Homemade cleaning Patches

CyrusP · Jun 23, 2024

Just last night I started cutting on an old ripped up fitted cotton sheet that I’ve been saving. I’m keeping old ratty t-shirts and whatnot for this reason too. I think I’ll let the old non-white cotton items do the initial cleaning and save the white stuff for after to see how clean I’m getting. I figure for every penny I’m pinching doing this I can feel good knowing I’m repurposing items that would normally go in the trash anyway. Time wise it took 15 minutes of my night and saved me $15.00. And the main thing? I enjoy the process. Nuff said.

#BPBReloadingFFL · Jun 23, 2024

Cotton sheets from the thrift store ,$1.00 each. Old Shirts what ever I can find in cotton.
Commercial patches I've had around that were from deals made.

Rató:rats · Jun 23, 2024

Old jeans
The denim is mildly abrasive and I can wash and reuse or use as tinder
One pair lasts at least a year

smoothshooter · Jun 23, 2024

rcscott30 said:
I've been doing a lot more shooting since my last move and cleaning patches online have become expensive ordering every month. What material do you all use for your own patches?

I cut up old 100% cotton white tee shirts. One shirt will last for years.
Buying cleaning patches is a colossal waste of money, just like buying lubricated felt wads for percussion revolvers.
BTW, lubricated revolver wads do not have to be round and of chamber diameter. They can be cut square and work fine. Their only purpose is to carry lube.

Eutycus · Jun 23, 2024

As long as it's cotton!

Mad L · Jun 23, 2024

"One shirt will last for Years"
????????
Someone needs to get out shooting more, or buy More Guns!

I buy them by the 6-pack and cotton Flannel by the yard (2 or 3 yards at a time): that MIGHT last a year...

ETipp · Jun 23, 2024

Old white T-shirts. I do not care about differences in thickness whatsoever, just as long as they are white. Yard sales are a good source for them, as well as Good Will stores. However, I seem to be pretty good at going through enough white T-shirts to keep me supplied.

Mike in FL · Jun 24, 2024

It is difficult to comprehend that this thread has gone to 4 pages. I can't imagine a less interesting topic. On the flip side is the fact that so many responded, which means this site is more than alive and well. That is a very good thing.

Notchy Bob · Jun 24, 2024

Mike in FL said:
It is difficult to comprehend that this thread has gone to 4 pages. I can't imagine a less interesting topic. On the flip side is the fact that so many responded, which means this site is more than alive and well. That is a very good thing.

Check out the Pyrodex thread, Mike. Also four pages and still going!

Notchy Bob

exPAtriate · Jun 24, 2024

Old t-shirts, sheets, whatever fabric. 100 percent cotton for the brass suppository rifles definitely, those chemicals do interesting things to poly.

The old 0.30 jeàns are for shooting patches for the 56 smoothbore.

waksupi · Jun 24, 2024

Mad L said:
"One shirt will last for Years"
????????
Someone needs to get out shooting more, or buy More Guns!

I buy them by the 6-pack and cotton Flannel by the yard (2 or 3 yards at a time): that MIGHT last a year...

I can't imagine going through that much. A yard would last me for years. Drying the bore with paper towel would make a difference, but I certainly wouldn't be throwing away cloth patches when they are so easy to re-use. You must be rich!

LME · Jun 24, 2024

rcscott30 said:
I've been doing a lot more shooting since my last move and cleaning patches online have become expensive ordering every month. What material do you all use for your own patches?

Old wore out tee shirts!

Rebel bull · Jun 24, 2024

my favorite is fleece cleaning patches don't need to be cotton their not being fired only used for cleaning and drying I get remnants at the fabric store for a couple of bucks and cut it up into approximately 11/2" squares works excellent cleans better then anything else I've tried

Mad L · Jun 24, 2024

waksupi said:
I can't imagine going through that much. A yard would last me for years. Drying the bore with paper towel would make a difference, but I certainly wouldn't be throwing away cloth patches when they are so easy to re-use. You must be rich!

I tried washing t-shirt made patches to reuse them, didn't work as they begin to fall apart, generally begins with a 'caliber' sized hole in the center from scrubbing the bore.
Plus with the cost of laundry detergent, water bill, electricity to run the washer and dryer, as well as time consumed - I only use 5 or 6 one to two inch patches per cleaning...not worth the bother.
Not to mention I found they are not as absorbant the second time around, just pushes crud around instead of pulling it out.

I just put my best three piece suit on, sit on the hood of my Lamborghini and pull out a few fresh patches...I do however wash my tow, a tad of dish soap, squish it under faucet and set aside to dry while I put on my Hue Heffner smoking robe and enjoy the sunset (and No, I don't reuse the tobacco in my pipe either)

Eutycus · Jun 25, 2024

Back when I worked for the Prison System a white cotton T- shirt was part of our uniform. I retired with a dozen of them, Even the old rotten ones will clean quite well.

Homemade cleaning Patches

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