Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Rog, I'm so cheap that I re-use my paper towels that I mop water up with. I hang them up in the basement and re-use them at my next steam-up. Oily ones are disposed of and I try not to re-use Q-tips, especially in my ears   

By the way, the best paper towel I have found is made by the brand Viva. They are cheap, durable and absorbent.

Had to laugh at this one Nick. I do nearly the same thing although I have a overhead furnace that blows down nicely on a bench to dry them, the oily ones I reuse again because they're good for wiping down certain steam items, they're not thrown away until they become so oil soaked that they put more oil down than they pick up. I use the blue shop towels, I pick them up at Walmart 3 pack for like $3 and they seem pretty durable.