I used to clean everything with paper towels. Windows, mirrors, glasses, the TV. Then I could not figure out why my mirrors always looked slightly foggy and my glasses always had smears, no matter how much I wiped.

Turns out the paper towel was the problem. Some surfaces just fight back against paper. Here are the five where you are better off reaching for something else.

1. Glasses and sunglasses

Paper towels are made from wood fibers, and those fibers are abrasive at a microscopic level. Over time they put tiny scratches in your lenses and wear down the anti-glare coating. Use a microfiber cloth or a dedicated lens wipe instead.

2. Mirrors and windows

Paper towels leave lint behind. That faint haze you see after wiping a mirror is mostly tiny paper fibers plus whatever residue the towel pushed around. A microfiber cloth with a little water or a proper glass cleaner leaves glass actually clear.

3. Screens

TVs, laptops, phones, tablets. All of them have coatings that paper towels can scratch. The fix is the same: a soft microfiber cloth, dry or barely damp. Nothing else.

4. Wood furniture

Paper towels shed fibers into the grain of wood, and the rough texture can dull a polished finish. A soft cotton cloth or a microfiber cloth works better and does not leave little white flecks behind.

5. Car paint

This one surprised me when I learned it. Wiping a dusty car with a paper towel is basically like wiping it with fine sandpaper. It leaves swirl marks in the clear coat that show up in sunlight. Use a proper wash mitt or a soft microfiber towel.

The one exception

For raw messes, like a raw chicken spill or something you want to throw away immediately, paper towels are still the right call. The point is not to ban them. It is to stop using them on surfaces that need a soft touch.