Zero waste lifestyle: Bring back the handkerchief!

Melanie
Apr 16, 2019
6 min read

Updated: Apr 30, 2019

zero was lifestyle

Why we should bring back the handkerchief and how to make your very own

When I was growing up, I never took any interest in handkerchiefs. I always thought they fell into 2 categories:

The first kind were what the older generation used to carry - delicate white embroidered pieces of cloth that would be used for blowing your nose or to catch a sneeze.

The second kind were pocket squares which men in suits would wear.

Japan's embrace of the handkerchief

So naturally I grew up without really giving a second thought to handkerchiefs. That was until I went to China to study for a few months. I had a few Japanese classmates and one thing I noticed was that they all seemed to carry around handkerchiefs (both men and women alike). I was a bit surprised the first time I saw this, as I haven’t seen a handkerchief being used for a long time.

My classmates said that in school it was compulsory to bring them in. The kids would have to report whether they did or did not have their handkerchief with them that day. As a result, carrying a handkerchief around with them became a habit. I was also told that at school and in public bathrooms, they did not have paper or electronic dryers so dry their hands so carrying around handkerchiefs over there was out of necessity. My classmates also used handkerchiefs for freshening their face in the heat (when I was in China, the temperature would reach over 30 degrees!) as well as in emergencies when liquids have been spilled on the table or their clothes. However the one thing they did not use the handkerchief for was to blow their nose! So actually, handkerchiefs can have many uses, not just my original belief that it was for blowing your nose or for fashion.

Are handkerchiefs hygienic?

I always used to relate handkerchiefs to blowing my nose. After blowing my nose the last thing I wanted to do was then put the handkerchief back into my pocket and carry it around with me for the rest of the day. As described above, handkerchiefs have many other uses, it is worth owning one even if you don’t fancy blowing your nose into it.

However, are using handkerchiefs to blow your nose as unhygienic as we believe? After all, it was only in the last few decades when we started to replace them with disposable tissue. Is using tissue paper actually more hygienic than using handkerchiefs?

Whether we use tissue or handkerchiefs to blow our nose , we will always blow out viruses. What determines whether this process is hygienic depends on how we dispose of the viruses, not whether we are using tissues or handkerchiefs.

Tissues are considered to be more hygienic because once we blow our noses, we can discard the contaminated tissue, wash our hands and thus reduce the risk of passing the germs to other people.

However when people think of handkerchiefs, they imagine people touching the used parts of it, putting it back into their pocket and thus spreading the germs around. However, if you wash your hands straight after using it and store it in a separate wash bag or fold inwards before putting it back into your pocket, the germs can be contained in the same way as the tissue. So, the most important thing is not whether you use a hanky or tissues. It’s all about using good, hygienic habits to minimise the spread of germs.

Are handkerchiefs more eco-friendly than disposable tissue?

So how do disposable tissues stack up against handkerchiefs when looked at from a environmental perspective ? Are tissues really worse for the environment even though they are made from renewable resources?

There are 2 papers - 1995 Duke University research on paper and 2006 Cambridge University research into textiles which tried to tackle this question.They looked at the impact of using tissue versus the handkerchief across 3 different areas - water footprint, energy, and waste. In every category they concluded that the hanky was easily the more sustainable option.

Water footprint: While both paper and cotton production are known for their high water use, the cotton hanky uses four and half times less water than a virgin tissue because the hanky will be used at least 520 times.
Energy: It takes three times more energy to grow trees and produce pulp to manufacture a virgin fibre tissue compared to a producing a cotton hanky including washing and drying. Since laundering is the main source of energy use, just switching from tumble drying to line drying will reduce energy use even further.
Waste: Not surprisingly tissues do create a fair amount of waste. Unlike office paper, once a tissue has been used it can't be recycled, so it ends up in landfill. Manufacturers are reluctant to sell tissues made from recycled paper because they say they can't make them soft enough.

To read more information please visit https://www.greenlifestylemag.com.au/features/1046/tissues-vs-handkerchiefs

Why I use handkerchiefs

These are the reasons why I have made the switch from disposable tissue to handkerchiefs.

