Paper towels

I was just on the Trailer Life web site surfing around and reading some articles when I ventured over to the 10 Minute Tech section and found this tid bit: Click here about securing paper towels on a hanger in the wind by using a simple headband over the roll. Nice idea.

So anyway, I thought I'd share my solution to this problem. But the "problem" goes deeper than just a roll of paper towel unrolling in the wind or unwinding on the roll when in transit on the road too. There's other considerations when selecting paper towel.

First, is the cost. Second is the absorbency of the actual paper towel. Third is how easy it unrolls or in this case, how easy it does not unroll when you don't want it to.

Here's my solution to all the above.

As I am an avid carpenter, always fiddling with something made of wood, staining, and sanding something all the time, I found years and years ago one of the best and most handy products to have around are paper "shop towels".

You won't find them with the kitchen paper towels or toilet paper section of the local WalMart or Lowes. You'll find them in the tools section, or the hardware section.

First, they are really cheap for what you get compared to what you pay for regular kitchen paper towels. They don't look pretty, but they are compact on that roll and you get much, much, much more paper on the same size roll that you would get with your standard "Bounty" or other kitchen style paper towel. So, per roll, per sheet, the shop towels are way cheaper. You're not paying for fluffed up air!

Next, they are extremely absorbent. That's why they work so well with gasoline spills, paint clean up, varnish removal, grease and oil. And ... talking about grease and oil, the paper towel does not know the difference between motor oil or chicken grease on a counter top..... beginning to see a connection here?

More, they cling to the roll. Toss them, throw them, drop them, bounce them, leave them in the wind and they don't unfurl. They stay rolled up. They have just enough cling before removing a sheet, they cling to the roll. Never unroll on their own.

The only down-side of using shop towels in the kitchen, instead of "Bounty" or some other expensive brand, is they are not all the "pretty". They are a solid blue color and the box version comes in white. But once you use them, you'll appreciate the absorbency in them, can be rung out and used again, unlike other paper brands that will shred to nothing when they get wet.

We use nothing else but shop towels now for everything. I keep a roll inside the truck and the car, so if the dogs or cat get sick we have something to immediately clean up.

I keep a roll in the tool boxes of my truck shell, so when handling dirty or greasy auto or trailer stuff, I have something to wipe with right away.

I keep a roll in the pass through of my travel trailer, as this is where I keep my trailer hitch and weight distribution bars when not in tow. I use them to wipe the oil, black, and grease off my hands after handling the hitch, and will wrap one around the ball of my hitch so it wan't get any grease on the wall of my pass through.

They work absolutely fantastic on car and truck windshields. Turn on your windshield wipers sprayer for a quick squirt. Then use the shop towel to finish wiping the window. You'll be amazed how much better this works than "Bounty" and even paper towel at the gas station.

We keep a roll in the bathroom (house and trailer), for quick wipes on the floor around the toilet (when mistakes happen).

We keep several rolls in the kitchen. We use them to wipe the grease out of the frying pan, the flat electric griddles, the electric griddle, for wiping the dishes of all grease before washing (so grease is limited what does down the kitchen sink. It gets tossed away in the trash and won't clog the drains this way).

If cooking bacon, there is always a puddle of bacon grease. 2 or 3 shop towels laid in the pan or on the flat griddle will absorb almost all the grease. Simply pick up the paper and toss in the trash. No grease on the ground, dumped into a fire pit, or worse.... down the drain of your sink where it will build up and clog some day. Then take a final one and wipe the last excess. Then wash that pan or plate in the sink with soap and water, completely minimizing what goes down the drain.

They work fantastic for wiping off kitchen counter tops, stove tops, cabinet doors, and even the floors.

We use them when we deep fry french fries to catch the grease when removing them from the deep fryer on top of the plate.

Basically, anything you would use paper towel for, the shop towels will do it better, will be cheaper, and you can use a lot more and not feel guilty.

Anyway, if you read this far, my only suggestion is, next time you go to WalMart or Lowes, go to the hardware area and pick up a roll of these and try them instead of "Bounty." See what you think.

Click here.

FYI, they do not cost $35 a roll. It's more like $2.50 a roll and you are getting 10 times more sheets, and 10 times more absorbency with these.

I also have the white ones in the box in both my garages, I use for my woodworking projects. They are easier to pull out of the box when your hands are covered in varnish or paint!

One more thought? Just because they are blue, does not necessarily mean they are not any more "sanitary" than the white, pretty designed "Bounty" kitchen paper towels. They all come from the same factory. And none of them are designed to be used in a medical surgical center, if you think the "Bounty" or other kitchen brands are more sanitary than these.

Anyway, give a roll a try and see what you think. They won't unfurl in the wind. That's very big "plus".