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HOUSE CLEANING

Paper towels are the second largest "loss leader" in stores. Wait for a sale of your favorite product and stock up with enough to last you until the next sale.
USING PAPER TOWELS WITH MICROWAVE OVENS

For modest microwaving chores like steaming fish or poultry, cooking vegetables or bacon, or preparing hot sandwiches, it's wise to wrap or cover the food with white paper towels. They keep the oven clean by absorbing spattered grease and excess moisture and help to keep certain foods from drying out or becoming soggy. But are some paper towels better than others for microwaving? Some manufacturers sell brands that they claim are specially formulated for microwave tasks. "Microwave" paper-towel brands are identical to their regular siblings except that they are claimed to be food grade (FDA approved for food contact), having fewer heavy metals. But for simple microwaving, there is no need to pay extra for these specialty products. Any strong, absorbent, plain white (unprinted) paper towel should do.
TOUGHER TOWELS FOR TOUGH JOBS

Shop towels are for cleaning up grime in the garage or workshop, scrubbing away rust, and other tasks too tough for ordinary paper towels. Shop towels made of paper are throwaways; cloth towels are meant to be washed and reused. Shop towels tend to be stronger than most ordinary paper towels. Of course, cloth shop towels are far stronger than any of the paper products. Both paper and cloth shop towels clean greasy tools and effectively scrub rust. Some ordinary paper towels might tend to shred a bit but should do the job nevertheless.