Let’s talk about hankies

Ronni

Ronni

Well-known Member
Location
Nashville TN
Hankies. Handkerchiefs. Those little white squares that I grew up with, sometimes with embroidery on them (my Dad’s were always monogrammed) that my Mum would tuck up into my sleeve, tuck in the waistband of my pants, make sure I always had in my uniform pocket when I left for school. I spurned them as a young adult because, y'know, I was growed! 😉 And they were a childhood thing. But I re-discovered their value when I became a Mom myself.

I have carried a hankie in my purse for as long as I can remember, more durable than a piece of paper towel or a tissue, and so handy. Sure, you can blow a runny nose with one, but I've also used my trusty hankie as a tourniquet, a dip-stick wiper, a windshield de-fogger, a binding for a wound, a grandkid face wiper, and a sun shield on a naked neck...to name just a few things. Very versatile and reusable too after a quick run through the wash.

I estimate I have the hankies I currently cycle through for...oh....15 years now? One's getting a bit thin, guess I should add more to my wishlist. Do they still even make them????
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Since I have sinus issues, I thought I’d try hankies again. No way. I’d need too many every day. As much as I’m for avoiding single use products, it’s kleenex for me. More sanitary too.
 
Jules said:
Since I have sinus issues, I thought I’d try hankies again. No way. I’d need too many every day. As much as I’m for avoiding single use products, it’s kleenex for me. More sanitary too.
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Yep! I’ve got sinus issues also and there is ‘no way’ I am blowing my nose only to roll that ‘stuff’ up and still it in my sleeve so while they look fabulous clean and unused, I can’t say the same for afterwards and for THAT reason, I’m out. It’s fresh tissues all the way.
 
Ronni. By far the nicest hankies I have ever seen! Just LOVE the embroidery!

Yes, I remember hankies well, my grandfathers used one, my mom tucked one in the pocket of my dads work pants every Monday morning to start his work week off on the right foot, and my mom carried around a hankie in her purse for years when my siblings were babies.

The hankies I remember weren't fancy, no embroidery, monogram lettering, etc, just good old-fashioned utilitarian hankies made to last for years, and the ones I remember were always white or cream-coloured.

I remember it like yesterday... men in the 60's driving down in their old pickup trucks, taking their hankie out of their pants pocket, giving their forehead a wipe, their nose a good blow, folding the hankie back up again and shoving it in their pocket and carrying on without missing a beat.

When my grandpa cut wood, he's take a breather, have a cup of water, pull his hankie out, wipe his face and neck with it, and carry on.
 
If I leave the house I take a tissue, but at home I use hankies. Most of mine are cut up old t-shirts (got idea from watching youtube), but I have one set of real ones I bought off Amazon. I think they are bamboo, but they are a nice tissue size, white, and have a little lace on the corner. Unfortunately they wrinkle and I am not into ironing anymore, but other than that I love them, I have saved a lot of money not having to buy so much kleenex.
 
Check out these novelty hankies form the 1950's.

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HoneyNut said:
If I leave the house I take a tissue, but at home I use hankies. Most of mine are cut up old t-shirts (got idea from watching youtube), but I have one set of real ones I bought off Amazon. I think they are bamboo, but they are a nice tissue size, white, and have a little lace on the corner. Unfortunately they wrinkle and I am not into ironing anymore, but other than that I love them, I have saved a lot of money not having to buy so much kleenex.
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I don’t iron either. But fresh from the washer I spray them lightly with light starch and smooth them out really well. With some I pop them in the dryer just till it warms up, then smooth them out to get the wrinkles out. Then I fold them and smooth the folds really well and let them dry that way.
 
Ronni, you just brought back a memory of my mum and nan spitting on one of them to clean the faces of my sister and me lol.:D
I don't carry them, I only use Tissues due to seasonal sinus allergies.
I do however embroider them for relatives and friends that still use them.
 
HoneyNut said:
If I leave the house I take a tissue, but at home I use hankies. Most of mine are cut up old t-shirts (got idea from watching youtube), but I have one set of real ones I bought off Amazon. I think they are bamboo, but they are a nice tissue size, white, and have a little lace on the corner. Unfortunately they wrinkle and I am not into ironing anymore, but other than that I love them, I have saved a lot of money not having to buy so much kleenex.
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Bamboo is awesome material. It has an added bonus of being odour resistant. It’s more sanitary than cotton or most other fabrics. I love bamboo fabric and wish I loved hankies too but I don’t.
 
Keesha said: Yep! I’ve got sinus issues also and there is ‘no way’ I am blowing my nose only to roll that ‘stuff’ up and still it in my sleeve so while they look fabulous clean and unused, I can’t say the same for afterwards and for THAT reason, I’m out. It’s fresh tissues all the way.


Exactly, in my view it’s akin to carrying a piece of used toilet paper around with you !
I always have a small pack of tissues in my bag
 
Ronni said:
Hankies. Handkerchiefs. Those little white squares that I grew up with. I have carried a hankie in my purse for as long as I can remember, more durable than a piece of paper towel or a tissue, and so handy. Sure, you can blow a runny nose with one, but I've also used my trusty hankie as a tourniquet, a dip-stick wiper, a windshield de-fogger, a binding for a wound, a grandkid face wiper, and a sun shield on a naked neck...to name just a few things. Very versatile and reusable too after a quick run through the wash.
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Ronni, what a plethora of uses for the little square of material. There is, however, one use that I must add. Did you see SetWaves wonderful post?
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There was a time when that actually happened. (Don't you just love their attire?) But not only is the lady using her hanky to great effect, I like to think that the term, "hanky panky," originated from this little soap opera, look at the fellow's breast pocket. Nowadays we call them pocket squares. For hanky use a discrete pack of disposable tissues, for the knight in shining armour, the pocket square comes into it's own if it's to offer his damsel when the film at the movies is a weepie.
 
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