Bar oil soaked military canvas bag

[Silvercreek Farmer]

My hat gets covered in bar oil after a few weeks of cutting. I rub a generous amount laundry detergent into it, let it sit for a while, then wash it out in warm water. The result is pretty amazing.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My first thought was dawn dishsoap and hot water.
But when I read Outpost's solution, I began to wonder what a Mil Surp bag was originally treated with? I suspect he knows and that's why he suggested what he did. Because dawn and many of the other suggestions like Pinesol, Gas, or brake cleaner may remove the original treatment.

Stuff with sawdust and wood chips, then leave in the sun. Knead, then pour sawdust out into bucket. Refill with fresh sawdust, knead bag in the bucket to coat outside too and leave for several days, empty out and let air dry. Melt a pound of Gulf canning wax and pour into the oiled sawdust. Knead mixture and pack into paper cups to use as fire starters. Repeat if needed.

[mdatlanta]

Thanks for great suggestions. I think I'll pick up some speedy dry tomorrow morn, and coat the oiled areas with it. The bag is fairly large -- maybe 20" long by 10" each wide and high. (It does hold a small chainsaw and gear ) In my locale, sun seems a rarity -- I have a Solar wristwatch which (the solar) seems to be an additive I wasted $$$ getting . And... we have for certain a couple of months before "warm" weather descends upon us; hence, I'll try the speedy-dry both inside and outside the bag; then -- why not? -- as soon as I can open/turn on sillcocks and have water outdoors, try using Dawn and boiling water (another use for my propane smelter?).
For NOW -- you folks gave me a good place to start.
Thank you!
geo

This sounds like a good plan and should not do any further damage to the WWII-era bag. I've used Dawn (without the speedy dry) to clean oil-soaked canvas and it works pretty well. Sometimes, a couple of washes were necessary, but the oil came out.

[XDROB]

I like the idea of sawdust (if you can find that much) or speedydry. After you get the majority of the oil out. Then wash it with Dawn dish soap. After you wash it till you get it where you want it. Treat the trim with some leather oil. If there is any. Usually found at shoe store that sells good leather work boots. Try not to use any brake/carb cleaners. Drys out the leather and could eat the sticking

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[Texas by God]

Look into Soda Ash. An old oilfield hack.

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[Bmi48219]

I can only hope we're talking differentials here?

Classic!!

[rbuck351]

Gasoline was originally a cleaning solution and mixes very well with oil. I would rinse it a couple times with gas and then wash in a tub of hot water and dawn. You may have some stains but does that bother you?

[samari46]

Maybe try some trisodium phosphate?. TSP should be mixed in as hot water as hot as you can get it. Try getting the bag in a large metal pail or drum. Agitate it with an old broom handle. wash off with the garden hose and hang out to dry. Have used Dawn dish washing detergent getting greasy jeans clean. And yes has been used to clean up oil spills. Still have my old sea bag from when I was in the navy 50 some odd years ago. Frank

[poppy42]

Use speedy dry (cat litter) to remove the oil. Then soak the bag in dawn dish detergent! Remember all those tv commercials where they use dawn to clean baby ducks and geese that was saturated in oil? Guess what? The stuff works!

[edp2k]

Strong grease cutting detergent in a boiling tub of water. Might need to do it a couple times. Might always have a slight stain, but should remove most of the oil and smell.

+1

[762 shooter]

Just put a Filson tag on it and call it good.

762

[414gates]

Squeeze off the excess oil.

Fill a bucket or tub with hot water and clothes detergent. Let it soak. Rinse.

Repeat as necessary.

The detergent won't hurt the canvas. The hot water will speed up the cleaning process.

[Wayne Smith]

AAH, guys, Dawn is used on animals because it's gentle, not because it's more effective than any other detergent!

[Rich/WIS]

Military items were treated with a mildew retardant, not sure what exactly. A lot of the canvas items were considered durable and would be cleaned, retreated if needed and reissued so were made to be washable. Clean off the worst of the oil with a solvent of some type and then wash in warm water with good grease cutting detergent.

[gwpercle]

1.) The stuff that soaks up oil off your driveway ... or kitty litter ... sawdust or whatever absorbent materals you have ... even shredded up news paper ... To get as much of excess as you can ...
Then...

2.) Wash in Dawn , maybe a couple times ... a big bucket , enough Dawn to cut oil and warm water ... Soak and rinse with hose ...back in bucket and repeat .

Dawn is the best grease cutting / removing stuff around ... we wash or baby ducks with it after an oil well blows .

If the wife isn't around ...wash on the bedding cycle in washing machine with Dawn . When clean ... Can dry in Dryer with a few old towels ...
cuts down on noise ... don't let her catch you .

Gary

[bedbugbilly]

I don't know if the bag will go in a washer or not . . . but if it will, blot up as much of the oil as you can with something like sawdust or even paper towel - then wash in the washer with soap and add a canon regular Coca Cola. My mother used to wash our jeans that were saturated with oil, grease, etc. in that manner and the Coke took the oil and grease out and left the jeans looking like new. If it is really soaked in, it might take a couple of washings. Afterwards, you can always treat the canes with a waterproofing if needed. Just pour the Coke in with the soap or dump directly into the water with the bag.

A friend of ours put us on to this. He owned a bulk and bag cement trucking company and his wife used a can of regular Coke on his jeans, shirts, jackets, etc. to get oil and grease out.

[poppy42]

AAH, guys, Dawn is used on animals because it's gentle, not because it's more effective than any other detergent!

Ah no it’s used on animals because it works quickly Thereby causing less stress for the animals in addition to being gentle

[waksupi]

Something else that will draw out oil, is cornstarch. I use it on old hats that get grease or oil stained, and brush it off with an old toothbrush.

[David2011]

Dawn is great. It seems to work better combined with some water than straight. L.A.’s Totally Awesome (“dollar” type stores) and Simple Green also work incredibly well. I’ve been rebuilding a bunch of model airplane engines lately using Awesome to degrease the old thickened oil.

[warren5421]

I would go with the sawdust as the soap can remove to much out of the canvas. You are dealing with a 75 plus year old item and the cleaners today may or may not be safe to use on it. The sawdust should pull the oil and not hurt the canvas. If you want it clean just put in washer with TSP and what Landry soap you use. but you will need to retreat with what ever Uncle Sam recommends. I think the thread was wax coated so washing will remove the wax and then the thread may break.