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Are cloth hankies better than paper tissues?

 
Jay Angler
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I switched some time ago to using cloth hankies for everyday use. I use upcycled flannel from old sheets and make them on the smaller size so that they fit in my small pockets, and so I can toss them in the wash regularly.

I admit, I haven't caught the Martian Death Flu (substitute whatever the current concern is).  If I did, I would be willing to use tissues, put them in a paper bag, and burn them in our wood-stove. So realize that I am asking the question regarding the everyday sniffles, often from pollen outbreaks, where it seems to me that the comfort of flannel is so much nicer on my nose, the flannel doesn't fall apart from repeatedly being jammed in my pants pocket along with keys and pocket knife, and that doesn't fall apart in the wash when I forget to check that one... last... pocket...

If you do want to sew your own, this thread is for you: https://permies.com/t/177617/Making-Hankies
It has lots of great info and may try to influence your feelings on the subject.

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Judith Browning
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well, 'it depends' 🤔

I use them almost exclusively, big muslin squares, unhemmed...washed frequently.
That's because I have an almost constant runny nose all winter and it is clear and easy to wash out and sterilize in the sun.

BUT, if I have a cold and other colors and textures are expelled😱 I definitely go for paper tissues...we just use our one ply toilet paper...pretty cheap and easy to dispose of (in the compost) after each blow.

I grew up with hankies...flowers and butterflies...I think I still have some tucked away somewhere?

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
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Carla Burke
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I use cloth, exclusively. Mostly made by me & flannel. I have allergies, and respiratory issues that leave my poor nose painful and looking red, swollen, and irritated, if I use paper. If things get to the 'hazmat' stage, I'll either give them a soak in peroxide or boil them, before washing.

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John C Daley
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I use cloth hankies all the time.
I am annoyed when I see people using the others because I just see trees being cut down for single use items.

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Tereza Okava
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i also use cloth exclusively. when I have had illness that I'm worried about sharing, I keep my hankies/towel/toothbrush somewhere apart (usually in my office) and go in there to blow my nose and wash my hands after.
For normal sniffles or whatever I have cotton hankerchiefs (bandannas, although it's gotten much harder to find real cotton-- I've recently bought ones that say 100% cotton on them but are definitely part poly). If I have something that involves nose blowing, I use soft washcloths (like for babies). I have a few cotton and a few microfiber, and when they get nasty they go in a bucket with vinegar and water.
I don't feel bad about using toilet paper if need be, but I really prefer to use cloth for this purpose.
 
David Wieland
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Carla Burke wrote:I use cloth, exclusively. Mostly made by me & flannel. I have allergies, and respiratory issues that leave my poor nose painful and looking red, swollen, and irritated, if I use paper. If things get to the 'hazmat' stage, I'll either give them a soak in peroxide or boil them, before washing.


I had childhood allergies that resulted in some asthma and frequent nasal "discharge", the latter being lifelong. I remember going to first grade with a pocket full of folded paper tissues that were all used by the end of the day. For the next few years, my mother sent me to school with a couple of cloth handkerchiefs. They were certainly more durable, even when well-used, but they didn't irritate my nose any less. I haven't used them since and find that two-ply tissues aren't irritating but are very compostable. Switching from carrying them in a jeans pocket to a shirt pocket helps them last longer and even dry a bit between uses sometimes.
 
Inge Leonora-den Ouden
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I prefer cloth hankies. I got some 'real' cotton handkerchiefs a friend 'inherited' from her uncle. I don't know why she gave them away, but anyway I am happy with them. Until then I used square 'rags' cut from old T-shirts.

If I really get the flu, then I prefer soft paper tissues for the constantly running nose. But I don't have that very often (only once in several years).

I don't know if one is better than the other. Paper tissues you throw in the bin, cloth hankies you have to wash at a not-too-low temperature.

"Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them" (Luke 6:31)

 
Cara Cee
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I love old handkerchiefs and buy them at estate sales, thrift stores and wherever I can find them. The older ones are beautiful with colorful prints and amazing embroidery. I buy the men's ones for Gary and am particularly happy when I can find them in colors, too.
I dislike the feel of paper tissues.
If I'm sick, I just soak them before washing and hang in the sun.

