Mastitis educators have long advocated the use of single-service towels to clean and dry the udder of dairy cows to stop the spread of disease.
Paper towels work well since they can be discarded after each use.
However, as herds become larger, paper towels increase costs. And disposal of damp towels is more difficult. A herd of 1000 cows milked, three times per day, must dispose of 3,000 towels. As a result, some dairies have turned to cloth towels, used once and washed between milkings. Research at Washington State University compared the costs of using paper towels or cloth towels.