Anyone got any ideas for washing handkerchiefs

Farmor15

Washing at 90 degrees isn't very environmentally friendly! I wash OH's hankies with normal 40 deg wash (use tissues myself but he insists on cotton hankies). Modern detergents deal with snot fine - but I don't use lower than 40 degrees for anything, despite all the ads suggesting washing in cold water.

You’ll never convince some people.
Detergents have come a long way since Daz and OMO.

Oh the luxury of having freshly ironed handkerchiefs. That means not me washing or ironing them. I have seen older, still, married men of 80+ using them.
Nowadays, I’d soak them as I did nappies to kill the germs and then wash them in the machine with one of the new low temperature soaps.

It’s the heat that kills bacteria not the brand of washing powder.

It's a combination of heat and chemicals in detergent that kills bacteria and viruses- doesn't have to be 90 deg. (I'm a retired microbiologist).

Ironing will kill anything left after washing.

Like someone else here I use loo paper and flush it afterwards.

Sarnia we also had a pan specifically for handkerchiefs.
I confess I don't like boiling them up really and am grateful for tissues.
You do need to buy expensive tissues though if you want them to be soft I find.

I do use a handkerchief for weddings and funerals. They go in with the sheets.

The pan has been used since - but only for melting wax.

It just strikes me that if you’re using things to soak them then other things to wash them, especially at high temps, how is this eco-friendly?

All detergents have much the same in them, especially the bio ones but obvs you need heat as well.
It’s best to have a lot of hankies if you use them so you can do several weeks worth in one wash.

A very hot wash now and then seems to leave the washing machine smelling great.

The thought of washing snxxty hankies makes me feel yukky oh use it and throw it down the loo

🤢😁

I always use proper hankies - a clean, ironed one in left pocket (for emergencies in case a sterile one is needed) and another in right pocket (I'm right handed) that is in use. They go in my 40degree wash - all my washing is on 40 degrees. They come out clean and I iron them.

Missiseff

My husband uses them every day, I've just been chucking them in the washing machine with the usual washing for the past 20 years

Best way to deal with them. I did it for over 40 years till DH retired. He’s handkerchiefs were always beautifully white. 🤧.

midgey

I just lob them in my machine!

Same here.

I just put them in the washing machine and wash them at 40 with the rest of the washing. I remember being “taught” how to boil hankies in Domestic science at school! We also had a special saucepan at home for boiling hankies!

My OH uses hankies. He puts them in a lidded bucket and then I chuck them all in the washing machine on a hot wash. He’s supposed to put disinfectant in the bucket but he rarely does 🙄 I do find ironing them quite satisfying.

I cannot think of anything more disgusting than a handkerchief, use a` clean tissue or toilet paper and flush it out. You save opn all the powder and electricity I know what I prefer.,

Like Redcar I put them in with the normal wash load.

At school I remember soending a double period of domestic science wash ping and ironing a single handkerchief. What a ridiculous waste of everybody’s time.

I had to go away for a few days, and on my return, he happily told me that he had done the hankies, but couldn’t find the saucepan, so had done them in a casserole dish in the oven.

kassi I think this is the funniest thing I've ever read on Gransnet, I've just laughed out loud 🤣

Oreo

It’s the heat that kills bacteria not the brand of washing powder.

Napisan or similar which I used in the 70s does kill germs. I’d soak the nappies in cold water before washing them in an ordinary wash with ordinary washing powder No need for a hot wash or boil.

midgey

I just lob them in my machine!

Me too. They go in with the towels on a hot wash. A spoonful of Napisan works well if they are grubby (DH uses them for everything)

Disgusting things of the past should have been binned years ago. We have a friend who still gets his handkerchief out blows his nose puts it in his pocket. No wonder his wife got rid of him totally yuk.

Tissues may be disposable and not good for the environment. But surely better for hygiene and health.

Remember snotty hankies when l was a child. Yukk.