Gosh I love rag curls and they do a wonderful job but for me they are a lot of work and take me a lot of time.  But when I do have time and make the effort I love the spirals. 

 

Do you apply your rags to wet, damp, partially damp or dry strands?

 

One thing that I have personally noticed about rags is that if my hair is too wet (I have Type 2 wavy hair with curls at the nape of my neck) when I tie the rags into my hair I find that I can't tie the rags as tightly as I want.  I find that they are easier for me to tie tightly when my hair is slightly damp.

 

Do you use a detangler or a leave-in conditioner?  When I use a detangler product that is light enough to get my tangles and knots out and then I use rag curls, I have an easier time of them not slipping than when I use one of my leave-in products (Phyto 7, Phyto 9 or Rene Furterer). 

 

A detangler or glaze will help remove tangles but doesn't make my hair as slippery as a leave-in conditioner.

 

Also, I find that using a small amount of a gel or glaze product will hold the rags better.

 

Sometimes I cheat and use the Conair rag rollers that are not exactly the same as tearing up a t-shirt or old sheet but are easier to work with and more like traditional rollers.

 

Also, I find that my hair grips certain materials better than others.  I cut up an old flannel bedsheet and those strips worked much better than softer cotton.  My hair seemed to grip the flannel better than the cotton.  Of course it could just be my hair which is naturally coarse.

 

Not sure if any of these tips will help but hopefully they will give you some new ideas to try.