Scott shop towels gone bad?

[ptross]

I recently bought a 10 roll package of Scott blue Shop towels. I've used them for several years and was running out. the new batch are nothing like what I'm used to- they are thinner by about 25%, tear almost under their own weight, won't absorb like the old ones do. They are not much better than common household towels (but cost way more). Kimberly-Clark refunded my purchase price immediately, so they must know what is happening.
What gives?
Has anyone else noticed the change in quality?
Any alternatives that are worth buying?
Peter

 

[DrinkMan]

Thanks for the heads up. I bought a few 12 packs many years ago from Costco/Sams and just have been working through them. Still have a few rolls at home but I ran out yesterday at our coastal home while replacing a fuel pump. So my plan was to run to Sams and stock this house with a 12 pack but now I'm not sure.

I just did some online looking and noticed some are labeled "Original", some "Heavy Duty". And I used to get the pop up in the box version but found I prefer to have a wall mounted roll dispenser. Now instead of buying a 12 pack, I'll just buy a 2 pack and see if I have the same results you have.

May have to investigate the ULine, Sellars (Tractor Supply & Home Depot), or perhaps some of the odd brands I see on Amazon.

 

[Firebrick43]

I recently bought a 10 roll package of Scott blue Shop towels. I've used them for several years and was running out. the new batch are nothing like what I'm used to- they are thinner by about 25%, tear almost under their own weight, won't absorb like the old ones do. They are not much better than common household towels (but cost way more). Kimberly-Clark refunded my purchase price immediately, so they must know what is happening.
What gives?
Has anyone else noticed the change in quality?
Any alternatives that are worth buying?
Peter

I wonder if you bought the same product? under Kimberly clarks wypall brand we tested all the variations one time to see if we could save money at the plant. I was amazed at how many different variations they had, as in dozens, of what many would visually think was the same shop towel but were very different in use. They ranged from the best that I have ever used to the some of the crappiest all under the similar branding and boxing. Some variations were just different weights of the same material.

And this was just standard towels, not all the lint free variations as we tested those dozen or so separately.

 

[larry_g]

I wonder if you bought the same product? under Kimberly clarks wypall brand we tested all the variations one time to see if we could save money at the plant. I was amazed at how many different variations they had, as in dozens, of what many would visually think was the same shop towel but were very different in use. They ranged from the best that I have ever used to the some of the crappiest all under the similar branding and boxing. Some variations were just different weights of the same material.

And this was just standard towels, not all the lint free variations as we tested those dozen or so separately.

Agreed. Go to the Scott website and you will find a few different towels under the shop towel name. Make sure that the old and new towels you have are the same product, not just something that looks like it should be the correct thing.

 

[Davefr]

I recently bought a 10 roll package of Scott blue Shop towels. I've used them for several years and was running out. the new batch are nothing like what I'm used to- they are thinner by about 25%, tear almost under their own weight, won't absorb like the old ones do. They are not much better than common household towels (but cost way more). Kimberly-Clark refunded my purchase price immediately, so they must know what is happening.
What gives?
Has anyone else noticed the change in quality?
Any alternatives that are worth buying?
Peter

The best disposables are Kimberly Clark X80 Wypalls but they're not cheap. For less demanding jobs get a case of 2 ply Bifold towels. Pick the tool for the job.

 

[got2boostit2]

Shrinkflation at work. Guess I need to find an alternative.

 

[mervyn]

Welcome to 2025. Everything is cheap and flimsy. Brands that used to be quality get sold and the cheapening begins.

 

[dnschmidt]

My solution is that I don't use paper towels anymore. I go to Costco and buy a sack of microfiber towels for less money than the paper towels cost. If not too dirty I simply wash them and reuse them, don't use fabric softener when you wash them, If greasy and badly soiled I toss them.

 

[betulauber]

I use Sellars towels and absorbents and have been pretty happy with them. They have a bunch of different grades (light, medium, heavy duty) and come in pop up boxes or rolls.

 

[seber]

Every estate sale has a closet full of towels and washcloths. Very often they are still there the last day and I will buy the whole lot for a few dollars. Washcloths are absolutely the best rags you can get. Towels cut into appropriate size squares are almost as good. Both make better rags than microfiber towels.

 

[allinon72]

Same ole story as everything else. Higher price, smaller package, lower quality. We simply have to quit enabling this behavior by stop purchasing.

 

[Rockable]

Are you sure you didn't buy Scott Shop Glass towels? They are made for cleaning glass and are thin. Post a picture of what you actually bought.

 

[Chipm]

I go through a 200-ct box of them every week or two. They are fine.

