hankie versus tissue

Cloth, for all the wonderful reasons already given.

Another cloth hankie fan. Especially when I need to blow my nose alot, I find that cloth doesn't irritate the skin on my nose like paper tissue does. I have plenty of cotton and flannel hankies around the house, but keep a box of paper tissue on hand for guests.

Make that one more vote for hankies! Or hankerhoffs as a friend of mine calls them. I have several and change them out, well, when ever I think of it as I don't have to use them a lot. Besides they dry and it's just my own germs so it stays in the family so to speak.

It really depends for me. I use bandanas to cover my face or head, wipe sweat, tears, ect but I don't usually blow my nose on em and I keep the ones used on my nose separate from those I wipe my face with. It's not a sanitation thing that keeps me from straight up blowing my nose on hankies, it just grosses me out a little too much. The one exception is when I'm going to be outdoors long enough that tissue won't cut it. This is rare though, If I'm outside that long it's usually warm and I don't get colds in warm weather often (nor do I go out hiking, ect when I'm sick).

As far as the sanitation issue goes; if you are sick, neither a tissue nor a hankie is particularly sanitary. No matter which way you look at it you are still holding something in your hand and blowing mucus into it. When you're sick you're suppose to wash your hands often, no matter what you're blowing your nose with. The issue is less tissue v.s. hankie and more about whether or not you're washing your hands often enough. If you have anything worse than a cold you probably shouldn't be around people anyway (but let's face it, it's gonna happen). I'm a super stickler for sanitation but this issue doesn't particularly bother me.

I am ever so glad the hankie people spoke up and defended the cause. Have you ever noticed that when you have a massive cold and use a tissue the fluid soaks right through and gets germs all over your hands anyway? Then it gets wadded up and stuck into a pocket anyway OR thrown on the floor because there isn't always a garbage can around. Yuck. When I worked in a retail pharmacy I had to pick up other people's snotty tissues off the floor all the time even though we had garbage cans all over. GRRRRRR. But I never had to pick up a hankie. Not once!

pick it and flick it.

as an aside, i rarely get sick and can't remember the last time I had to blow my nose constantly because of a mucus issue. mine are usually dry.

I make my own hankies. I use two pieces of flannel cloth. I used to be a tissue user, the kind with the aloe. Not a big fan of the big red nose. So anyway, the flannels are in two contrasting colors. They are thick and soft. I use one side for blowing into and the other for my hands. My thought with hankies is it is not so much my personal health but the health of those around me. I don't want to spread my germs to others. So frequent handwashing when I am sick is par for the course. My husband is a public school teacher and brings home plenty of colds and stuff. I have yet to soak one of these hankies, they are softer than just a bandana. I made a dozen and carry a couple with me in my handbag when I have a cold so I can trade out an overly abused one. They always go into the laundry at the end of the day.

Laughing at the phrase 'snot rocket'. Here (Australia) we refer to using the 'bush hanky'. All very well when in the bush or whatever, really horrid to witness on the street in town!!!