Kleenex's first slogan in the 1930s was "don't carry a
cold in your pocket." This marketing campaign led to the demise of the
handkerchief, which has been around for at least 2000 years.
But don't pocket tissues offer the same dilemma? Without a
trash receptacle nearby, one has to stuff the snot-soaked paper into a pocket.
Isn't a portable snot-soaked cloth a better alternative? It absorbs (thus,
dries) better. One may use it repeatedly (different corners) in one go, preventing
the increasing amount of damp paper in both pant pockets. And it is washable,
and therefore, reusable, saving on paper waste. It has every use a tissue does,
and then some.
- Blow nose (obviously) [also softer than bargain tissues]
- Remove makeup
- Wipe sweat off face and neck
- Cover nose to block bad odors
- Absorb perfume or essential oil (to make purse smell good; also helps with previous point)
- Absorb/wipe spills
- Dry hands in event a public restroom has run out of paper towels and has no blower
- Stop blood from a minor cut when no bandage is available
- FASHION for men's shirt pockets and women's wrists (you would of course have a special hanky specifically for this, but it could be used in emergencies if needed)
And it takes up much less space in a pocket or purse!
A disposable tissue is great for the home, where a trashcan
is easily accessible, but we do still need the alternative. That's the nature
of a free market. The problem is since you wouldn't buy a hanky as often,
there's less revenue in producing them. Cloth is more expensive than paper, as
well. That's the real play here. "Disposable" sounds like a
convenience for the consumer, but in reality it means you will always be buying
more to replace the trash. There's the revenue these companies want!
It seems only special online markets sell handkerchiefs.
Kleenex and Puffs own the brick and mortar stores.
And it won't change, because--
You can make your own. It's easy, just buy a yard of soft
cotton at a fabric store and cut into a square (with fabric shears). Or take an
old shirt and cut squares of fabric out of that.
What will change, what can change, is the proliferation of
"pretty" hankies. Vintage fashion is really the "market"
here if a comeback is to happen.
But I don't care about the market, I just want cute cloths
in which to blow my nose. Or block an odor. Or dry my hands. (Three hankies
still take up less space than all those soggy papers.)
This year's deviant ditty (although I might post more than once this year, who knows? 2016 didn't get any love at all from this blog)
"Federkleid" by Faun
