Friday, May 16, 2008

What's wrong with handkerchiefs?

We're so deceived into thinking that we need paper products (what did your great grandparents do??) that the thought of using cloth seems gross. Sears and Roebuck catalog pages aside, "facial tissue" is one of those things we never used to have to have.

Handkerchiefs can still be bought, but they can be made, too, from material from worn out clothing or household linens. Use thin cloth for comfort and hem them any way you like, although a tiny rolled hem is traditional. If you've got a knack for handiwork, embroider pretty little flowers or designs for women or initials or masculine designs for men. Then use them.

Gross to wash? Laundry is so hard nowadays... I mean, we have to actually pick up dirty laundry and dump it in a machine, then we have to turn a dial and/or punch a button. Nasty job, isn't it?

Not at all like the women of a seventy five or hundred years ago (or less) who scrubbed everything by hand on a scrub board.

Not only will you save money, you can save the environment. No more pasteboard boxes, no more chemically treated tissue paper, no more trucking it all over the place.

What other paper products can you do without? Napkins and paper towels for starters. Yes, you can go farther: feminine products and toilet tissue are new "inventions," too.

19 comments:

  1. It's amazing how versatile a large handkerchief can be. The Japanese call them furoshiki and use them to gift wrap itmes; fold into grocery bags, tote bags, shoulder bags and more. Check out these links:

    http://www.furoshiki.com/about.php?section=videos
    http://greenupgrader.com/867/diy-green/our-mottainai-furoshiki-video-turn-a-shawl-into-a-bag/

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  2. I bow at the foot of the master. Tonight I realized that even if my husband (who is nearly OCD about germs) refuses to use cloth napkins, I still can. I just gave him the paper and used cloth myself, cutting the paper use in half. Duh, why did that take me so long to realize??

    And then I come here, and you are as usual questioning everything, and my small change seems like nothing at all.

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  3. Large handkerchiefs are nothing more than pieces of cloth, so you could use them for anything you use a cloth for.

    story girl, all things are relative. I've had those moments, too, when my big moment is overshadowed by someone else's experience. Your "small change" is a big step forward for you. Keep walking. :)

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  4. I have been using cloth napkins for 28 years. When my husband and I were first dating, I fixed a dinner and used cloth napkins and first course was a homemade soup made from the leftover chicken parts from another dinner. He told me years later how that impressed him.

    Carol from Pueble

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  5. Carol, I've used cloth napkins for a very long time, too. I remember one time that my Mom bought me paper napkins so I wouldn't have to wash the cloth ones! Sweet thought, but I don't think I ever used the paper ones - I gave them away after awhile. I should have used them for her sake, but I don't always think of things like that.

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  6. I had found a deal, 18 washcloths for 2 bucks. We use those in place of paper towels/napkins. They hold up good to the wash, and I don't cringe when the kids wipe tomato sauce off their faces. My mom wraps packages in pretty fabric and ribbons, rather than paper. I used cloth diapers with my little ones, and now use the cloth 'diaper liners' as my fem. product. But for some reason, I hadn't thought of hankies! Thank you! It would be pretty simple and inexpensive to whip up a bunch! I want to cut our 'waste' down as much as possible, and we have a looong way to go!

    Thanks again for the great topics!

    Shawna from Summer Lake

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  7. Shawna, washcloths work fine for family, but do you give them to company? Just curious. When I realized that paper products didn't even exist before about a century ago, it made me realize that they're not at all necessary!

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  8. Hi Pat. Good point. I should have said that I have nice cloth napkins for special ocassions. But I have a limited amount and didn't like to see them getting stains on them. Plus, my husband had been a total paper towel addict before I made the switch! LOL! He would use a paper towel to wipe up a small water spill! Anyway, the washcloths have become a bit stained, but not too bad. Still, not very nice for company!

    Shawna

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  9. OK, that makes sense, Shawna! :) A lot of people seem to be addicted to paper products, so every little bit helps.

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  10. I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me Pat! I bought a flat sheet at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago. Very pretty, 25 cents. I wasn't sure why I needed it, but now, after reading your post, I realize it is the perfect material for hankies! I think I'll get about 24 good sized ones out of a 25 cent sheet! I'm so glad I read your post and figured out what to do with this old sheet!

    Shawna from Summer Lake

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  11. 24 handkerchiefs from a 25 cent sheet is the way to go! Isn't it cool when things work out like that? :)

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  12. my 3.5 year old refuses tissues. she wants her hankies, which are really mine, a collection passed to me from my grandmother and great aunt. :)

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  13. nea, it sounds like you're raising your daughter right! :)

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  14. I love my cloth handkerchiefs. Mine are purchased for a dollar or less. The more you wash them, the softer they get. How do I know what chemicals are in those paper tissues?

    It feels good to say I do not buy any paper products except TP.

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  15. I agree, Gigi. Using your own cloth products is not only more frugal, it's safer, health wise.

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  16. I was thinking of giving hankies this year for Christmas to my frugal friends, and others. Or additional cloth napkins for their collections. We keep a basket of cloth napkins near our kitchen table and anytime someone needs one, they are right there.
    Last year, rather than gift wrapping presents for family and teacher gifts, I gave reusable shopping bags, with a small jar of local honey and biscuit mix.
    I have also used hankies for my daughter's birthday parties rather than plastic goody bags...I get a bandana or hanky and tie up other little gifts for the kids...I've always tried to minimize waste in all aspects of my life.
    Could someone give the delicate details of reusable feminine products, like pads..would like to try!

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  17. I just wanted to respond to the 'feminine product' question, if that's okay. I had purchased absorbant cloth diaper liners when my little ones were in cloth diapers. They seemed the perfect size for a pad. I have replaced them with homemade ones, which fit much nicer. I drew out a pattern and cut out a terrycloth piece and 2 flannel pieces, layered them together and stitched together. I finished with a zig-zag stitch around the edge. If I owned a serger I would have serged the edge. I place the used ones in a bucket (w/ a lid) of water and vinegar and keep it hidden away in a bathroom cupboard until washing time. I am very comfortable with this, although I understand some people would not be. I once shocked some friends by confessing this! LOL!

    They can be made with recycled fabric. Terrycloth from an old towel, flannel from an old sheet. T-shirt fabric also works well as the outside layer.

    Shawna

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  18. Once you start using them, you will become immune to the gross factor. If you think about it most toilet paper comes from post consummer waste anyways. What do you think that is...

    I am also a diaper washer so not much grosses me out at this point

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  19. I am a bit late on this conversation but…I too am trying to go paperless. I got tired of the amount of paper towels and napkins we would go through. So I use cloth napkins for dinner and the dish towels and rags for everything else. I have been surprised how little I miss the napkins and paper towels. I mainly miss them when I have a good size group over for a cook out.
    As far as hankies, I found a great selection of nice ones you can give as gifts or use with out embarrassment on special occasions. (Homemade is great for home, but unless you are a great seamstress or crafter…buy nice ones for special occasions). If you need a source try http://elegantlinenspc.com/Handkerchiefs.htm. They have all kinds of hankies, and some are only 13.00. What I thought was a really good idea on this site is to give a bride a wedding hankie; some have blue wedding bells embroidered on them. What a great keepsake gift! I think these hankies are making a come back for all occasions!

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