Killing the trees and spreading the germs

I have a question: Why are paper towels so big today? The individual towel is 11 x 14 inches. I remember the ad campaigns, more is better and all that, but honestly, who needs that much? I don't. If I have a spill in the kitchen, or I'm just wiping down the counters, I tear it in half before using it because I hate to waste. Sometimes, like just now, I'll use the whole thing to wipe the counter and then fold it over and save it to wipe the counter again later. Because there's a lot of paper towel left.

My temporary parting gift from those gorgeous girls I was visiting in Vermont is a nasty, snotty cold. So I'm sure that my hands have germs on them, and keeping folded half-used paper towels around in the name of saving the environment may not be the smartest thing to do. In fact, one of my friends who is particuarly germaphobic would have a meltdown over this. She lived with me for a while and I'm serious when I tell you that she used to follow me through the house with a can of Lysol in her hands if I so much as sneezed. So, I'm thinking that if the paper towel companies would just go back to regular sized paper towels, they would not only be saving the environment but also stop the spreading of germs in this household. More is not better.