Hey everyone! I'm a bit of a fire safety nut when it comes to oil-based polyurethane rags, so I treat those with a lot of caution. I usually soak them in water after using and hang them up to dry outside. Today, I'm using water-based polyurethane for the first time and I'm curious about the rags I used to wipe it on the wood. Is it safe to just toss these rags in the trash without drying them out, or is there still a risk of combustion like with the oil-based rags? I can't seem to find much information on this, so any insights would be appreciated!
3 Answers
I think it's really only the oil-based finishes that can combust, but I still treat all used rags like they might. And definitely avoid leaving them crumpled up—that increases the chance of combustion! Better safe than sorry!
I always treat my rags like they could catch fire, just to be safe. It’s better to wake up at night knowing I did my part than to regret it!
Yeah, that makes total sense! It's better to be safe than sorry.
For oil-based rags, just hang them out to dry, don’t worry about dunking them. As for water-based ones, these should be safe since they don’t pose the same risk. But if it comforts you, hanging them out to dry isn’t a bad idea either!
I just burn mine in the fire pit! It's more fun and I don’t have to worry about them blowing away. But I do soak them in water sometimes if I can't burn them right away.
So once they’ve dried, is it good to throw them in the trash? I usually leave my oil rags out for days before discarding them.
Thanks for the tip, I appreciate it!