 

[K13]

Just bought some from Costco this weekend. They were a new shipment as they had none the week before. Exactly the same as they always have been.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hmmm, I usually get a pack for Christmas from the wife. I'm still working through what she has bought in years past. Mom has also grabbed me a pack on occasion when she was at Sam's.

Hopefully, they haven't changed and it was just something different to OP grabbed.

 

[dscheidt]

Every estate sale has a closet full of towels and washcloths. Very often they are still there the last day and I will buy the whole lot for a few dollars. Washcloths are absolutely the best rags you can get. Towels cut into appropriate size squares are almost as good. Both make better rags than microfiber towels.

Washcloths make great general purpose rags, but for some uses they're not great. They can shed or have lint, and they're not good for spreading a wood finish or stain, nor are they good for painting.

Several years ago, I got annoyed at not having rags when I needed them. So I called up a wiping cloth supplier, talked to someone about what I needed, and bought 20 lbs of '100% cotton, approx 12x12" rags. What I got were washcloths, probably from a laundry service. a small percentage are torn or have holes, but they're mostly in good enough shape I'd have sent them back out. We use them for all sorts of stuff, and toss them if they get filthy. I try to keep the ones that are starting to fall apart sorted out, so they can get used for something that is likely to ruin them.

 

[PoorUB]

I have been buying these for 40 years and like them. They are not inexpensive! Roughly 12 cents each. I have tried other towels and keep buying these.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T3B7B0?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[MJK]

Wal Mart has a roll of 75 disposable microfiber tear off towels for $17. So 23 cents each. They are excellent. I use them like the old red shop wipes.

 

[bonneyman]

Same ole story as everything else. Higher price, smaller package, lower quality. We simply have to quit enabling this behavior by stop purchasing.

I agree. Although if you do this regularly you've gotta be prepared to stop buying some stuff altogether.

My alternative has been what someone mentioned earlier: buy good quality old stuff. Pawn shops, estate sales, thrift stores. When you find something that fits buy two. Been doing it for years, though of late even those sources have been drying up.

 

[PoorUB]

Wal Mart has a roll of 75 disposable microfiber tear off towels for $17. So 23 cents each. They are excellent. I use them like the old red shop wipes.

Geez, I thought Wypalls for 12 cents a sheet was expensive!

 

[Davefr]

HF has these on sale thru the BF weekend. About .04/ea but I have no idea if they're any good. I think it's the only product I've ever seen them sell that's made in USA.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Interesting.
There is a nearly identical thread about those Scott towels going on over at Hobby Machinist.

What is with Scott Shop Towels?

I recently bought a package of blue Scott Shop towels (10 rolls), as I am running out of the previous supply. The new ones are flimsy to say the least. they are thinner, tear effortlessly, not as absorbent. Kimberly-Clark sent a refund immediately, no questions asked, so they are apparently...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[M.Jay]

My solution is that I don't use paper towels anymore. I go to Costco and buy a sack of microfiber towels for less money than the paper towels cost. If not too dirty I simply wash them and reuse them, don't use fabric softener when you wash them, If greasy and badly soiled I toss them.

Every estate sale has a closet full of towels and washcloths. Very often they are still there the last day and I will buy the whole lot for a few dollars. Washcloths are absolutely the best rags you can get. Towels cut into appropriate size squares are almost as good. Both make better rags than microfiber towels.

This is the way. Depending on the use case I either use microfiber towels, or old washcloth, towels and worn shirts.

 

[sparky 1971]

I thought I'd been using Scott towels in my shop and may very well have in the past but I looked and I've been using these that are sold at Menards. They may have had Scott and changed on me, I don't know or care but these are good.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...els-1-roll/5440030/p-1550129336492-c-9102.htm

I will also admit to being a cheap *** and also having and using the cheapest available white paper towels for 75% of the uses out there.

https://www.menards.com/main/grocery-home/cleaners-household-essentials/household-essentials/paper-towels-napkins/no-name-reg-paper-towels-6-jumbo-rolls/4577/p-1642874372485095-c-7194.htm

 

[PCustoms]

Interesting.
There is a nearly identical thread about those Scott towels going on over at Hobby Machinist.

What is with Scott Shop Towels?

I recently bought a package of blue Scott Shop towels (10 rolls), as I am running out of the previous supply. The new ones are flimsy to say the least. they are thinner, tear effortlessly, not as absorbent. Kimberly-Clark sent a refund immediately, no questions asked, so they are apparently...

www.hobby-machinist.com

The OP and that OP have the same username....

 

[zimman]

For the same reason a double cheeseburger fits in the palm of your hand, your hot dog looks like a green bean in a dough ball and Ding Dongs look like chair leg sliders.
Welcome to 2025. We've been waiting for you.
Zim

 

[Ultradog MN]

The OP and that OP have the same username....

