Paper towels are pretty humdrum products — except when you need one in a hurry. If you’re cleaning up a spill, you’ll want one with good absorbency. If you need it to wash windows or clean the range ...

When it comes to kitchen spills, paper towels and rags do the job. But using a hydrogel—a gelatin-like material in the form of a dry sheet—researchers have crafted a better picker-upper that absorbs ...