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The humble handkerchief

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  1. Anonymous



    Posts: 74

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    Thank goodness the hanky is history.

    My granny was passionate about always having a clean hanky folded neatly in her apron pocket so she could wipe her nose or hands.

    Paper tissues were not her cup of tea and she insisted on the strength of a good quality hanky.
    Because I lived with my granny on occasions as a child, come washing day I was put in charge of preparing hankies for the wash.

    This was a complex procedure involving a bucket, heaps of salt, and cold water.

    I was instructed to clean each hanky carefully to remove the slimy congestion. Usually at this time I would stifle the urge to retch.

    However, due to consistent hanky duty over time I developed a strong stomach...I did my granny proud on hanky duty!

    Now as I remember this I am so glad the hanky and me don't get to meet this way again.

    Tissues are simply the best

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. Anonymous



    Posts: 36

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    Ebony, have I missed something in the world of political correctness? Has the hanky been banished?

    Sorry to tell you I'm a hanky man (no panky, just hanky).

    In these days of washing machines is it necessary to disinfect hankies in salt before laundry? Surely not.

    Tissues waste paper and can't be recycled as far as I know. You're killing part of a tree every time you blow your nose!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. Anonymous



    Posts: 74

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    Some people especially elderly (I think) still use them. Women who are conscious of etiquette traditions and awareness....baby boomer vintage and earlier, have hanky habits embedded in social graces historically.

    The salt was the only way to lose the slippery slimy snot effect...excuse me while I heave..!

    I love trees too, old habits die hard for some....not me, I am a tissue junkie I'm afraid.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. Anonymous



    Posts: 38

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    A clean rag is an acceptable substitute. Heave **** into the bin when full.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. Anonymous



    Posts: 8

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    I'm a teenager and I use a hanky lol (despite getting paid-out a lot by my ex-girlfriend).
    I don't like the amount of waste tissues produce, and I find their weakness intolerable (maybe I'm too agressive with my nose blowing lol but they often disintegrate on me which is quite gross).
    Also, you can't carry tissues around in your pocket like you can carry a hanky around, they get all torn and screwed up, dirty and horrible. Plus, even if you carry around a few tissues, if you use one and then find you don't have a bin, what are you going to do? Stick a little dirty, snotty, disintegrated, flimsy little tissue back in your pocket??

    Keep in mind who all this is coming from though: I'm in Melb at the moment and I'm currently enjoying my share of the swine flu. To be economical with blowing my nose, so far I think I've used... Hand-drying paper from a public toilet; a random page torn out of a magazine found on a train (didn't work so well lol, glossy pages); plenty of random place's toilet paper of course; a brown paper bag (like for bakery foods); a torn out piece of newspaper (don't do this, the ink runs on your face..); umm a paper napkin stolen from an outside food stall; a brochure for a restaurant handed out at Flinder's St.; and the time my sister just loved was when I took some toilet paper from a V/line train onboard toilet, and shoved it in my pocket for safe keeping down the track.
    Yeah, so maybe I'm not the best person to talk to about blowing noses hygenically lol.

    Anyway hankies all the way for me! (a young person!)

    Posted 1 year ago #

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