I’m a big supporter of switching to reusable products when possible and/or getting the most use out of disposable products (tin foil, if you’re careful, can be utilized several times before discarding, depending on the circumstances of its initial use). Some things, like facial tissue, just won’t reuse. Even if you keep the same ratty Kleenex in your pocket half the day, it’s destin for the bin – as well it should be.
There’s advantages and disadvantages to whichever route you choose. Disposable tissues are bad for the environment, rough on your nose if you have a bad cold or serious allergies, and aren’t cost-effective, but they are convenient, more socially acceptable, and hands-down the best option during cold/flu season if you’re hoping to cut down on germ spread. Cloth handkerschiefs require laundering and are seen as both old-fashioned and less hygienic when it comes to communicable ailments. But there are times when cloth can be a better option. For the environmentally-conscious, cloth handkerchiefs offer peace of mind and for people of all schools of thought, cloth is certainly softer on the nose during severe colds or crippling bouts of seasonal allergies. Depending on your workplace or hobbies, cloth (as it’s more absorbant) can be more handy – farmers or others who work outdoors may prefer a resuable handkerchief to stuffing every pocket with tissues. Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts may find handkerchiefs more convenient than carrying tissues which will have to litter either their backback or the trail. Allergy sufferers, as their condition isn’t contagious, may prefer using cloth to throwing away box after box of tissues during allergy season. (As far as colds go, using tissues when at work or otherwise in public is the best idea, but at home, where you’ll likely put a liberal coating of germs on everything anyway, what the hey.)
Besides the environmental and comfort pluses, cloth handkerchiefs have some other nifty (albeit limited) uses. If you wear plastic-lens glasses, handkerchiefs are great for cleaning them. They make a handy hair cover (for women, or perhaps some manner of skull cap for men), a make-shift face mask if you find yourself fighting a brush fire, impromptu oven mitts, distress flag, they’re great for wrapping jewelry when travelling (otherwise you’re scouring a suitcase for your toe rings), gods help you but they’d serve as a tourniquette, and at buffets nothing’s better than using a (clean!) hanky to squirrel away a half-dozen cookies.
I’m fond of the traditional bandana-style handkerchiefs available at most department stores, though someday I plan to invest in some fancy organic-cotton ones. When that day comes, I’ll probably shop through one of these outfits:
http://www.rawganique.com/Dept-Hemp-Accessories/organic-cotton-flannel-handkerchiefs-hankies.htm
http://www.gladrags.com/p-37-gladrags-organic-cotton-hankies.aspx
Tags: allergies, environment, handkerchiefs, tissues
This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 7:04 pm and is filed under Commentary.
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Hygiene vs. the Environment: The Hanky Debate
I’m a big supporter of switching to reusable products when possible and/or getting the most use out of disposable products (tin foil, if you’re careful, can be utilized several times before discarding, depending on the circumstances of its initial use). Some things, like facial tissue, just won’t reuse. Even if you keep the same ratty Kleenex in your pocket half the day, it’s destin for the bin – as well it should be.
There’s advantages and disadvantages to whichever route you choose. Disposable tissues are bad for the environment, rough on your nose if you have a bad cold or serious allergies, and aren’t cost-effective, but they are convenient, more socially acceptable, and hands-down the best option during cold/flu season if you’re hoping to cut down on germ spread. Cloth handkerschiefs require laundering and are seen as both old-fashioned and less hygienic when it comes to communicable ailments. But there are times when cloth can be a better option. For the environmentally-conscious, cloth handkerchiefs offer peace of mind and for people of all schools of thought, cloth is certainly softer on the nose during severe colds or crippling bouts of seasonal allergies. Depending on your workplace or hobbies, cloth (as it’s more absorbant) can be more handy – farmers or others who work outdoors may prefer a resuable handkerchief to stuffing every pocket with tissues. Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts may find handkerchiefs more convenient than carrying tissues which will have to litter either their backback or the trail. Allergy sufferers, as their condition isn’t contagious, may prefer using cloth to throwing away box after box of tissues during allergy season. (As far as colds go, using tissues when at work or otherwise in public is the best idea, but at home, where you’ll likely put a liberal coating of germs on everything anyway, what the hey.)
Besides the environmental and comfort pluses, cloth handkerchiefs have some other nifty (albeit limited) uses. If you wear plastic-lens glasses, handkerchiefs are great for cleaning them. They make a handy hair cover (for women, or perhaps some manner of skull cap for men), a make-shift face mask if you find yourself fighting a brush fire, impromptu oven mitts, distress flag, they’re great for wrapping jewelry when travelling (otherwise you’re scouring a suitcase for your toe rings), gods help you but they’d serve as a tourniquette, and at buffets nothing’s better than using a (clean!) hanky to squirrel away a half-dozen cookies.
I’m fond of the traditional bandana-style handkerchiefs available at most department stores, though someday I plan to invest in some fancy organic-cotton ones. When that day comes, I’ll probably shop through one of these outfits:
http://www.rawganique.com/Dept-Hemp-Accessories/organic-cotton-flannel-handkerchiefs-hankies.htm
http://www.gladrags.com/p-37-gladrags-organic-cotton-hankies.aspx
Tags: allergies, environment, handkerchiefs, tissues
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 7:04 pm and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.