How to clean/reuse old rags?

[sparkyfirepants]

We use microfiber cloths to clean plastisol ink from screens. I've heard that other printers will cure the plastisol in them before throwing away or reusing. In fact, the EPA says you have to sure plastisol before dumping.

However, we also use a soy-based degradant to clean with, and it's flammable. So how can we avoid having them burst into flames under the heater? Seems like a Catch-22.

Suggestions? Thanks!

[Catspit Productions]

Yes, this is an old dilemma. You could let the rags dry by air some and then cure them. I have sent rags with flammable solvents on them like thinner or lacquer thinner and it never sparked up. Call me crazy but in the old days we used to do a lot of things I wouldn’t necessarily recommend now.

I have also had a dryer burst into flames behind me while running an automatic press. Not because of dirty rags however. That’s probably why I am the only one answering this I really don’t know what to suggest here. But it is true that plastisol ink when dumped i nth e trash needs to be fully cured. Otherwise it is an environmental issue.