Handkerchiefs are more robust than tissues, they don’t rip. This is useful for things like wiping spills or wiping your face and hands.
Handkerchiefs are reusable, tissues are single use. This means handkerchiefs require less resources to use and make thus have a lower environmental footprint. The majority of tissue is not recyclable as recycled tissue is hard and harsh to the skin.
Handkerchiefs are cheaper. Although there is an up-front cost to handkerchiefs, in the long run they will be cheaper than buying an infinite amount of tissues.
Hankies are more fun to use. I can get them in different colours and prints thus brightening up my day – it’s the small things!
When used properly, handkerchiefs can be just as hygienic as tissue.
Handkerchiefs are soft and gentler to your skin. If you have ever had a cold or flu, many of you will have experienced having a raw, red nose as a result of blowing your nose into tissue too much.

Some advice

Here is some advice for those wishing to make the switch to using handkerchiefs.

How to wash your handkerchiefs?

Washing your handkerchiefs is relatively easy, however special care needs to be taken for removing stains or bacteria (if used for blowing your nose).

Spray remover on the handkerchief as soon as possible after the stain occurs to help prevent the stain becoming permanent. Some natural stain removers include vinegar, lemon and borax.

By washing machine

Place the handkerchiefs into the washing machine and choose a delicate cycle. Use hot water (hot wash cycle) to help sterilise the fabric. You can also put them into boiling hot water for 15 minutes, rinse them with cold water and then add them to your regular laundry.
Either air dry or tumble-dry the fabric handkerchiefs. To help reduce wrinkles, you can remove the items from the drier whilst they are still slightly damp. removing the items from the drier while still slightly damp to help release the wrinkles.

By hand

Fill the sink basin with hot water and a tablespoon of laundry detergent.
Place the handkerchiefs in the water making sure that they are completely submerged.
After hand washing the handkerchiefs, leave them inside the water for about30 minutes.
Rinse the handkerchiefs with cool water until all the detergent is removed.
Hang the handkerchiefs up to dry.

How to carry around handkerchiefs?

I find carrying 5-7 handkerchiefs is more than enough for me. They will not take up any more space than regular disposable tissue.

I store them in a small makeup bag with 2 compartments – one for new and one for used hankies. Once I get home I just toss the used ones straight into the laundry basket.

Where can I obtain handkerchiefs?

You can firstly ask around or buy online. But they are also quite easy to make and a great way to up-cycle old material such as old pillow cases, clothes, bed sheets etc. You can also buy remnants from your local fabric shop to transform into handkerchiefs (organic cotton preferable).

Below is a guide on making simple handkerchiefs.

DIY Handkerchiefs

As you will see from the pictures, I am not the best sewer! However I do enjoy it and find it is thereputic something to take my mind off the stresses of the day.

Step 1:

You will need

a piece of fabric – the size depends on you. I find that 1 fat quarter can produce 4 standard sized handkerchiefs. Choose a soft fabric e.g. organic cotton. You can also use old pillow cases, clothes, whatever you can find!
straight pins or safety pins
a needle
thread
pair of scissors

Step 2:

Cut the fabric to your chosen size. I find that one fat quarter can easily produce 4 handkerchiefs. However it is up to you, some people people prefer larger handkerchiefs, others prefer smaller ones. In the next step, we will fold the sides by 2cm on each sides, so make sure to cut the fabric 4cm wider than your target size.

Step 3:

Fold the edges twice (by roughly 2cm each time) and insert pins down the middle. This will ensure that the ends of the fabric doesn't fray. To create a sharp edge, professional sewists choose to iron the fold however can choose to skip thi.

Step 4:

Sew along the top and bottom of the fold with a simple running stitch, then remove the pins from the middle. Repeat for all 4 sides.

If you're not into sewing, you can leave the edges of the fabric as they are. They will fray in the wash but will still do their job and still be cheaper than buying the handkerchiefs from the shop.

What you think of handkerchiefs? Have you ever used them? Would you consider using them?