Doh!
Didn't notice that.

 

[Firebrick43]

Have any of you tried the Viva paper towels as shop towels? They are not quilted(which I hate for work on machinery) like many paper towels and are very absorbent, similar feel but not as strong as the mid weight wypall towels.

While I still have the blue shop towels I use the Viva probably 4 to 1 (or higher) due to the cost and ease of getting them inside something, and absorbency. I use the blue ones only when I need to wipe rougher surfaces or thicker/stickier substances. The viva is far superior to wipe oil up from most things and are so much cheaper.

Plus SHMBO finds them acceptable for use in the house so I just buy the bulk pack and only have to store one bulk item instead of two on the shelf in the basement. I think we only get one or two 3 packs of the blue shop towels per year.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DK7TKZPC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[neophyte]

Have any of you tried the Viva paper towels as shop towels? They are not quilted(which I hate for work on machinery) like many paper towels and are very absorbent, similar feel but not as strong as the mid weight wypall towels.

While I still have the blue shop towels I use the Viva probably 4 to 1 (or higher) due to the cost and ease of getting them inside something, and absorbency. I use the blue ones only when I need to wipe rougher surfaces or thicker/stickier substances. The viva is far superior to wipe oil up from most things and are so much cheaper.

Plus SHMBO finds them acceptable for use in the house so I just buy the bulk pack and only have to store one bulk item instead of two on the shelf in the basement. I think we only get one or two 3 packs of the blue shop towels per year.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DK7TKZPC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Viva makes at least two styles of paper towels.
The “Signature Cloth” version just seem like a white version of the blue shop paper towels I used to purchase at HD.
The Viva “Multi Surface” paper towels if I recall correctly, are quilted paper towels sort of like Bounty, but maybe a bit less dense, although still quality.
The Viva and Scott brands are both owned by Kimberl-Clark.

 

[Bagherra]

Wypall X80 is what i use and they are a lil pricey but well worth it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

HF has these on sale thru the BF weekend. About .04/ea but I have no idea if they're any good. I think it's the only product I've ever seen them sell that's made in USA.

A quick look online shows, as mentioned, Menards sells the same paper towels for 90¢ cheaper a roll... granted HF is cheaper with BF sale.

 

[DrinkMan]

Finally bought a couple of rolls of the shop towels from Wally World. Took one of the new ones and compared it to the old one (dirty and wrapped around the old fuel pump) that was part of the bulk-on-sale-warehouse-club purchase from pre-Covid days. Felt and looked as good as the old one. Even seemed slightly thicker but hard to compare a clean paper towel to an old one. I'm happy with them. Next time I go to Sams/Costco, I'll feel okay about stocking up again.

 

[jabberwoki]

Good for you for calling them out .
Ive noticed the same bs with j&j dental floss.
I had an old pac that i`d lost and it`s about twice as tough as the new ****.

 

[Wamsutta]

If you ever decide to wipe your white laminate kitchen table down with those blue Scott towels and rubbing alcohol, the towels will bleed blue dye all over your white table.

 

[atikovi]

From someone that has always used supermarket paper towels, what is better about these shop towels? I get a 6-pack of Bounty Select A Size triple roles that last close to a month each. Does everything I want it to for about $2.50 a roll.

 

[neophyte]

From someone that has always used supermarket paper towels, what is better about these shop towels? I get a 6-pack of Bounty Select A Size triple roles that last close to a month each. Does everything I want it to for about $2.50 a roll.

The shop have more of a soft felted feel than bounty paper towels do, and may also be a bit softer and less likely to scratch delicate surfaces.
The felted texture also seems a bit better at picking up dust when dry.

 

[Ohio Andy]

I tried a couple of different shop towels. Some blue on rolls. Some white in large boxes. As someone mentioned, not too far off Viva. Lot of what I do I like bounty and real cloths.

Based on a recommendation here, I am trying

WypAll PowerClean L40 Cloths Extra Absorbent Wipes (05790), Pop-Up Box, Bulk Paper Wipers, White

Amazon.com

The smaller boxes (as opposed to the big ones I bought before such as https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...-200-count/5820208/p-1550129336616-c-8070.htm)

I tried some red rags that I abhorred as well as since terry towels that I thought were marginally better. I have bathroom towels that I use sparingly that I really like...

 

[atikovi]

I have bathroom towels that I use sparingly that I really like...

Not married I take it?

 

[Ohio Andy]

Not married I take it?

Oh these are bathroom towels I would have used in the bathroom that my wife has said you can have them for the shop or I'm throwing them away....