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| Intro | My Story | History | Advantages | Uses | What can I do? | Wanted |
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For too long handkerchiefs* have failed to receive the recognition they truly deserve. People seem to have in-grained prejudices which hinder true understanding and appreciation of the work they do. These pages are devoted to furtherance of the cause of the humble hanky. Fair enough, the theory is potentially awful. Your nose traps dirt and grime in a semi-transparent gelatinous discharge and you collect it in a small piece of woven cotton. Then you put it in your pocket so that you can carry it around with you all day. It's not the most pleasant thought, I'll admit that. The reality, however, is quite different. These industrious little devices have a multitude of uses, are extremely convenient, come in a variety of guises, and are very low maintenance. I have been regularly using hankies for years. Like nearly zillions of others, I suffer from hay-fever in the summer, and get colds in winter. What are the alternatives? Disposable hankies, or 'tissues', are an obvious choice. But let's be honest; they're far too small. The amount you can get in a 'convenient pocket-sized tissue' is hardly worth bothering about. Furthermore, tissues are unrealistically priced. I could carry round a roll of kitchen paper, but that's too harsh on my delicate nose. And is too bulky. Toilet paper is softer, but usually disintegrates too quickly, especially after a particularly rigorous blow. This often results in the ejected waste matter ending up in your palm rather than the paper. This is similar to the problem suffered when wiping a wet bottom after a sit-down visit to the small room. It's not terribly good when your fingers go straight through the toilet paper and into...well you get the idea! The obvious answer is to use more paper, but this just makes the cost effectiveness ratio unfavourable. I agree that when it comes to wiping your bum, you should do everything possible, no matter what the cost, to avoid fingers entering into dirty wastelands. However, for noses, there are alternatives. It is also important to consider that the force applied during a nose blow is different to that experienced during wiping. A nose blow is a sudden, violent and direct impact on the paper. Wiping is more controlled (or should be) and involves more lateral forces, which toilet paper is better suited to. Also, like kitchen towel, it is not always convenient to carry around a roll. Hankies have been addressing these problems for many years. And they haven't ever complained. Now is their time: HOORAY FOR THE HANKY  * For the English language purists amongst you, this word is often mis-spelt (or mispelled); handkercheif, hankercheif, and hankerchief, are all incorrect. Also, despite the singular ending in 'F', the plural is rarely written with a 'VES' ending. It is usually pluralised by simply adding an 'S', though a VES ending can sometimes be found. However, bear in mind that anyone who writes about these fantastic accessories, may be incorrect. So, if you are looking for hanky info anywhere, particularly the www for example, try all variations when conducting searches. The short form, can be spelt hanky or hankie, though hanky, and hence hankys, are probably more common. |
