I am looking for a lint free, cloth wiper. Will white t-shirt suffice?
Cotton is not lint free and many people are under the incorrect impression that white cotton somehow imparts low lint properties to a wiper. Only polyester tubular knits and flats are truly lint free. Some manufactured wipers such as spun lace and hydro entangled offer extremely low lint properties as well.
I have been told that shop towels are lint free, is this true?
No! Shop towels are cotton and their only advantage over a rag is the stitched edges. Also most shop towels are offered through a laundry program and chances are that the previous user of that shop towel you are planning on cleaning a delicate piece of machinery or a printing press with was used by a machine shop previously and is contaminated.
I am a procurement officer at a major steel facility and I want the cheapest price on a rag. I have been quoted .27 lb by your competitor and your price is .35 lb on a like quantity. Why should I consider your quote?
All rags or wipers are not equal. There is an old adage in our industry “You get what you pay for.” While paying .27 lb on 10000 lb of rags for your plant may seem like an astute buy, you might want to consult the people on your plant floor who throw away ¾ of those rags because they are polyester mostly and will not absorb. A rag is a rag right? Wrong!!
Which product works best for different needs?
Steel Furniture Manufacturers:
New colored mill ends
New washed white knits
100% cotton heavy knits work great for polishing
Washed cheesecloth is great for removing excess glue from laminate edges
Engineered wipers such as DRC- Hydro Entangled mighty wipes – spun lace
Wood Furniture Manufacturers
New washed white knit for stain application
New Turkish towel strips white for blotting and staining
Soft white gauze or cheesecloth for delicate work with stain (eg picture framers)
Tack cloth to prepare the surface for staining
Tool & Die Shops
Fleece or polo wipers very absorbent and cost effective
Flannel wipers
Engineered wipers such as our hydro entangled
Mighty Wipes
Industrial Steel Plants
Fleece- polo- flannel wipers absorbent and cost effective
Huck towels highly absorbent for heavy oils
DRC engineered wipers or heavy weight Mighty Wipes – both available in jumbo rolls with dispensing floor stands
Tack cloth rolls can be used to clean out molds and dies
Plastic Fabrication
New white knit
Reclaimed white t-shirt
Colored polo knits
Tack cloth
Painting Facilities
May we suggest you consult our surface prep section on this web site
Printing Industry
Manufactured Spun Lace or Mighty Wipes
Tubular polyester lint free wipes or flats