We Tested 20 Reusable Paper Towels, and You Might Mistake These for the Real Thing (2024)

Our Top Picks

Bamboo is a wonderful sustainable resource, since it’s easy and quick to grow, replenishing in just a few months versus the years it takes to grow trees. These reusable towels are made of bamboo fiber viscose, with a thick feel and excellent durability — you can use each sheet up to 50 times, which makes a 20-sheet roll equivalent to 20 standard paper towel rolls.

In our tests, we found these absorbed liquids better than regular paper towels, wiping up water spills with a single swipe. They weren’t as efficient when picking up dry spills, like coffee grounds, but proved to be very sturdy when wiping wine from the carpet, even with vigorous rubbing. We liked that these towels could be washed by hand or by machine in a cold water cycle. Simply hang them to dry, and use them again. They will become softer and more absorbent after a few washes.

Size: 11 x 11 inches | Quantity: 4 packs of 20 sheets

This affordable reusable paper towel roll delivers major value — one sheet is equivalent to a single standard paper towel roll, and one roll takes the place of about 30 disposable ones. Measuring 10.75 x 11 inches, these towels are perfectly sized to tackle spills, dry your hands, or dust surfaces, and you can wash them by hand for reuse.

At first glance, these towels look similar in thickness to their disposable counterparts but have a slightly slicker, shinier surface. They scored very well when it came to quality and absorbency, picking up a respectable amount of moisture in one pass. We noticed very slight wear when it came to rubbing the towel on a carpet to mop up wine, but that didn’t change their efficacy. Washing them by hand left the used towels clean with no staining or significant wear and tear.

Size: 10.75 x 11 inches | Quantity: 30 sheets per roll

For a more luxurious reusable paper towel option, these Mioceo towels are made of soft, unbleached 100% organic cotton. Each towel is said to replace a whopping 130 rolls of standard disposable paper towels to justify the splurge. The waffle texture provides a very light scouring ability to wipe up stubborn or sticky stains, and you can wash them in the machine for easy cleaning.

The quality of these towels stood out to us; their strong fabric held up well during wet and dry tests. They mopped up most spills in just one or two swipes and showed no wear when rubbing a wine spill off the carpet. Debris tended to get stuck in the waffle texture, requiring more vigorous washing when cleaning by hand, but it was nothing that a washing machine cycle couldn’t handle.

Size: 13 x 11 inches | Quantity: 10 sheets per pack

Available in 10 colors, the Swedish Dishcloth is both a utilitarian and cheerful addition to your cleaning routine. Made of cellulose and cotton, each of these 8- x 7-inch cloths is said to equal 15 disposable paper towel rolls. They’re so sturdy that you can enlist them for just about any household cleaning tasks, and they can be used on glass, tile, wood, stainless steel, and marble with no problem.

This product did well when wiping up wet spills, absorbing about 90% of a water spill in one swipe. While this towel claims to absorb 20 times its weight in moisture, we found that it only absorbed about half that — a slight disappointment, but still a respectable absorption capacity for its size. It’s incredibly sturdy and easy to throw into the washing machine to clean. While they’re one of the least paper towel-like among the ones we tested, we still think they’re worth a purchase for all the tasks they can handle.

Size: 8 x 7 inches | Quantity: 10 sheets per pack

A microfiber cloth is a wonderful tool for cleaning a variety of surfaces, and this set from Full Circle includes five cloths assigned to specific purposes. The difference is in the weaving. One is meant for bathroom and tile (equipped with scrubbing stripes), one is for dusting, one is for cleaning glass, one is for greasy ovens and stovetops, and one is meant for cleaning stainless steel. Made of recycled plastic, these durable cloths can be cleaned via washing machine and line dried for reuse.

Because each of these towels has a specific use, they didn’t quite align with the performance comparison of a disposable paper towel in our testing. That being said, we liked how durable and absorbent these towels were, wiping up wet spills and chocolate with one swipe. We also found the scrubbing aspect of the bath and tile cloth to be a pretty cool feature, useful for sloughing off any sticky residue on a kitchen counter. Though we did find that the microfiber wasn’t as soft after laundering, they’re easy to clean in the washing machine. Just hang them to dry after.

Size: 12 x 12 inches | Quantity: 5 towels per pack

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are reusable paper towels sanitary?

  A fresh disposable paper towel will almost always be more sanitary than a reusable paper towel simply because it hasn’t gotten a chance to get dirty. But when cleaned and dried properly, a reusable paper towel is an excellent option for wiping up spills and other minor messes. For heavy-duty jobs, pick a towel that can be machine washed, use it once, and then launder it again before using it for a different task.
  

• How do you clean reusable paper towels?

  Certain types of reusable paper towels can go through the washing machine, but not all of them. You’ll want to consult the manufacturer’s instructions, but for the most part, you can hand wash them with liquid dish soap, rinse them well with warm water, and hang them to dry.
  

• Can reusable paper towels go in the dryer?

  Again, it depends on the manufacturer’s instructions. Most reusable paper towels are meant to be hung to dry; a tumble dry cycle might wreak havoc on their fibers and cause them to break down prematurely.
  

Kitchen + Home Bamboo Towels ($10 at Amazon)

The design and feel of these reusable paper towels are close to disposables, and they performed almost exactly like them, too. Very sturdy when wet, they held up well when wiping up spills from the carpet. One roll is said to replace 60 disposable ones, giving this option a high-value rating.

Grove Co. Swedish Dishcloths ($10 at Grove)

We liked the absorbency of these dishcloths when soaking up simple liquid spills, and we appreciated their durability when wiping up wine from the carpet. They weren’t as effective when wiping away tackier, thicker messes like chocolate sauce, but they were easy to clean by hand or in the washing machine.

Zero Waste Store Reusable Paper Towels, 12 Pack ($26 at ZeroWasteStore)

The quality of these towels is good, and running them through the washing machine didn’t change that. We liked them more for picking up bigger messes (like spilled syrup or food debris) than for soaking up liquids.

Luckiss Bamboo Dish Cloths, 12 Pack (at Amazon)

With the thickness of a light rag, these reusable towels performed a lot like disposable paper towels, soaking up spills and wiping up messes in a couple of easy swipes. Durable enough to withstand some friction when rubbing a spill off the carpet, these cleaned up nicely after washing and felt like a good value.