greasy gloves

[Bob seND]

How do you clean your grease-soaked leather gloves?

 

[old]

I don't I just rub it in better so the gloves are more water proof.

 

[Dean]

I throw them in the washer with about a cup of Tide.

If well greased, I pre-treat with liquid detergent.

Hot water, of course.

Dean

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 01:06:11 02/13/14) I throw them in the washer with about a cup of Tide.

If well greased, I pre-treat with liquid detergent.

Hot water, of course.

Dean

ell, Dean, I have seen a lot of good advice from you over the years, but..........................................

I have never in my life seen a water soaked leather glove come out useable. Usually like a cast & mold!

Have "heard" that if user wears the wet gloves until dry that they are OK, but never experienced that either.

 

[D beatty]

If to much grease on them wipe the excess off with an old rag and keep on useing them.

 

[Dean]

I've been doing this for decades and it has worked well.

Yes, they are stiff after drying but will limber up with use.

Of course, I only do this with older, oil /grease soaked work gloves, not good dress gloves.

Dean

 

[D beatty]

Do you wear them till they are dry? Leather shrinks after being wet and left to dry unless you streach it while its drying.

 

[JF in MI]

I put them on and wash my hands with GoJo and let them air dry. A little stiff afterwards but they loosen up fast. It has always worked for me. Never tried suede.

 

[showcrop]

I pick up a handful of dusty dirt and rub it in real well. Just like new!!

 

[Bill in IN]

Yep, wet leather shrinks, just ask O. J.-

 

[Anonymous-0]

cover or bury them in oil-dri, hi-dri, kitty litter, or similar product over night. what ever your shop uses for oil spills. not perfect but gets a lot of the oil out.

 

[Ken Macfarlane]

I'm talking deerskin type gloves with smooth finish If its not soaked in I use a rag. If it is I use gojo or whatever and a rag to wipe clean.

If its really on there WD40 or brake cleaner with a rag works well too.

For split leather type glove I can't help you, if they get wet the fingers all shrink up. I have wd40'd a few pairs but they don't clean up as well.

 

[NNP]

good leather gloves, I just pick up a shop rag and act like I am drying my hands good. just like oiling leather, they seem to hold up better and get softer with some grease/oil/dirt on em.
like the other poster, picking up a handful of dirt, sawdust, ashes
and 'washing' your gloves works good.

like Dean, the fuzzy, cuffed leather work gloves just get thrown in the washer with my work clothes.
yep, come out stiff as a board.
jam em on and go to work, and they loosen up pretty fast.

 

[Dean]

No, I simply place them on a rack to air dry.

Yes, they do shrink somewhat but I buy them oversized.

Dean

 

[Nancy Howell]

Try using some hand lotion on gloves that have been washed and are stiff.

Put the gloves on, then put several squirts of the lotion in the palm. Rub it around just like you would on your hands. The leather soaks it right up. The gloves will be soft and flexible.

 

[Russ from MN]

I use them for handling firewood, pretty soon they are clean!

 

[Anonymous-0]

bill, ya beat me to it. LOL!

 

[notjustair]

I just throw them in the glove bin and leave them there. In a couple of weeks it will all have absorbed and they will be perfect to use. Some of my favorite pairs were ones that were completely black with grease on them. They are very comfortable now.

 

[sd pete]

Rubbed the gloves in hog feed.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Like said below firewood or rub them with saw dust

 

[gab]

I steam cleaned a pair one time, they came pretty clean but were a little stiff for awhile.

 

[rustyfarmall]

I don't wear leather gloves when working with grease and oil. Can't pick anything up with the gloves on, so I usually just go bare-handed. If it is cold, I slip on a pair of those brown jersey gloves. If they get oil or grease soaked, I toss 'em in the trash and grab a new pair. Only time I wear leather gloves is for fencing, maybe haying, or handling thorny bushes.

 

[Dean Olson]

I get most of the grease/oil off with sand then wash with pumice type hand cleaner and water.

I buy deer skin driving gloves from the local welding supply. They don't shrink much or get too stiff when they dry out. The only problem I have is the yellow die of the leather stains my hands the 1st couple times they get wet.

 

[boler76]

wash them in naptha , come out clean and soft

 

[Hal/ Eastern WA]

I just keep using them until they get holes and then I toss them in the garbage.

Any more, I don"t buy GOOD gloves, since I can get usable leather work surface gloves from Harbor Freight for about $1/pair. Those work well enough for me, and I don"t feel bad when I have used them up.

Years ago I used to buy "lumber handler" gloves that had thicker leather, but similar fabric backs. Those gloves cost nearly $10/pair, which was a LOT. They held up better, but not THAT MUCH better. I think the HP gloves are a much better value. I hate to think what the "lumber handler" gloves would cost now--lots of inflation since those days.

I also have learned that it is not in my best interests to wash greasy stuff in the family washing machine, especially if my wife is home. I generally get away with it if I run a couple of loads of jeans and dark colors right afterwards using hot water, but somehow, she always seems to know I have done it. Lucky we get along so well!