When you search “Blue Shop Towels”, the results may not be the products you expect. The Material Matters! Simple specifying "Lint Free" doesn't work either. This article tells you how to fill in the the following blank in your search to get the right products for your applications. “I want Blue Shop Towels Made of ____________.
There are three main materials (fabrics) used to make “Blue Shop Towels”. Each is very different!
- Woven Blue Shop Towels
- Spunlace Blue Shop Towels
- DRC Blue Shop Towels
When you search for “Blue Shop Towels” today in your browser, your results mostly show a DRC heavy-duty paper towel product made by Scott and Kimberly Clark. This product will not do for low lint paint prep surfaces or any low lint application.
What’s the difference? A lot! On one extreme you have a paper towel like product and the other extreme is a tough woven cotton cloth. The third option, spunlace, is somewhere in between in strength and price, but it is essentially lint and contamination free. See the Comparison Chart below for a quick comparison of cost and attributes.
Blue Shop Towel Material Comparison at a Glance
Woven Pricing: $1.00-$1.50 per Towel
Spunlace Pricing: $0.12 - $0. 20 per Towel
DRC Pricing: $0.07 - $0.12 per Towel
|
Feature |
Paper (DRC) |
Woven |
Spunlace |
|
Lint Level |
High |
Medium to High |
Virtually Zero |
|
Strength (Wet) |
Weak |
Very Strong |
Strong |
|
Solvent Resistant |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Best Use |
Oil Spills |
Hot or Rough Surface |
Low Lint Application |
** Spunlace Blue Shop Towels made in the USA do not contain binders or glues.
Woven Blue Shop Towels originated from rental towel companies making blue towels for use in machine and mechanic shops. More recently these towels are getting “skimpier” and are made in Asia and shipped to the USA. Some shops still use rental blue shop towels, however, more and more shops are trending away from rental towels. The pros of a woven towel are strength, heat resistance and washability. They are not without drawbacks. If you need a lower lint, contaminant free cloth that is reasonably priced, these are not for you. Having to wash these towels can be a pro or a con. They can be rather expensive as well.
Spunlace Blue Shop Towels are made of a strong durable spunlaced nonwoven fabric originally developed by Dupont for disposable operating room gowns and drapes. These blue spunlace towels are the lowest lint option you will find. They are strong wet and dry and reasonably priced for a disposable product. They are strong enough to be rinsed and reused. Their advantage is price, strength, disposability and extreme low lint. However, they are not washable.
DRC Blue Shop Towels were developed by Scott Paper. They used the name Blue Shop Towels to market this heavy-duty paper towel into the garage shop industry. This product is very absorbent which is its biggest pro. It is slightly stronger than a paper towel but will fall apart when wet or when facing a tough scrubbing job. The price is low compared to spunlace and woven towels. If you need a light or medium duty, low strength, absorbent wiper, this may be something you would use.
We hope this information has been helpful in discerning your shop towel needs. This article is sponsored by Telesto Products, LLC. We carry DRC, cloth rags and various types of spunlace nonwoven shop towels. Visit us today for a wide variety of high-performance wiping cloths.
Woven Blue Shop Towels (Rental or Purchase)
Frequently Asked Questions: Finding the Right Blue Shop Towel
Q. Why are my "lint-free" blue towels leaving blue fuzz behind?
A. The term "Blue Shop Towel" is often used to describe DRC (Double Re-Creped) paper towels, which have a high lint level. These are essentially heavy-duty paper towels held together with binders and glues that break down when wet or used for scrubbing. For a truly lint-free finish, you need Spunlace Blue Shop Towels, which are engineered with high-pressure water jets to be virtually zero-lint.
Q. What are the three main types of blue shop towels?
DRC (Paper-Based): Very absorbent and low cost, but weak and high-lint.
Woven (Cloth): Highly durable and heat resistant, but expensive ($1.00–$1.50 per towel) and can carry contaminants from previous washes.
Spunlace (Nonwoven): The "middle ground" that offers extreme strength, solvent resistance, and virtually zero lint at a disposable price point ($0.12–$0.20 per towel).
Q. Which towel is best for auto body paint prep?
A. Spunlace is the industry standard for paint prep. Because Telesto’s USA-made Spunlace towels contain no binders or glues, they won't leave chemical residue or lint on the surface that could ruin a clear coat.
Q. Are blue shop towels solvent-resistant?
A. Spunlace and Woven towels are solvent-resistant and can handle harsh chemicals. DRC (Paper) towels are not solvent-resistant and will often fall apart when used with degreasers or thinners.
Q. Can I reuse these towels, or are they one-time use?
A. Woven towels are designed to be washed and reused. Spunlace towels are strong enough to be rinsed and reused multiple times before disposal, offering a great balance of value and performance. DRC towels are strictly disposable and typically fall apart after one use.
