Scientists have finally solved one of modern life’s most pressing riddles - how to dry your hands in the most effective way in public toilets.
And it seems paper towels wipe the floor with air dryers and textile rollers, according to the study by microbiologists from the University of Westminster.
The revelation is good news for the European Tissue Symposium (ETS), an industry body which represents most of Europe's tissue paper producers - and paid for the research.
The researchers put all the methods through their paces - including both warm air and jet air dryers - with tests involving lemon and yeast.
They concluded jet air dryers caused the greatest spread of microbes, on one measure firing 59.5 yeast colonies into the air compared with just 2.2 for paper towels.
Leading researcher Keith Redway said: "These findings clearly indicate that single-use towels spread the fewest microbes of all hand-drying methods.
"Cross contamination in public washrooms is a legitimate public health concern.
"The extent to which jet air dryers disperse microbes into the washroom environment is likely to have implications for policy guidance to facilities managers operating in a wide range of environments from sports venues and airports through to schools and hospitals."
