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Can We Really Recycle Old Clothes Into Rags?

We like recycled rags. We encourage many of our clients to buy them because they save money, help the environment, and create local jobs.

But we also hear from skeptics who don’t believe we can really recycle old clothes and towels into rags.

We get it. We’ve also seen the news stories over the past few years claiming plastic companies only pretended to recycle bottles. They pretended because they knew customers felt better about buying a product they could recycle.

It’s also true that not all textile recycling is simple, and not all recycling methods help the environment in the same way. But we think our type of textile recycling holds up pretty well.

First, Addressing the Skepticism About Recycling

The word recycling means different things to different people. The most effective type of recycling is “closed-loop recycling.”

Closed-loop recycling happens when you refill a plastic water bottle. Each time you fill the bottle, you’re using the same material for the same purpose again, preventing the need for someone to make a new bottle — while also keeping your bottle out of the landfill or recycling facility.

There’s also open-loop recycling. This is when you toss the water bottle into the curbside recycling bin. It goes, presumably, to a facility where the material is isolated and then sold to another company that turns the plastic into shoe soles or mattress filling or some other consumer product.

With open-loop recycling, somebody still has to make your next water bottle, using natural resources to make and ship the bottle to the store. There’s still some benefit to this method. After all, the water bottle isn’t buried in the ground or tossed into the ocean. But energy and natural resources are still being spent.

Closed-loop recycling is the ultimate goal of most people who work to preserve the environment and its resources. Our rag recycling process comes close to meeting this closed-loop goal.

Some Textile Recycling Is Complex and Messy

Textile recyclers use different processes, too. Some recyclers use chemicals to break existing cloth materials into fibers which can be used to weave new fabric. This method typically produces a lower quality cloth, but it can create rolls of recycled cloth which can be cut and sewn, on an industrial level, just like new cloth.

Other recyclers use a mechanical process to reduce clothes or towels down to their base material which can then be cut and sewn into new patterns for new products. This method starts with a stronger, higher quality base material, but in more limited sizes and quantities, and without the uniformity that comes from a full roll of new cloth.

Recycled Rags Can Combine the Best of Both Worlds

Recycling cleaning rags are the perfect product to use recycled textiles. Rags don’t have to be uniform in size and color. If one rag is polka dotted and the next rag is plaid, that’s typically OK with the customers who buy these rags.

Because uniformity doesn’t matter as much, recycled rags can use the simpler, mechanical process of breaking towels, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and blankets into their source material.

It’s not much different than cutting up an old pair of jeans and using the material to clean the pollen off the windows. We just do this on a larger scale.

What matters is not how the resulting rags look but how they perform, and most recycled rags perform really well. They’re made from material that’s already broken in and ready to absorb.

The Global Benefit of Using Recycled Cloth Rags

When our industry takes in bins of used towels, bathrobes, and T-shirts, we’re keeping those materials out of landfills. This is an obvious pro for the local environment. But that’s not the extent of the benefits.

When customers buy recycled rags, they’re reducing the demand on new textiles, and this has a global impact on our climate.

New textiles require the agricultural process of growing cotton and the industrial process of spinning fibers into cloth and then cutting and sewing the source cloth into rags. Then there’s all the fuel used to move source material around the world.

Buying less new textile material — by choosing recycled cleaning rags — helps the environment in multiple ways.

Recycled Rags Are Not For Everybody

Recycled rags can’t serve every cleaner’s needs. These rags will always vary, at least a little, in size and color. This means they don’t fold and stack as neatly on the shelf or cleaning cart as new rags. This matters more in industries such as health care and hospitality.

Recycled rags also tend to look more frayed and worn, even when they’re performing at their best. Any place where clients judge a business by its appearances should buy new rags instead.

And there are a couple performance issues to know about: Recycled rags won’t deliver lint free wiping electronics and high end furniture makers usually need.

But for cleaners in other industries who want performance for less money, buying recycled is an excellent choice.

With Any Product, Expect the Best Customer Care

Whether you’re buying recycled rags, rags made from new textiles, or disposable paper wipes, All Rags is here to help. We stock the best products and ship them quickly from our network of warehouses around the nation.

And our U.S.-based customer service experts know about cleaning supplies. If you’re not sure what product to buy, our staff can discuss your specific needs and help you decide.

We often run discounts on bulk orders, so you can save even more by stocking up. Contact us today to place your order.

Best Cleaning Rags for Schools and School Districts

Students spill drinks. They get upset stomachs. Sometimes they sneeze on surfaces. 

This means teachers get a crash course in battling germs and messes, especially during flu and cold season. 

Most schools employ professional cleaners, but not every teacher can wait for the end-of-day standard room cleaning. To slow the spread of germs, they often need their own supplies to clean with throughout the day.

Can You Get Mold Out of Cleaning Rags?

Mold is a stubborn adversary, so many cleaners — when they see or smell this substance on their wipers — will throw in the towel. That is, they literally throw the towel or rag into the trash bin and order a new box of rags.

With the right cleaning methods, most moldy rags can be restored to an extended life of service. This month’s post will cover the best practices for cleaning moldy rags.

What Cleaning Rags Work Best in an Auto Repair Shop?

Auto garages face several choices when they shop for cleaning rags. Each category has its pros and cons, and a garage’s choice often boils down to what the owner or lead mechanics prefer. 

As cleaning the rag providers for a variety of auto garages, we’ve noticed some trends that we’d like to share.

When is it Time to Toss Out Cleaning Rags?

We’ve already written about which cleaning rags to buy for just about any cleaning project. We’ve written about how to wash cleaning rags to help them last longer. We’ve even written about how to save money buying rags in bulk — and how to save even more money with recycled rags.

But, we’ve never written about throwing rags away. 

What Are the Best Cleaning Rags for Veterinary Clinics?

Of all the places to keep clean, a veterinary clinic has to be one of the hardest. All those animals, all that fur, all the accidents that can happen while nervous furry animals wait for their appointments.

Plus, the best veterinary practices hold high standards for cleanliness. They know hygiene keeps their four-legged patients healthier, and they know pet owners expect clean and comfortable waiting rooms and examination tables. 

So what kind of cleaning rags do veterinary clinics use to maintain these high standards?