Paper towel

A roll of paper towels (kitchen roll)

A paper towel is an absorbent, disposable towel made from paper.[1] In Britain, paper towels for kitchen use are also known as kitchen rolls, kitchen paper, or kitchen towels.[2] For home use, paper towels are usually sold in a roll of perforated sheets, but some are sold in stacks of pre-cut and pre-folded layers for use in paper-towel dispensers. Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and intended to be used only once. Paper towels absorb water because they are loosely woven, which enables water to travel between the fibers, even against gravity (capillary effect). They have similar purposes to conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows and other surfaces, dusting, and cleaning up spills. Paper towel dispensers are commonly used in toilet facilities shared by many people (such as at schools or shopping malls), as they are often considered more hygienic than hot-air hand dryers[3] or shared cloth towels.

  1. ^ "PAPER TOWEL | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Dictionary.cambridge.org. 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  2. ^ "KITCHEN ROLL | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Dictionary.cambridge.org. 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  3. ^ "Paper towels may be more hygienic than air dryers - NHS". NHS. June 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2019.