# Does anybody still use cotton handkerchiefs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2021, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753 "2021-06-07T10:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/41 "2021-06-07T19:46:57Z")
I almost always have a cotton handkerchief in my pocket. I rarely blow my nose on them; I carry handkerchiefs because they’re useful things to have around. If I have a cold, I’ll probably be carrying a pocket-pack of tissues instead. We had a similar thread about handkerchiefs a few years ago, and [this post from that thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-carry-handkerchiefs/823594/13) is a pretty good illustration of why many people still use them: > [@Men who carry handkerchiefs...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-who-carry-handkerchiefs/823594/13): > > Not meant to be a hijack, but I used to carry a handkerchief before I retired…and blowing my nose was only about 1% of its usage. I would use it to dust off my shoes after visiting a construction site, wipe dust off of everything from my computer to old books, clean off a bench before I sat on it, mop my brow when I broke a sweat, dampen it to keep myself cool working in the field, and a dozen other things. A small pocket tissue may be OK for SOME of these tasks, but you can’t beat a bandanna-size handkerchief. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/42 "2021-06-07T19:58:53Z")
I carry a large bandanna (100% cotton!) or two, just about always when not dressed up. I do not blow my nose on them. I dry my hands, use as a “oops i forgot my mask” when I need a quick unplanned dash into a gas station convenience store, and a host of other things my dad taught me (he was a actual frontiersman, in Alaska, 1920’s- 30’s. ). I carry one of those mini tissue things for nose blowing or pocket a few extra paper napkins if I run out. In some of my dress pants i have a white cotton handkerchief which i rarely use for anything. So, I am not sure how to answer the Poll. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/43 "2021-06-07T20:11:48Z")
They’re not just for wiping your (or your s.o.) snot when no tissue is available. They’re good for wiping sweat off your brow, use as a napkin in a pinch, ass wipe when you realize too late there isn’t any in the stall (no joke), holding over a cut until a bandage is available, wiping a child’s tears, etc… People make fun of Swiss Army Knives as well. But few multi-tools are as useful. A pistol, a pocket knife, and a clean hanky is what very gentleman should always carry. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/44 "2021-06-07T20:18:56Z")
The pistol, of course, should be a front loader, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/45 "2021-06-07T20:30:53Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > a category called “dog towels” which are retired bath towels, some ancient, which are used for anything the previous items are too small for. We have “dog towels” too! When I have a cold, I’d fill one handkerchief with one blow. If I were going to be away from the house, I’d have to carry a separate purse to hold my clean hankies, and separate one for the used ones – because one use would be all one could handle. It’s amazing how much snot my head can create/hold. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/46 "2021-06-07T20:32:10Z")
My husband uses a cotton handkerchief to blow his nose. I use toilet paper, unless there’s a tissue right there. I do carry a cotton “sweat rag” around, though. The ones I like best were purchased in Japan, so they use them for something. I mostly use it for wiping sweat off my face, but as pkbites says, sometimes it’s nice to have a clean piece of cloth handy-by. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/47 "2021-06-07T20:39:09Z")
I must admit that I am surprised the poll, incompletely as I have formulated it, shows such a clear result. I would like to thank all that have expressed their opinion so far, by which I do not mean to stop anybody from intervening, but it is getting late here and I must prepare a meeting for tomorrow. (Hm. Found no hankie emoji to wave bye-bye. Ah, well…) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/48 "2021-06-07T20:50:49Z")
My father has always used cloth handkerchiefs – the “functional” cotton ones, always in white, not the fancy ones to be used in your lapel pocket. He’s now 87, and, I suspect, of a generation where using them to blow one’s nose was the norm. (Also, when he blows his nose, he has always managed to produce a very distinctive honking sound – I have no idea how he does that, because I cannot replicate it. 😃 ) He gave me some cloth handkerchiefs when I was a teenager, intent on getting me started on the habit of using them, but I guess I found the idea of keeping a used handkerchief in my pocket to be gross, because I rarely used them, and haven’t owned a cloth handkerchief since then. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/49 "2021-06-07T20:51:45Z")
