To clean water-based stain rags, place the rags in hot water with detergent and bleach and allow them to soak for about an hour in a metal or heavy-duty plastic container.
You can wash the rags with dawn dish soap and hang them on a line. Once they are dry you can throw them in the regular trash. Or reuse them if they came clean enough.
You should put rags in a fire-proof container (a metal bucket, ceramic pot, etc.) somewhere outside. After the initial drying period (again, this is actually chemically curing, not drying) they're safe. Keeping the drying rags ventilated and not in a big pile is generally enough to prevent ignition.
You need to lay the rags out flat to fully dry/cure individually before tossing them, or drown them in bags of water where the reaction won't get oxygen to use for combustion.
Many food or beverage stains, such as chocolate, jam, baby food, beer, and dairy are more easily removed with cold water soaks and washes. Cold water is also recommended for urine and blood stains. Other stains, especially oily or greasy ones, do better in warm or hot water.
Soak clothes for 1-6 hours, depending on the severity of the stain. Some stains may require more time to soak. For best results, soak for 6 hours.
In general, hot water is more effective for removing oily or greasy stains as it helps to dissolve and lift the oils. However, hot water can also set protein-based stains like blood or sweat, making them harder to remove.
Pour cold water into the container, ensuring the rags are fully immersed and covered by at least an inch of additional water. The water will help reduce the risk of ignition.
After you finish pretreatment, you're ready to move on to washing the rags. You can use a standard household washing machine, but some people prefer to spread out the rags and spray them down with a pressure washer instead.
Lay your rags outside to dry, then once dried toss in garbage.
Any cloths or rags left in a pile, bin, or bag have the propensity to self-heat and pose a fire risk. The fire investigator should consider it plausible that rags left wetted with drying oil- anywhere from 1 hour to even 2 or 3 days– could be a potential ignition source.
When using a water based stain, due to the fact that the primary base is made of water and not chemicals, it also isn't flammable in addition to being breathable.
Use a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Place soiled and used rags inside and then fill the rest the way with water, seal the top and do not open it.
Use the hottest water recommended, the heavy duty cycle, a good detergent and 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach. If cold water is recommended, consider increasing the temperature to at least warm or even hot.
If you are a household or individual with treated wood waste, dispose of it in your trash collection. Do not burn treated wood waste, as it contains toxic chemicals.
To do this safely, hang the rags to dry in a well ventilated area away from any sparks or flame. Outside hanging on the side of a trash can is usually a good area to do this. Once the rags are dry, dispose of material in compliance with your local city or county waste management agency.
To keep the rags in good conditions over time, wash them thoroughly with a washing cycle in the washer at least once a week.
Remove the last of any unabsorbed stain with a dry cloth, wiping in the direction of the wood grain. Swirl marks left by a stain-saturated cloth will become even more obvious under a coat of clear finish. When staining vertical surfaces, such as unfinished paneling or doors, try Minwax® Gel Stain.
Cotton Wiping Cloths
If you must, we suggest sanitizing your dirty rags first so they don't contaminate your laundry. This can be done by adding your rags to boiling water and letting them soak for 15 minutes. This process should kill harmful mold, mildew, bacteria and germs that are hiding in dirty rags.
Presoaking stained or dingy laundry items can help restore your favorite things-whether it's a shirt or a child's lovey—to their former, brighter glory. And the reason is simple: soaking maximizes contact time between fabric and detergent.
If it rains within 48 hours of applying a treatment, the water will soak into the wood, and try and displace the stain. This can cause a blotchy, flaky look, rather than a smooth, even, coat. If it rains immediately after you've stained the wood, the stain will peel and flake off.
Typically, cold water works great on blood, as well as food, beverages and water-based paint, while hot water works best on protein-based stains. Unfortunately, there's no golden rule to stain removal. For example, most food stains should be soaked in cold water, unless it's egg, mustard or a tomato-based product.
Tomato Stains
When attempting to remove a tomato stain, make sure you do not use hot water as this could set the stain. Instead, use cold water to flush it, then rub enzyme detergent into the stain and let it sit for five minutes.
Advantages of mopping with cold water
Cold water is effective at removing surface dirt, dust and light stains, making it ideal for periodic cleaning. It is also more economical to mop with cold water, as you do not need to heat up water.