Why does nobody talk about using old fuel filters for shop rags...

I was talking with my buddy Mike at the shop in Tulsa last week, he said he saves every old fuel filter he pulls off and cuts the housing open to use the paper as rags for small leaks. Said it saves him like $30 a month on buying shop towels. But I got to thinking, is that safe with all that leftover diesel residue on them? I feel like it could be a fire hazard if you let them pile up, but he swears by it. What do you guys do with your old filters after you swap them out?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora5181mo ago

I used to think the same way about the fire hazard, honestly. But after hearing a buddy explain it, he said the diesel residue actually makes them less likely to catch fire compared to dry paper towels because the fuel's already evaporated off the surface. He uses them for wiping down greasy stuff and tosses them in a metal can when he's done. Changed my mind about it being a dumb idea.

victor_robinson1mo ago

Exactly..."the fuel's already evaporated off the surface" is the part that clicked for me too. I had a buddy who worked at a shop and he'd toss diesel rags in a pile like it was nothing, and I was always waiting for a fire. But he showed me how they just sit there, no heat, no smell even after a day. Now I do the same thing with old shop towels and diesel for cleaning rusty tools, and I just toss them in a metal can when they're done. Never had a single issue, and it feels way safer than leaving dry paper towels around that could spark up from static or something.

robin5911mo agoMost Upvoted

@cora518 read something about diesel rags being safer than dry ones too, makes total sense.