Snotties

I’m sure they are very pretty and well made but I actually think cotten hankies or ‘snotties’ are very unhygienic. Tissues are much better. Sorry but Cotten hankies make me feel sick.

OMG my DIL would have a fit. Accepted hygiene rules (not always followed exactly to the letter!) Wipe nose with tissue, discard tissue and wash hands-after every wipe!!!

Sorry, OP, but the only thing that crossed my mind was "Ugh"!

As I was reading MASpread's post, I was thinking blimey we used to call these handkerchiefs. But then I realised, snotties is a much funnier word, and kids love funny words. Sausages - why is that funny? I used to call salad 'crunch', and the kids would eat it, in salad they had no interest.

I much prefer a cotton handkerchief. I have lots, and only ever have a handbag pack of tissues for when our and about.

In the craft front, I've been crocheting phone covers and neck warmers.

I think hankies are fine for very runny noses but I remember boiling dirty hankies and don’t ever want to do it again. Paper hankies much better for when they are all blocked up and making yucky stuff. I mentioned this to DD when she talked about not buying any paper tissues.

Well done middle aged spread for helping your daughter. Reducing waste wherever possible is great.

Hate the name.

My DH refuses to use tissues to blow his nose. I just bung his hankies in with his pants wash (which I do separately) We seem to survive. If he has a cold though, I chuck the lot out.

I tend to use kitchen roll for nose blowing when at home.

But all that tissue, both in the making and in the discarding, isn't very good for the environment, surely?

I use cotton hankies, too. My DGD was delighted when I bought her some.

Oh I hate snotty hankies, oh yucky yuk washing them makes me feel sick mind you don’t think anyone in my family have ever used them except mum and dad in the old days
Tissue, use, chuck

Completely agree about cotton handkerchiefs. My husband used them for years and I HATED washing them. One day I simply decided they had to go. Each one he put in the laundry basket was dropped in the rubbish bin. Once they had all gone, he had to use tissues. When my toddler grandchildren have runny noses, I use a damp baby flannel (the soft fleecy microfibre kind) and it then goes in a hot wash with the bibs and suchlike. Much kinder on little noses.

DH always used to use cotton handkerchieves, thought tissues would make his nose sore. He used to whip them out with a flourish of germs before blowing his nose. I'd wash them on a hot wash with the towels and bedding, but hated touching the things, and one would always somehow end up in with the normal wash. I just decided one day that I'd sneak them in the bin one by one as they appeared in the wash, and bought him some soothing lotion tissues. This coincided with a very stern lecture on Radio 2 from Dr Sarah Jarvis about the iniquities of cloth hankies. He'll listen to her more than he'll listen to me. His nose seems to have survived.

Cross posted, GrannyLaine - snap!

When my grandpa died, my Dad inherited lots of silk hankies which were softer on sore noses than cotton ones. This was in the dark ages before tissues became commonplace. Eventually they all disappeared. It was usual at Christmas to receive a box of hankies from Granny, with my initial on the corner of each. Amazing how easy it was to lose them in no time at all!

I think Snotties sound like a great idea, as long as you’ve lots and wash often. If made of soft fabric they’re probably kinder to small noses than tissues or cotton hankies.
I have my sewing machine out at the moment- making dolls clothes for GC. Youngest daughter who uses cloth nappies and cloth wipes - (cut up old t-shirts used with water) might use. I’ll make a few and see what reaction is. ?

By the way- OP was talking about small children, not adults, who should certainly use tissues in preference to cotton hankies. Anyone with small children can’t be too squeamish about body fluids?

By the time the "snotties" ( I hate the name) have been washed on a hot wash with all the water and detergent, and then somehow dried, exactly how ecologically friendly are they? Not to mention that everyone else close by will have caught those germs and be mopping their own noses and passing on germs.

It was the same with cloth nappies. By the time we'd flushed the loo with the poo and nappy liner (because that's what we did in those days), then soaked the nappy in a bucket of Nappisan, then washed them on a hot wash and got them dry - well, they were not good for the environment either, and also involved a lot of work. I can remember being exhausted at the end of the day and then changing the baby and suddenly realising that the $!$ bucket was full and that I'd got to sort that out before collapsing into bed.

Plus cloth nappies leaked so quite often the baby's vest and babygro would also have to be changed, and sometimes the cot sheets as well, so even more washing.

I should probably have added that these snotties are not a replacement for tissues but a useful and kind addition for little one's noses when they just run away from a tissue or are in bed and alone. Saves sleeves and pillowcases maybe? They have several, get washed very often, and are used after a proper wipe. I made sheets and pillows for dolls last year, my OH made the bunk beds. Keeping busy

so true Farmor15

I use both tissues for the bad noses and a softer approach with Snotties for comfort more than clean up. Septemia yes I agree the environment is important and I also worry about what people flush away down the loo.

thank you ayse. I remember the smell of blowing hankies and my mother stirring them with a pair of wooden tongs. thank goodness most of us have fully automatic machines, of course run fully loaded on the appropriate settings to save energy too. Oh goodness me, this thread had caused quite cofuffle.

I would much prefer handkerchiefs or snotties ( never heard that expression before) to a big wet sniff or a sleeve.

I just used to empty the napisan bucket straight into the washing machine and put it on a rinse cycle. No hot washing. Napisan had dealt with the germs. Ok, some stains remained but they were clean stains. Babies never suffered.

Gaunt47 you have hit the nail on the head, my GC all collapse in giggles when Snotties are mentioned and nose blowing proper is followed by a comfort blanket of Snottie. So much nicer than the sleeves they might use for softness.