Sure, I've done that plenty of times, like when I was 16 years old and didn't have 2 nickels to rub together. OK, that's a really old statement I used there, I'm not that old! But it just seemed to fit this topic. If you have nothing else to use, a normal towel is fine, but use at your own peril. Just make sure the tag is cut off so it won't scratch the car paint. And expect to use several towels, they may get dirty from area's on the lower body of your car or the ground, so you may get yelled at by you know who. Also, most towels will leave lint behind. So if you have a dark car, pick dark towels, and vice versa.