Flour sacking towels are truly indispensable. I like these from Williams-Sonoma which I doubt are cut from actual flour sacks any more, but are made of a very absorbent unbleached organic cotton that is lint-free. They have an almost gauzy quality that I love and makes them very handy for myriad household tasks. I'm sure our great-grandmothers were doing all sorts of things with kitchen towels like these: drying dishes, polishing glassware, straining foods and covering rising dough. I also love to tie one around my waist as a makeshift apron. When they get a little dingy, torn up or stained, I transfer them to the "rag basket" under the sink and use them to mop up spills, for dusting and general cleaning. I use fewer paper towels this way, and find that these simple towels are super functional and incredibly handy. Get you some.