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Kimberly-Clark Professional, a leading innovator in dry-wipe cleaning products, suggests replacing rags in automotive workshops with industrial-strength, dry-wipe products, from its brand Wypall. 

Most workshops have a rag bag, box or cupboard, in which a motley collection of rags awaits use as wipes, or liquid-spill absorbers. That worked fine until the advent of most modern fabrics that incorporate plastic fibres. 

These days, many rags don’t absorb very well.

We’ve lived with other issues with rags, including loose fibres and lint, because there didn’t seem to be a viable or cost-effective alternative, but now that many fabrics don’t absorb as well as old cotton, even that virtue is tarnished.

So, what is the Kimberly-Clark – the home of Kleenex – solution?

Unlike most rags, Wypall wipes are said to deliver consistent and effective wiping performance, requiring less wiping time and effort. Wypall wipes have uniform size, shape and material, and were designed to minimise lint deposits.

Wypall wipes are easy to store and use, via tissue-box-style pull out access or roller dispensers,  compared with rummaging through untidy rag bags or bundles that take up much more workshop space.

“We know from trade customer experience around the world that once an automotive workshop has experienced the benefits of making the change to Wypall dry wipes from rags, it becomes a permanent change,” said Ms Shamita Archi, Kimberly-Clark Professional’s Australia and New Zealand marketing manager.

Wypall on test

Of course, we at Historic Vehicles never take a maker’s claims for granted and we love to test new products. We have a selection of Wypall products that we put through their paces over four months in 2025. We evaluated the mid-range X60 and heavier-duty X70 wipes that were both made from patented Hydroknit technology.

The X60s were said to be one-use wipes, while the X70s could be rinsed and re-used in some circumstances.

Our initial findings were promising, because grease clean-ups and an oil spill that were previously rag-dependent have proved easier to clean up with the Wypall product.

An unexpected bonus in the case of our workshop was the discovery of a mummified rat at the bottom of the rag bag! We don’t want to think about the health ramifications of this unwanted visitation. Naturally, all those rags were chucked out.

Following four months of regular use, the dispensing carton of X70 wipes replaced our former rag bag. When we need a ‘rag’ we simply pull out a Wypall from the carton that has pride of place on our workshop bench

We put the X60s through camper and home kitchen duties over the same period and found that the X60 blue roll completely replaced our need for a Chux roll, having better absorption and clean-wiping qualities, plus a food-grade rating.

We found that a single perforated sheet lasted at least week on kitchen clean-up duties, including repeated soaking and wringing-out.

When camping, we saved the grubby Wypall sheets to use as fire starters.

We have no association with Kimberly-Clark, but we’re delighted to be able to praise the performance of these disposable products. The only downside is that they’re not bio-degradable.

You can contact Kimberly-Clark Professional by calling 1800 647 994, or visiting Kimberly-Clark Professional online at: www.kcprofessional.com/en-au

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