How To Find The Right Paper Towel: Buyer’s Guide

Paper towels are among the essential cleaning supplies for your home or business. One of the best ways to buy paper towels is in bulk. Sam’s Club can help you find the best value on bulk paper towels from household name brands like Scott, Bounty, and Viva.

Stock up on bulk paper towels for your next event, cookout, or simply a steady supply at home.

Here’s other information to consider when buying paper towels:

How to find the best price on paper towels

Paper towels are labeled by their total area in square feet (sq. ft.) on the packaging. When shopping for bulk paper towels, divide the total price by the number of rolls in a case or carton to get the price per roll. Then divide the roll price by the square footage listed on the wrapping.

The dimensions of a full-sheet paper towel sheet is 11 inches wide by 11 inches long. But in recent years, the choose-a-size length varies across brands. 11 inches, 10.2 inches, 6 inches, and 5.5 inches are common lengths of paper towel sheets.

Many paper towel brands offer bigger sized rolls than regular rolls. These are usually labeled big rolls, mega rolls, super rolls, double rolls, giant rolls, huge rolls, or other sizes. These refer to a larger number of sheets in a roll (and thus, area).

Paper Towel Types and Uses

• Select-a-Size
• Roll paper towels
• C-fold & multi-fold
• Center-pull paper towels
• Shop towels

Select-a-size paper towels, such as Bounty Essentials, have perforated sheets for you to easily tear off. These are the paper towels, wrapped around a cardboard tube, that we imagine when we think of paper towels. These are absorbent rolls found in homes, kitchens, and laundry rooms. These are equally ideal for soaking up spills and serving as napkins. Keep a roll in your car or camping gear for cleanups on the road.

Roll paper towels are one long, continuous sheet intended as a refill for dispensers in offices, restrooms, food service kitchens, or shops. They’re also called hard roll paper towels or hard-wound paper towels. You simply rip the length sheet needed to dry your hands. Typically, roll paper towels have a 2-ply design, which provides better absorption and strength than 1-ply sheets.

C-fold paper towels, multi-fold paper towels, and center-pull paper towels are what we find in dispensers in offices, public bathrooms, and healthcare and commercial settings.

Shop towels are super-strong disposable towels made for tough, dirty jobs. They absorb liquids, oil, and grease. Often dispensed from a pop-up box, shop towels work well for automotive maintenance settings, workshops, and garages. Sam’s Club carries Scott Shop Towels, which work well when wet and are stronger than household paper towels.

How many paper towel rolls are in a case?

It varies. Generally, 30 rolls are in a case. These rolls are the perforated paper towels you’d have in your kitchen, such as Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels or Member’s Mark Premium paper towels.

However, depending on the thickness and absorbency of the sheet, 15 rolls might comprise a case. For roll paper towels, which are for refilling hand towel dispensers, 12 rolls are a case.

How many paper towel sheets are in a roll?

This varies also. There is no standard number of sheets in a roll. The roll sheet counts and area in square footage are displayed on the front of paper towel packaging. For example, Bounty Essentials has 40 full-sized sheets per roll, whereas the Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels have 55 sheets per roll.

Paper Towel Brands at Sam’s Club

We offer popular brands of paper towels in bulk, including best-seller brands Scott, Bounty (similar to Brawny paper towels), Viva, Kleenex, and in-house brand Member’s Mark. For hardwound roll paper towels and shop towels, find Georgia-Pacific and Scott brand paper towels here, as well.

• Member’s Mark
• Bounty
• Viva
• Scott
• Boardwalk
• Bounty Basic
• Georgia Pacific
• Kleenex
• Marcal
• POM

When you order bulk paper towels online from Sam’s Club, you can conveniently avoid a trip to the store and get them delivered to your door. Also, try the Pick Up In Club option. You can quickly stop by the store to pick up your order.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Paper Towels

What are paper towels made from?

Paper towels are made from wood pulp, a fibrous material similar to paper mache. Paper towels can be manufactured from chemical pulp, recycled fiber, or a mix of both.

Does Sam’s Club sell paper towels made from recycled materials?

Yes! You can find Marcal Small Steps 100% eco-friendly recycled paper towels at Sam’s Club. Most paper towels are made from virgin pulp.

Where can I find paper towel dispensers?

Browse our selection of paper towel dispensers.

What makes paper towels absorbent?

Paper towels get their absorbing qualities from the way their fibers are woven during manufacturing. Paper fibers are woven together loosely, letting liquid move through the fibers. This makes them more absorbent.

Two-ply paper towels are more absorbent than 1-ply or single-ply paper towels. This is similar to 2-ply toilet paper. Each layer of a 2-ply paper towel is manufactured separately, then joined together. For example, Bounty paper towels use a water-based adhesive to join 2-ply paper towel sheets together.

Can paper towels be recycled?

Even though they are a paper product, paper towels are generally not recyclable. Dispose of them in the garbage. However, the cardboard core tube is usually OK to recycle. Check your local recycling guidelines.

Can paper towels be composted?

Yes, paper towels free of chemicals are generally compostable.

Can paper towels go in the microwave?

Most plain white paper towels are safe to use for cooking in a microwave, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.