A while back I started washing patches that I use with my BP rifles. My thoughts are that I get the surface treatment off the patch and make it more absorbent. I can't prove it helps.....

At the range I usually have a patch or two in my mouth to get them moist for running down the barrel after 5 shots and then followed by a dry one. The washed patches certainly taste better than straight out of the package. 

Old Soldier wrote on Apr 17^th, 2024 at 9:49pm:


I collect my patches  downrange from my muzzleloaders and hand wash and reuse them.
I'm that cheap, we must be cousins.

I always wash my patch material before I cut the patches....LK 

PS , that material looks like it has a pretty loose weave, are you getting a good seal? No blowby or burn through??

If anybody wants my used patches send me your address and I'll mail them to you for cost of postage.

Maybe I'm a little glib about patch recycling because I bought two big bolts of white flannel at a yard sale 12 years ago (six feet by 15 yards, $10 for the pair). After giving away a ton of it plus my own usage I still have one whole bolt of it left which I reckon will serve my needs until the end, even if I only use each patch once!

I wash dirty patches in an ice cream pail, hand agitate, changing the dirty water a couple of times. I then lay out the much cleaner patches on an old small aluminum window screen and let air dry.  Not so much about being frugal but keep the patch supply lasting longer.