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BlogWe independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products-learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.The Best Shop Towels for Your Work Needs
Last updated: 23 Feb 2023Shop towels work best whenever there’s a need for you to clean materials – or perhaps when you need to pick up hot items in the workshop. The working environment has to be clean and free from dirt or spillage and these shop towels are durable and are effective in cleaning wet surfaces. Manufacturers use different materials for designing shop towels, either chemical or natural. For instance, one of the renowned manufacturers of shop towels uses materials like synthetic latex resin, tree fibers, and consumer paper waste. Therefore, choosing one can be tricky but here’s a tip – just buy a pack of each type and see which one works best for you. But we’ve got you covered too as a first time buyer. We’re bringing you a list of the finest shop towels for 2023 as well as a detailed buyer’s guide to help you scour through a sea of options out there!
Show contentsDetailing Our Favorite Shop Towel of 2023Buying Guide: Shop Towels
Shop towels are crucial items if the nature of the job involves working with heavy machines, equipment, upholstery, and other related works. Maintaining clean hands would be difficult to achieve as you have shop towels. It is not ideal for workshops to stay functioning and clean enough with these products. However, there are a few factors you need to consider before purchasing these, so you can easily use them to wipe liquid spillages as well as to pick up hot items in the workshop without burning your hands, and more!
Factors to Consider When Buying Shop Towels
Quantity
You need to know the correct quantity you’ll be needing before placing an order or paying for shop towels. For instance, someone buying for their company might want to buy in large amounts, while an individual buying for personal use will buy a few packs. It will be wrong to buy beyond or below the numbers you will likely use. So there’s no way you can neglect quantity when considering buying shop towels.
The shop towels come in packs of different amounts; could be 30, 50, 100, or any number.
Eco-friendly
A good shop towel should be good liquid absorbent and also nonbiodegradable. Moreover, towels with these features can fit into any workplace environment and give users maximum satisfaction. Most importantly, many towels are made out of eco-friendly materials, helping both the manufacturers and users get a reduced carbon footprint.
Re-usability
Shop towels that are disposable, also known as paper towels, can’t be used for the second time around. However, shop towels that are proper rags will let you wash them and reuse them as many times as you want! Their life longevity depends on how often you wash them and what sort of tasks you expose them to. Many shop towels come with the manufacturer’s instructions on how to wash them – it’ll allow you to ensure their longevity.
Color
It is another critical factor to consider when you are purchasing shop towels. Many buyers have their color preferences when buying products in the market. The most pronounced color of shop towels is red, white, or blue – but there are other colors. Some people have exotic tastes when it comes to interior decoration, and due to this, they can go to any length in buying the matching shop towels to fit their house, office, or workshops.
Workplace
Depending on the equipment or machine you will be working on, the workplace plays an important role in buying shop towels. You can’t use kitchen towels for industrial design workshops because they won’t function well compared to using the right shop towel. You will need durable towels for cleaning machinery and tools. For instance, shop towels with soft scratch-resistant will be the best for washing cars.
Price range
Having an idea of your budget will determine the kind of shop towels you want to buy. We have synthetic and paper towels used for various functions. Some will cost more than others, disposable ones are usually more expensive but you can get them in higher quantities in a single pack. The others will cost less for a limited quantity but they’ll be washable, and hence, reusable.
Size
If you use it for cleaning, it is best to buy something larger than your hands to hold it firmly. It is better to purchase shop towels that can cover your body. It would help if you got different sizes to fit every house chores. If you buy a smaller size, you will find it cumbersome to use in your house when you have to clean larger surfaces.
Cotton choice
A 100% cotton shop towel is ideal because it offers optimum luxury to users, and is suitable for grease and oil spillage. Shop towels made from Egyptian cotton weigh 650GSM, making them thick to retain water.
Durability
Durability is another factor to check before buying shop towels. Cotton is the most robust material you can buy that can serve you for many years, while shop towels with polyester and cotton blends are also very durable.
Benefits of Using Shop Towels
Drying hands
The primary reason for buying shop towels is for cleaning hands. If you want your workplace to be hygienic, then shop towels must be part of your tools to clean greasy substances or food preparation.
Clearing greases
Shop towels are crucial in cleaning varying grease spills and oil in different auto industries. Since they are highly absorbent, they absorb moisture to ensure the surface they are cleaning is neat.
Wiping inks and solvents
Printing firms use these shop towels to erase unwanted ink spillage on their working surfaces. A company without this shop towel won’t keep a clean environment. Therefore, it is ideal to buy this shop towel to maintain neatness.
