much assures me a fire won't occur in the steel bin, but it would seem to transfer the potential problem to my plastic Hurby Curby. 









Oily Paint Rags Can Spontaneously Combust


As warnings on cans of oil-based stains warn, rags soaked with paint can spontaneously combust.



www.consumerreports.org





I had a few oily (Tung Oil) rags a little while back when I was testing best finish for a big Sapele and African Mahogany project I have coming up. But turns out the Tung oil base really didn't add to the looks, so I don't think I will have potentially flammable rags for a while.


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## Orangeman6 (Aug 15, 2017)

A sealed metal can is the preferred way. It’s oxidation that results in spontaneous combustion. If the lid is actually sealed, the o2 will be used up, and Fire doesn’t happen without it. 
That said, i usually lay mine out somewhere outside away from anything combustible. 
I’ve been on a fire at a uniform supply facility. They had these huge piles of used shop rags they launder that self ignited.
Im pretty sure the op is correct about solvents, highly flammable but spontaneous combustion isn’t an issue. 


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

SPS-1 said:


> Its not a build up of vapors that is the issue, its that an exothermic reaction occurs when some oils dry and cure.


You're right about the exothermic reactions of curing, which is a consideration with some compounds. I didn't think about that since the OP only mentioned rags for oil changes and such, so I was only thinking about motor oil. Definitely need to handle the rags used for stains and finishes carefully, as well.

Anyway, my understanding is that the combustion is the result of heat igniting the vapors. Liquid oil, even liquid gasoline, doesn't burn. It doesn't have to be in a tightly closed container, though, so I shouldn't have said "sealed up", Mea Culpa.


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## Orangeman6 (Aug 15, 2017)

HotRodx10 said:


> You're right about the exothermic reactions of curing, which is a consideration with some compounds. I didn't think about that since the OP only mentioned rags for oil changes and such, so I was only thinking about motor oil. Definitely need to handle the rags used for stains and finishes carefully, as well.
> 
> Anyway, my understanding is that the combustion is the result of heat igniting the vapors. Liquid oil, even liquid gasoline, doesn't burn. It doesn't have to be in a tightly closed container, though, so I shouldn't have said "sealed up", Mea Culpa.


Fuels release vapors when heated to the right temperature and, you’re right, it’s the vapor that’s burning. That’s why the flame is always above the log. 
But a sealed container would still prevent burning. Fire needs 3 things: oxygen, heat and fuel. Remove any of the three, no fire. 


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