Handkerchief versus Tissue debate:
A handkerchief is a multi-purpose reusable item usually made from cotton, linen or silk. It is used for wiping your face or hands, to dab your brow, tidy your hair and 97+ other jobs. A tissue is a single use, disposable paper product initially designed to wipe cold cream off your face in the 1930's before Kleenex saw an opening to use these for blowing your nose.
For people with allergies and a constant 'drip', they can find handkerchiefs kinder to the nose, easier to carry around and much softer on their skin. Even the fluff that erupts from a tissue box when you pull a tissue out can irritate their senses.
Modern tissues are often layered with extra additives to strengthen the paper, glue it together (2-3 ply) and add a conditioning like film to them. There is no tissue box that states which chemicals they have used to do this so if you are sensitive then be aware it is a great unknown.
Be aware of 'recycled tissues' as these are often heavily bleached to uniform the colour. The recycled paper source can come from 'all' paper including office copier ink, magazines and BPA til receipts.
Handkerchiefs reduce waste but do require washing. One argument is that they use a lot of water to wash. We counter that by highlighting that their size is so compact that you could pop a few into any wash without them taking up any extra space. And guess which one I'm much happier to find when left in a pocket I forgot to check!
Step one: Consider carrying a HANKerchief to use as an everyday cloth. To wipe your brow, to dry your hands, as a emergency napkin or sun shade. There are so many uses and blowing your nose is only one. If you could use less tissues for all the other silly jobs and keep them to only blowing your nose when you have a nasty cold (if you must) you can save so many tissues from landfill, and all the packaging from the bin.
Since COVID, anyone feeling unwell has been strongly encouraged to stay at home from work and school. No longer do we hear 'toughen up' and turn up. No one wants your bugs. Many jobs now have an element of working from home that is easier than ever before. If I am home and unwell, I want a lovely soft HANKy beside me and not use a full box of tissues in a day.
When out and about it is common for the nose to drip and eyes to water. Anyone with hayfever or allergies lives with this daily and find tissues and their unknown ingredients list can cause their nose to feel red and sore.
I can't pass my hayfever on to you. You can't catch it. My HANKy catches my drips and isn't contagious, but a far softer, low tox and low waste switch.