I carry both in my back left pocket. A cotton handkerchief for discrete nose wipes and brow mops. And a Kleenex pocket pack for full on nose blowing. No, I don’t like using tissue for what a handkerchief is used for. I also carry band-aids in my wallet, doesn’t everybody? ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/50 "2021-06-07T20:53:57Z")
I have always carried “bandana” type hankies, one in the left back pocket for nasal use, one in the right back pocket for cleaning glasses, wiping sweat, etc. They get replaced every morning when I’m getting ready for work. On a bad allergy day, I may go through 2 or 3 of the nasal variety. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/51 "2021-06-07T21:28:52Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > We have “dog towels” too! As do we. Then one rung below dog towels we have car towels. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/52 "2021-06-08T01:25:10Z")
Well, I disagree about the pistol, there is a time and place to carry a gun. But the rest is right. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The pistol, of course, should be a front loader, I reckon. You mean a muzzle-loader. Black powder revolvers were not true muzzle loaders but also not cartridge pistols either. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/53 "2021-06-08T04:16:49Z")
In first grade, it was a daily ritual. Mrs Hamilton (who was born during the Grant administration) would do a daily inspection of clean hankies, which usually consisted of waving them in the air. She was tired of sniffling pupils wiping their snot on their sleeves. I, and probably most of my classmates, have carried one ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/54 "2021-06-08T08:04:59Z")
Indeed, that is the word I was looking for. The only fire weapon worthy of a gentleman, apt for duels at dawn And concerning the discrepancies between posts #5 and #53 I will just refer to a very [nice thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jtur88-you-are-a-fucking-ass/776309) down by the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/55 "2021-06-08T10:49:24Z")
Every day. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/56 "2021-06-08T14:31:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > there is a time and place to carry a gun. Yes, when you need it. And seeing it’s impossible to predict when that is, the time is always. Just like a handkerchief. You never know when you’ll be driving down the road and the bright sunlight causes you to sneeze, leaving a streak of snot running down your nose and nothing in the car to wipe it on. Better to have that folded piece of cotton in your back pocket and not need it than …! The rare times I neglect to put a hanky in my back pocket I feel naked and incomplete. Like when I rush out of the house and forget to put my wrist watch on. There are just certain accessories I have to have. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/57 "2021-06-08T14:51:39Z")
I voted no, but not because of a distaste for cotton. As we’ve moved into the FUTURE (a la Futurama) I find my pockets are damn full all the time - wallet, cell phone, keys, etc. Buuuuut, in my work satchel (or for folks who prefer, a purse, etc) I have both a cotton handkerchief/bandanna and a ‘handi-pack’ of Kleenex (or generic equivalent). The few times I’ve used the handkerchief it was generally to quickly mop up a spill at the desk or other utilitarian task. I’ve found when I have a cold, I’m dripping all the damn time. I would need dozens of handkerchiefs at a minimum, and would be chain washing them for days. I’m not sure it’s better overall than using a roll of TP (or in extreme cases, lotion impregnated tissues when I’ve sanded all the skin off my nose). And I always have TP in the house although less so since we installed bidets. One thing I’ve tried to reduce paper waste was buying a few dozen cloth napkins rather than using paper towels during mealtimes. But all that I bought had been treated so they can ‘look’ good when folded or shaped, and have crappy absorbency. I haven’t given up on that option, but I’m always on the lookout for a brand that will get the job done without costing a fortune and are dishwasher safe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/58 "2021-06-08T16:57:46Z")
On really bad days I carry a soft cloth diaper instead of a handkerchief. ---
**Author:** ![LauderdaleFort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@LauderdaleFort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LauderdaleFort)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/59 "2021-06-08T17:17:27Z")
Paper towels are a good alternative. They have the strength and thickness to take a runny nose. Blowing my nose with a tissue is my definition of hell. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753/60 "2021-06-09T11:50:11Z")
When I was about eight, I learned about the value of emergency tools. We were visiting somebody’s house one Sunday, and I pulled out a green one with my thumb. As I rolled it in my fingers for optimum adhesion and started looking around, I heard my dad say “Where ya gonna put that?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-still-use-cotton-handkerchiefs/943753.md?page=4)