I've been using these things for several years and I buy a new one about every year or so. The Absorber is PVA, so it needs to stay a little wet because it gets very stiff when dry. Once you get used to it and how it works, it's great. There are a lot of PVA drying towels out there that are cheaper, but believe me, this one is superior in thickness and quality. I bought a cheap, generic one at Wal-Mart and it started tearing apart within a couple days.