 
Su Ba
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I was raised using cloth hankies. Then switched to Kleenex because I hated that wet snot ladened hankie in my back pocket. It’s just a thing with me, I guess.

I now use the finger-on-the-side-of-the-nose-blow method (I’m usually not out in public, I’m on a farm by myself) then follow up with toilet paper. I fold up a few pre-made squares of toilet paper and put them in my back pocket. I’ll pull out one when I need it, then since I’m invariably working on the farm, I’ll use a square and then bury it in the soil for the worms and soil microbes to "compost" it for me. If not on the farm, I politely just use the toilet paper and replace it into the opposite back pocket for later disposal.

It's never too late to start! I retired to homestead on the slopes of Mauna Loa, an active volcano. I relate snippets of my endeavor on my blog : www.kaufarmer.blogspot.com

 
Jesse Glessner
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John C Daley wrote:I use cloth hankies all the time.
I am annoyed when I see people using the others because I just see trees being cut down for single use items.



I always carry a cloth handkerchief in a back pocket, however, I use the half-sheet paper kitchen towels. I usually wind up using at least three of those almost every morning when my sinuses drain. And I fold several of those up and stick in a jacket pocket or pants pocket when I go shopping where one gets a LOT of different smells going through different stores.

What would we ever do without the trees to make those?!

JayGee

 
Kathy Gray
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Linen hankies are the way to go, they last a lifetime. They do a muah  better job than cotton hankies.
I have some that belonged to my  husband’s great grandparents!
I also have found linen hankies at antique shops.
Love them/ my husband thinks I’m gross! Plus they don’t produce dust like paper tissues.

Katherine Gray

 
Katie See
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I definitely prefer cloth, paper sheds too much and is a waste. I use cotton bandanas when at home, and small pieces of thin flannel when out and about. I prefer thin fabric because it dries faster.
 
Ellen Lewis
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I remember how much less sore my poor nose became when I switched to cloth hankies.
Used to be, when I had kids and was worried about spreading disease, I would take them out of the wash, fold them, spray them with dilute essential oils dissolved in alcohol (cinnamon leaf and eucalyptus was my blend) and store them in a plastic bag. When I took them out to use them the dampness from the alcohol dissipated quickly and the smell of the oils was lovely as well as antiseptic.
OTOH, when my nose is a faucet and I don't have to go anywhere, I use old diapers.
 
Cara Cee
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Kathy Gray wrote:Linen hankies are the way to go, they last a lifetime. .



I sometimes find fine linen ones, mostly white ones with the impressive and beautiful embroidery, but I prefer the colorful prints that are usually on cotton. I have a favorite that's a map with sights in Florida. Lots of mine have flowers but there are abstract prints and days of the week and many others. It's too bad handkerchiefs are another nicety that has gone by the wayside in favor of the disposable and ugly.
 
Timothy Norton
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I have this mental block when it comes to utilizing cloth hankies because I worry about the cloth being a vector for passing nasties onto my hands. Maybe I am just being overly risk adverse?

I'd love to have something reusable instead of single use however. Maybe I am missing something?  

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S Tonin
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I've been using cloth hankies myself for about 20 years (I still have the original linen napkins I thrifted for the purpose--they've seen better days but they still do the job).  My Dad used cotton hankies pretty much his entire life, much to my Mom's chagrin (she absolutely hated washing them and would gag whenever she touched one).  My cousin is an RN and she gives me the side-eye when I use a hankie, but whatever, I'm less of a threat to public health than the little kids that chew on shopping cart handles or go rummaging in their diapers before touching everything.  I use tissues in public when I'm sick, anyway; hankies are generally only for my constantly drippy nose.

 
Carla Burke
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Timothy Norton wrote:I have this mental block when it comes to utilizing cloth hankies because I worry about the cloth being a vector for passing nasties onto my hands. Maybe I am just being overly risk adverse?

I'd love to have something reusable instead of single use however. Maybe I am missing something?  



Hands are even more easily washed than laundry, and if you're using paper tissues without washing your hands, you're carrying those germs around on your hands, anyway, because the moisture & germs go right through the paper.

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David Wieland
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Timothy Norton wrote:
I'd love to have something reusable instead of single use however. Maybe I am missing something?  


Is something I compost really single-use? I think it's getting well and truly recycled, with eager help from worms, insects, and microbes.
 
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