I’ve been dealing with a cold for the past few weeks and I just had to share what I’ve been doing differently.
I’m making the switch to handkerchiefs.
In a typical winter, my family can go through a lot of paper tissues, thanks to sniffles and various colds. But I’ve really been trying to cut back on our paper consumption. No, I haven’t cut back on toilet paper and made the switch to family cloth. But we love using cloth napkins at mealtimes, I still use cloth diapers on Little Sister, and I’ve changed over to cloth menstrual pads. (Before you totally freak out, be sure to read about my entire experience this coming Saturday. Because I certainly didn’t think I would ever make such a change.)
Back to my hankies. About the same time as I started switching to reusable cloth options, I started discovering handkerchiefs that I already owned. I found a few monogrammed ones my dad used to carry to work, along with a hankie or two sent from old pen pals. Then, my grandmother passed away and I inherited a few of her lovely vintage ones. Before I could sneeze, I noticed I had quite an eclectic collection. And I liked it.
To clarify, if I know I really need to blow my nose and should throw the tissue away, then I use a paper one. But if I just have a runny nose and need a dab every now and then – or if I need to cover a sneeze – carrying a handkerchief is extremely handy. Plus, it jogs my memory in a nostalgic way. And, oh yeah, it’s such a green option.
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Hilary-loved your post on handkerchieves!My girlfriend and I both use them daily and wouldn’t use anything else-they’re so superior to tissues in every way,including far more attractive.I’d much rather see a nice print taken from a purse or sleeve for blowing than a tissue any day.We both have large collections of handkerchieves to choose from and often borrow each others. I saw two women on the train a few days ago and one took out a large floral print handkerchief to blow her nose-as she was finishing she said to her friend that she was saving a tree and she enjoyed using handkerchieves for that reason alone. Great to read your post and know others out there are liking the experience of the handkerchief!