Alternatives for Coping in the Cold/Flu Season

Almost everyone catches a cold at some point during the winter. The average adult has two to four colds per year so it's almost guaranteed you'll have a drippy nose when the mercury drops. With all the constant blowing and sniffles, not only do paper tissues rub your nose raw, they take quite the toll on the environment. But you can reduce your carbon footprint by using a handkerchief instead of paper tissues. Hankies may drum up images of your grandpa blowing his nose into a gray piece of fabric and then stuffing it back into his pocket, but it need not be this way with a little planning and care.

Material is key when choosing a reusable and soft handkerchief, and organic cotton seems to hold up fairly well against the sniffles. Avoid your grandma's dainty silk hankies when you have a really bad cold, otherwise you'll constantly be carrying around a wet, germy rag.

A quick search on the Internet yields a number of companies who produce organic cotton handkerchiefs, such as Hankettes, which even comes in a tissue box! Lunapads is another company that produces organic, reusable hankies that come with cute pouches for easy storage. If you're looking for something stylish, be sure to check out Etsy for a number of adorable handmade hankies (try spicytuna's shop).

Because handkerchiefs tend to stay moist, and you aren't discarding them, they make an ideal breeding ground for viruses. One way to prevent your hankie from becoming a germ factory is to carry a couple of extras with you and to keep the clean ones separate from the used ones. This can be easily done if you keep a pouch or pocket designated for clean hankies. Don't forget to wash your hands after blowing your nose.

Be sure to wash your hankies regularly too. Unless you have a really bad cold, you can just throw your handkerchiefs into your wash. If you want, you can also pre-soak them in vinegar or warm soapy water to dislodge any gross stuff.

If you find that you have a really bad cold or that the handkerchiefs aren't holding up, try to find recycled paper products.

One other advantage of having a reusable hankie with you when you're out is you can dry your hands after washing them in a public restroom instead of using paper towels. This is especially important if you're fighting a cold. All that hand washing will keep germs at bay, and you can cut down on your paper towel consumption at the same time.