Office cleaning
Due to the versatility of shop towels, they can function inside the kitchen for cleaning, and help process mess on the sink, and other surfaces. Better yet, they’ll help anybody with cleaning anything.
How to Maintain Shop Towels
If you have been finding it difficult to remove grease or stains from shop towels, it is advisable to rinse them with clean, warm water to eliminate stains. Also, you can opt to use sodium phosphate and water to remove marks. Keeping and washing the shop towel alongside your clothes is not advisable because the stain could be transferred to other clothes.
Detailing Our Favorite Shop Towel of 2023
1Scott Shop Towels Original
– Best OverallIf you’ve got an automotive workshop that involves painting or detailing, you need to own these Scott shop towels. The shop towel can perform several functions such as refilling fluids, changing oil, automotive maintenance, etc. Many artisans rely on the towel to get their work done neatly. It is well perforated and portable to fit any paper towel holder, and the manufacturer (brand) has a massive reputation in the industry due to long years of outstanding performance.
So during automotive repairs, you don’t have to bother or be scared about liquids or oil spills. It is ultra-strong and functions when it is even wet. It is one of the reasons they are an essential tool in automotive workshops. You need to be familiar with its specifications to purchase the right product to avoid complications after paying the seller. You can consider it a better brand as compared to others.
Pros- Ultra-strong and durable
- Multipurpose shop towel
- Portable standard roll format
Cons- Susceptible to spontaneous combustion
2Simpli-Magic Shop Towels
– Runner UpThe Simpli-Magic is one shop towel you can invest your money in. It will eliminate grease oil, fluid spills, and dirt from working tools. Plus, it was made to suit both industrial and commercial usage. Our favorite part? It’s a washable cloth towel, not your paper towel – so it’s not a disposable one.
Many shop towels have unique properties that make them exceptional from others. This one is famous for its size and it has had an enormous increase in sales for that very reason! You can also order them in red or blue colors if that matches your shop’s uniform or if you don’t want the white color getting dirty over and over again. The towels are absorbent and dry quickly!
Pros- Perfect for commercial and industrial use
- You can machine wash them and the towels dry quickly
- 100% cotton – they’re cheaper than paper towels and work better
Cons- They’re just around 1 square foot each – could have been bigger
3GREEN LIFESTYLE Shop Towel
– Honorable MentionThese shop towels are 12” x 14” in size and suitable for cleaning dirty or oily surfaces. You may use them for automotive purposes, for dusting in your apartment, and more! The towels are available in three colors and packs of 50, 100, 150, and 600.
They’re certainly more efficient compared to paper towels and can be warm-washed for a fresh, clean, and new look – think of them as rustic, reusable napkins! Also, they’re super absorbent with a fairly rough texture but are not given to fuzzing and fraying quickly.
Pros- An excellent alternative to paper towels
- You can buy them in bulk as well as in a pack of just 50
- You can use them for a plenty of purposes
- Can serve as excellent cleaning rags to wash your car
Cons- Can be machine-washed but it’ll fray them quickly
4Talvania Shop Towels
– Also ConsiderThe Talvania Shop Towels are designed with high-quality materials for longevity and are 100% safe for various works. They can retain water and all other kinds of liquids, making them excellent to be used for all cleaning purposes; come oil or water spillage. It’s suggested that you only hand-wash them with warm water for longevity. It is preferable to use a mild detergent to retain its originality and help prevent further costs.
Moreover, they’re available in two colors; red and white. Ths rags are also lint resistant and anti-shrinking, making them ideal! They’re last on our list but as you can see, definitely not the least.
Pros- They’re super lightweight
- Have anti-shrinking properties
- Super absorbent for moisture
Cons- Gives off a little white fluff when cleaning
People Also Asked
Q: Can shop towels be reused?A: Some shop towels you can reuse while others can't. When you buy reusable shop towels, you can use them several times before disposing of the towel because you can wash them with a machine.
Q: What is the difference between shop towels and paper towels?A: Paper towels can be used as shop towels as well - however, the word paper towel refers to that strong tissue-paper-like sheet that’s used in many bathrooms and shops for cleaning. Paper towels are disposable and non-washable. However, the other shop towels are made from a blend of cotton or polyester and are washable and durable!
Q: Can shop towels be used at home?A: There is no fixed place for users to use the shop towel - you may use them anywhere; be it a kitchen, garage, garden, etc.
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