How to Properly Store and Dispose of Used Rags and Towels

How to Properly Store and Dispose of Used Rags and Towels

Today, we are going to learn about safely disposing of and storing used wiping rags. Before we dive into the procedure of either storing or disposing of used rags, we need to differentiate between Hazardous waste and Non-Hazardous waste.

Hazardous waste does not always refer to harmful chemicals used in factories or chemical plants. Some products and oils used in households and offices also fall under this category.
Places where both hazardous and non-hazardous stained/soaked rags are generally found are:

Households

Offices

Companies/Facilities

Art Studios

Printing

You must be thinking, why is it such a big issue?

Well, it certainly is. Rags and towels soaked in oils and alcohol can be ignited spontaneously, which can be very harmful in terms of property damage and danger to human lives.
Let’s learn about the difference between the two before we jump into storing and disposing.

Hazardous Waste

Non-Hazardous Waste

Paint thinners, acetone, alcohols, vegetable cooking oils, and other similar liquids are to be marked and treated as hazardous waste. These types of contaminations might not look very dangerous, but the risks they pose are great. When hurdled and bunched up together, they generate heat. Now, a single rag or towel dipped in the mentioned liquids might not be such big of a risk, but a number of them clustered together can cause high heat generation. With oxygen present in the atmosphere, they are likely to ignite instantly, causing a dangerous fire that can, in no time, engulf the surrounding objects that can make the fire grow causing serious damage.

Rags and towels stained or soaked with water, food, broth, glass cleaners, detergents, and normal dust and dirt can be counted as non-hazardous. Generally, these are not a threat in terms of burning the house down or being toxic in nature, but the bacteria build up can still cause health and safety issues.

Disposing:

Properly disposing of used hazardous rags and towels can be a very simple task. After using the rags, if you are to dispose of them, hang them in a well-ventilated area or place them on the floor separately to dry them out completely.

After they are completely dried out, you can place them in a plastic bag and toss them in the garbage bin.

Drying these rags greatly reduces their chance of igniting and causing a fire or releasing toxic fumes and gases that are harmful to humans and animals.

Another preferred method of getting rid of these rags and towels is having a metal container with a lid that is airtight. These metal containers can be easily purchased from departmental or hardware stores. You can then safely transfer them to the garbage trucks, and the Sanitation Department/Public Works Department can take care of them.

Be sure to label your hazardous waste when disposing of it in the garbage.

Title

Speaking of disposing of non-hazardous waste products like rags and towels, all you need to do is air dry and wash them down with water, rinse and dispose of in the garbage.

They are then transferred either to recycling plants (see our other blog to learn more about recycling procedure - WH Blog 2 – How today’s clothes, linen & other textiles become tomorrow’s rags..docx (sharepoint.com)) or incineration centers where they are burned at high temperatures, reducing their volume by 70%-90%, then disposed in the landfills.
The incineration process is not as much harmful to the environment since the facilities have filters that capture and convert the harmful gases and smoke released. This process is also used to generate electricity.

We understand that properly disposing rags and towels might take some extra effort, but it is all worth it, for the safety of your health, assets and the environment.

By understanding the types of stains and using this information to your own benefit, you can safely get rid of hazardous and non-hazardous rags and towels.

Storing

Proper storing of used rags and towels is just as important as getting rid of them. When rags are used for cleaning or painting; cooking oils, motor oils, hydraulic oils used in workplaces and households, or linseed oils, paint thinners, varnishes, etc. used for painting is just as important as disposing them.

There are certain steps you need to follow to store such rags and towels safely.

1. Air Dry: Storing your rags that are used with products that are either flammable or not, you must always hang them in a place with good ventilation, the best place is in the open air under the sun.

‘‘For flammable rags and towels, air drying helps get rid of chemicals and harmful vapors through evaporation. For non-flammable rags, they get rid of the stains and bacteria to an extent. Leave the rags out until they are completely dry, and they do not smell of flammable substances like oils and solvents.’’

2. Store them separately: Store the used rags separately from any other previous rags to prevent transfer of contamination and bacteria, damaging and polluting other clothes and rags.

Another Method:

1. Place hazardous rags in an approved container tested by laboratory as safe for flammable storage. An alternative to this would be the metal container mentioned above, that has an air-tight lid preventing contact with oxygen. Pour in some water and put your rags. The water present will help to weaken the heat generated by these rags and the air-tight environment helps in greatly reducing the chances of instant flame.

2. Dispose of your hazardous rags completely by taking your rags (preferably in air-tight containers) to the hazardous waste facility. Do not just throw them in your normal garbage without letting the garbage disposal facility know about the contents.

Even with the best precautions, accidents can still happen. You should always be prepared, have a fire extinguisher nearby, that would help a great deal. Familiarize yourself with the fire safety protocols in your area, and always be prepared for the unexpected.

‘’Storing and disposing of used rags and towels might seem like a small task, but putting in efforts to properly store and dispose of them might make a big difference in saving your life, assets, and the environment altogether. Remember to dry the rags and towels before storing and disposing, use metal containers with air-tight lids to prevent unplanned ignition which can cause fire. So, let’s make safety our priority and handle those rags responsibly.’’

How to Properly Store and Dispose of Used Rags and Towels

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