Paper Towel Product Evaluation Over the years, numerous industries have expanded with many versions of the same product. This has left consumers with a tough decision on which products will offer them the best results. Paper towels are a perfect example of a product that has many different features that may make it better or worse than the brand next to it. With so many brands of varying price and quality to choose from, how are we to know which paper towel offered is the best value? This will be an evaluation on different brands of paper towels that are sold in stores throughout the world. Just because a certain brand of a product may cost more than a competing brand, it does not mean that it will give you better results than the other brands or that it will be the best at what you need it for. Paper towels were evaluated on cost, absorbency, and scrub strength (Cary I. Sneider and Jacqueline Barber). Cost was calculated by cost per square foot, absorbency by 11x12 inch section that was dipped into water then squeezed into a measuring cup, and scrub strength was measured by how many times it could be rubbed over tile when wet(“Paper Towels That Clean Up.”). Brands to be discussed are Bounty, Viva, and Scott. To begin with Viva, “the answer to life’s little messes”, (“Paper Towels That Clean Up.”) faired a bit on the pricy side at $.052 per square foot and $2.89 per roll. This brand also had the least amount of square feet per roll with 55.6ft. Not all bad comes from the Viva brand, though. It came in second place in the absorbency round with retaining 42 ml of water. In the scrub test, this brand also placed second with being able to scrub an area 77 times before becoming unusable. Next, we moved on to Bounty, "the quicker picker-upper",(“Paper Towels That Clean Up.”) which comes in second place overall of the three evaluated brands. Bounty costs slightly less than the previous mentioned Viva both by square foot per roll and overall cost of a single roll. Each square foot cost $.046 and with a roll costing $2.69(Lenzo). The price difference between Viva and Bounty in price per square foot can partially be accredited to having three more feet per paper towel roll. Along with being in second place with pricing, Bounty also placed second in water retained, with 65 ml which is significantly higher than Viva. Bounty, unfortunately, had the least amount of scrub strength with just 67 scrubs. Last but not least, the Scott brand finished number one overall in the paper towel testing. Not only was Scott significantly cheaper than the two previous brands, it also more than doubles the scrub strength of either other brand. Scott has just 1.8ft less than Bounty but costs $.90 less at $1.79 per roll (Lenzo). This significant drop in price may be what affected the quality of the brand with absorbency. Scott was approximately 50% less absorbent than the other competitors, with only retaining 25 ml of water. On the other hand, even with the drop in overall price, Scott still outweighed the competition with 160 scrubs. Overall, the best quality products may not be the most expensive, name-brand, or popular because, when buying a product, it comes down to how you will be using that product. When looking at paper towels and considering your need for the most absorbency, your best bet is to go with Bounty because of the best results. On the other hand, if you will be using the paper towel more like a sponge to scrub an item, you may feel better with the Scott brand. The price of a product can be persuading but may not perform to your expectations or visa versa. Researching a product may be more value to a consumer in order to make sure they get exactly what they need and want.

Works Cited

Cary I. Sneider and Jacqueline Barber. ”Paper Towel Testing.” LHS. GEMS.20 December 2011. Web. 5 June 2012. “Paper Towels That Clean Up.” Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports. 2009. Web. 5 June 2011.
Penzo, Len. "The Great Paper Towel Test: What Brand Is Your Best Value?" Len Pezo Dot Com. Len Pezo Dot Com, n.d. Web. 5 Jun 2012.

1. Have I included a clear description of the subject I am evaluating? yes
2. Does my thesis clearly state my opinion of the subject I am evaluating?yes
3. Have I used effective criteria to evaluate my subject? yes
4. Have I made a clear and fair judgment about each evaluative criterion? Yes, didn’t need to really judge
5. Have I supported each judgment with specific details and examples? yes
6. Have I ended with an effective conclusion? yes
7. Have I proofread thoroughly? yes

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http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/home-garden/paper-towels/overview/paper-towels-ov.htm http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1122-the-great-paper-towel-test-what-brand-is-your-best-value.html http://www.tappi.org/paperu/fun_science/teststrength.htm
http://lhsgems.org/GEM230.html