I don’t think your machine would have affected the back. If it was a problem I think it would pull bits up to the top. Some machines don’t like certain sticky stabilisers. I had some I had to get rid of as it just wouldn’t play nicely on mine. But worked a treat on the big Brother semi industrial.
I don’t like hooping towels myself so would be using something like Florian’s wet n stick. I find it works beautifully on my machine. It’s easy to stick and unstick after I finish.
https://rnk-floriani.com/floriani-stabilizing-solutions-towels-robes.phpI don’t think there’s a problem using tear away. But tear away comes in different weights as do all stabilisers. So you match the weight to the density of the design. If you’re doing a large design with lots of stitches then a light tear away won’t work. I’m also fussy about what tear away I use. If you hold some cheap stuff up to the light you will find there are gaps in the stabiliser. So some areas of your embroidery won’t be stabilised as well as some others.
The wash away on top doesn’t have to be thick. Reserve your best stuff for underneath designs.
Yes you can clip the thread ends BUT be careful how close you get to the fabric. You could cut the tie off stitch which could result in the embroidery coming undone.
The short answer to what are you meant to use is that there is no one right answer. Just as with any sewing. There are a few alternatives. As long as you know the ins and outs of using each type of stabiliser etc, then you can sample and decide what works for you. I always disagreed with my college tutor over bound buttholes. I couldn’t get a decent one with her method. And she couldn’t get a good result the way I do mine.
Short