Rags seemed to be needed around the house for tasks such as dusting, painting, washing the car and cleaning the windows. Whatever you do, do not go out and buy rags! Make your own from recycled t-shirts, sweatshirts or towels. Homemade rags have less of a tendency to scratch surfaces then a paper towel. The homemade rags are also a green way to clean rather than wasting paper products.
The simplest way to turn old t-shirts, sweatshirts and towels into rags is simply throw them into a rag bag. But, there is an alternative. Cut the hems, sleeves, necks and edging from the recycled item. Cut two to three blocks the same size and sew them together to create a thick, absorbent rag.
Be creative and crochet around the edge of the rag with crochet cotton. A steel crochet hook is necessary for this process. Pierce the fabric approximately 1/8-inch from the edge. Single crochet around the rag every 1/8-inch. Join the row together with a slipstitch. – Chain 1 stitch. Single crochet in each stitch around with three single crochet stitches in each corner. Join with a slipstitch. – Repeat for a total of five rows.
Make rag strips from the t-shirt, sweatshirt or towel. Cut the item into ½- to 1-inch strips. Fold the short edge of the strip up approximately 1 ½-inch. Cut a ½-inch slit in the center of the fold that follows the long edges of the strip. Unfold the end. Repeat the process with all strip ends. Connect the strips together by placing the end of one strip through the slit on another. Pull the strip through the slit approximately 6-inches. Hold your finger inside the slit portion of the pulled strip. Grab the opposite end of the pulled strip with your fingers. Pull the strip through the slit. Pull the inserted strip securely around the first. This connects the strips together without creating an official knot. Crochet the desired item using the connected strips.
Use the rag strips to weave a rag rather than crocheting. Place the strips side-by-side on a vertical axis. Weave strips on the horizontal axis using an over-under weave through the vertical strips. Each row of weaving is opposite of the one just completed. Cut the strips to the desired length. Sew around the outside edge of the weaving to hold the newly made recycled rag together.