# Oily rag cans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615 "2012-03-23T16:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/1 "2012-03-23T16:41:58Z")
OK, I work in the automotive industry. As everyone is probably aware mechanics use shop towels (rags). Shop towels get oily dirty we store them. We have a service, which picks them up cleans and returns them for reuse. Also as I am sure everyone is aware, oil rags can spontaneously combust. As a result we store them in a sealed can made for this purpose. Here is a picture of such a [can](http://productimages.grainger.com/s7viewers/dhtml/genericZoomMobile.html?serverUrl=http://productimages.grainger.com/is/image/&style=Grainger%2FCSS%2FbasicZoomMobile%2Ecss&contentRoot=http://productimages.grainger.com/skins/&asset=Grainger/3AD94_AS01). Still with me? Good. Here is my question:\* As you can read on the label, it says empty every night. Empty into what? Another can the same size? A bigger can? Everything from can A into can B and every thing from can B into can C and so on until I get can A full again? Into a laundry hamper so half of them can go where socks go? No one I have every worked with has ever had an answer to this question. So what do I empty the can into every night? \*Yes it is probably a GQ, but I have a feeling that some of the answers I get won’t be very GQish, so I put it here. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/2 "2012-03-23T17:03:55Z")
My understanding is that the whole “oily rags spontaneously igniting” meme was due to the use of linseed oil, which dries by oxidation. Motor oil doesn’t pose any danger, and the only reason rags are treated as possibly dangerous is because of tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/3 "2012-03-23T18:47:16Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > My understanding is that the whole “oily rags spontaneously igniting” meme was due to the use of linseed oil, which dries by oxidation. Motor oil doesn’t pose any danger, and the only reason rags are treated as possibly dangerous is because of tradition. Spontaneous combustion can well occur from motor oily rags as well as vegetable oil from cooking and other things. Household dryer fires occur when kitchen towels are left in the dryer. One recommended storage for oily rags is to put them in a container of water. Reference this fire: [http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/spontaneous-combustion-of-oily-rags/](http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/spontaneous-combustion-of-oily-rags/) And this one here: [http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/view.cfm?news\_id=1419](http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/view.cfm?news_id=1419) It’s really quite common in every community. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/4 "2012-03-23T18:55:09Z")
Since once might presume that you don’t empty it every night, how do you dispose of the rags when the can becomes full? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/5 "2012-03-23T18:55:32Z")
I don’t doubt that my rags could combust. My question is the can says to empty ever night. Great. Where? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/6 "2012-03-23T18:59:26Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Since once might presume that you don’t empty it every night, how do you dispose of the rags when the can becomes full? Once a week the uniform service picks them up for cleaning. They clean them and return them. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/7 "2012-03-23T19:07:49Z")
Honestly, and this is coming from someone who audits drilling rigs for waste handling procedures, which includes oily rag containers like this, I think they’re fine in that barrel for a week until picked up, as long as the barrel isn’t overflowing or something. I’d guess that the ‘empty every night’ sticker applies to larger scale operations, such as the uniform service facility. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/8 "2012-03-23T19:14:15Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Spontaneous combustion can well occur from motor oily rags as well as vegetable oil from cooking and other things. Household dryer fires occur when kitchen towels are left in the dryer. > > One recommended storage for oily rags is to put them in a container of water. > > Reference this fire: > [http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/spontaneous-combustion-of-oily-rags/](http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/spontaneous-combustion-of-oily-rags/) > > And this one here: > [http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/view.cfm?news\_id=1419](http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/view.cfm?news_id=1419) > > It’s really quite common in every community. Neither of those cites mention motor oil, and I challenge you to find one that does. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/9 "2012-03-23T19:44:57Z")
I believe it is an OSHA requirement to store them in a covered metal container. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/10 "2012-03-23T20:18:19Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Once a week the uniform service picks them up for cleaning. They clean them and return them. Maybe they assume you’ll clean them daily? Other than that, it sounds like a CYA statement. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/11 "2012-03-23T20:48:27Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > I don’t doubt that my rags could combust. > My question is the can says to empty ever night. > Great. Where? I’m guessing they mean “into the special oily rag washer” or in your case “into the truck from the company that has an oily rag washer.” Empty the oily rags into something that produces non-oily rags. Not “empty in to some other container that holds oily rags.” ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/12 "2012-03-23T20:49:15Z")
agree that they are telling you to not store in that container for more than part of a day. if you do and have a problem then their product wasn’t to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oily-rag-cans/616615/13 "2012-03-24T18:10:19Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m guessing they mean “into the special oily rag washer” or in your case “into the truck from the company that has an oily rag washer.” > > Empty the oily rags into something that produces non-oily rags. Not “empty in to some other container that holds oily rags.” Well then explain this [label](http://productimages.grainger.com/s7viewers/dhtml/genericZoomMobile.html?serverUrl=http://productimages.grainger.com/is/image/&style=Grainger%2FCSS%2FbasicZoomMobile%2Ecss&contentRoot=http://productimages.grainger.com/skins/&asset=Grainger/2AX55_AS06) to me. Looks like he is throwing out the rags every night.