Well, we have the best of all worlds in our house. We have rolls of paper towels, we have dishrags and we have sponges. Paper towels come in handy for a lot of stuff that sponges and dishrags won't do well. In addition to what has been discussed, putting them over a dish in the microwave. Wiping up paint or solvent or gas or oil. Wiping up sticky, gooey stuff like grout, sealant, glue. Blowing your nose in an emergency. I'd say paper towels are one of the most useful products for all sorts of various needs.