Why is Paper Towels important for emergency preparedness?

Sanitation when running water is unavailable for cleaning

How should I store Paper Towels in my emergency kit?

Keep at least one full roll vacuum-sealed inside the kit to prevent moisture damage

Which organizations recommend Paper Towels?

Paper Towels is recommended by CDC, USA.gov, Germany, Sweden as part of a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan.

How much does Paper Towels cost?

Paper Towels typically costs between $5-50 depending on quality and quantity. It's a cost-effective investment in emergency preparedness.

Paper Towels

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Why this item matters

Recommended by

CDC, USA.gov, Germany, Sweden

Key reasons

Sanitation when running water is unavailable for cleaning
Drying hands and dishes without spreading bacteria
Wiping cooking surfaces before preparing emergency meals
Absorbing spills that could attract pests in a sheltered space

Where to buy

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Other items in Food and drink

Related essentials

About this item

Paper Towels in your emergency kit

Paper towels are an underrated emergency-kit staple: they handle spills, clean cooking surfaces, dry hands when running water is out, and double as fire-starter tinder for a camp stove. They take up little space and are useful long after the disaster passes. Paper Towels appears on the recommended-supplies lists published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.gov, Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection, Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency. It is rated Medium urgency in our checklist, meaning households in high-risk regions should treat it as a baseline item rather than a "nice to have".

Why you need it

Sanitation when running water is unavailable for cleaning
Drying hands and dishes without spreading bacteria
Wiping cooking surfaces before preparing emergency meals
Absorbing spills that could attract pests in a sheltered space
Improvised tinder for hand-crank or gas camp stoves

Storage and rotation tips

Keep at least one full roll vacuum-sealed inside the kit to prevent moisture damage
Choose a heavy-duty 2-ply brand that does not disintegrate when wet
Store in a sealed plastic bag so they stay sanitary in storage
Rotate every 2-3 years even though they do not technically expire

How it fits the 72-hour baseline

The EmergencyKit.app checklist follows CDC and American Red Cross guidance to cover the first 72 hours after a major disaster, the period during which public services such as power, water, and emergency response are most likely to be disrupted. Paper Towels sits in the Food and drink category and should be packed in your stay-at-home kit at minimum, with a smaller portable version in your evacuation go-bag. Review your stock at least once a year, and replace anything past its use-by date.

About the EmergencyKit.app checklist

How we built it

EmergencyKit.app combines the official emergency-kit recommendations published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Red Cross, USA.gov's Ready.gov campaign, and the German Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK) and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Each item on the checklist is tagged with the organisations that recommend it so you can see at a glance how well-supported it is.

The 20% body-weight rule

A go-bag should weigh no more than roughly 20% of the carrier's body weight. Above that threshold, evacuating on foot becomes painful, slow, and risky for older or smaller adults and for children. The weight checker on the homepage estimates your kit's total weight from the items you select and warns you when you cross the limit, so you can swap heavier items for lighter alternatives before you actually need to leave.

Three days, then more

The baseline kit covers a 72-hour window because that is how long it typically takes public services to restore basic supplies after a major disaster. Households in high-risk regions for hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes should plan for at least two weeks of food, water, and prescription medication on top of the baseline kit.