Solvent- & Oil-Soiled Clothes in the Dryer
Spot it
Work clothes, rags or towels with gasoline, paint thinner, cooking oil or finishing oil on them going straight into the dryer; a warm pile of just-dried work clothes or towels that had oil or solvent on them.
Fix it
NFPA: take special care drying clothes soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents or finishing oils. If possible wash them more than once and preferably hang them to dry; if you use the dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a cycle with a cool-down period, and don't leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a basket. NFPA's fact sheet adds that clothes soaked in gasoline or thinner should be laid outside to dry first, then can be washed and dried as usual. NFPA notes ignition after drying is statistically rare, which may only mean few loads are soiled this way; it is a lower-risk, good-to-know item, not a common cause of dryer fires (lint is). Keep the solvents and fuel themselves in the garage cabinet described on the linked pages.
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Lay gasoline- or solvent-soaked clothes outside to dry first; wash soiled clothes more than once and hang them to dryHabit
Free; NFPA's advice
If you do use the dryer: lowest heat, cool-down cycle, and take clothes out right awayHabit
Free; NFPA's advice
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.
Related checks
- Dryer Lint Fires — Lint and a blocked vent are the main dryer fire cause; the same dryer care applies.
- Solvents, Strippers & Open Paint — Where to keep thinners, strippers and open paint is covered on the garage page.
- Oily Rags & Spontaneous Combustion — Oily rags can heat up and ignite by the same self-heating mechanism; the garage page covers them.
- Gasoline & Fuel Storage — Gasoline storage and handling is covered on the garage fuel page.