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30 September 2011

The Issue of the Tissue


I don’t like ironing. If there’s anything I can skip, I’ll skip it. At one time I used to iron everything until I learned the error of my ways. These days I only iron the essentials…. like shirts and handkerchiefs. Of course, a lot of materials don't need ironing anyway.

Shirts are obviously necessary, I wouldn’t allow my Guy outside the door in a crumpled one. But why do I consider handkerchiefs to be necessary? Well, the answer is because I like to see people using freshly ironed handkerchiefs instead of tissues. I’m not exactly obsessed with using cotton handkerchiefs but I do like to team them up with whatever outfit I wear. I can hear you giggling! It’s true, honestly, any handkerchief with floral embroidery in the corner gets teamed up with the kit of the day. Call me insane if you like but please allow me my idiosyncrasies.

Seriously though, when did the world’s people become so fanatical about using tissues? Someone has a cold, they use a tissue to blow their germs into, and then what do they do? Do they burn it? Oh no, they chuck the tissue in the nearest bin. Does anyone save them, take them home, and then burn them? Do they pop them into a plastic bag for later disposal? I wouldn’t know. I didn’t when I used them … until I stopped to think about what I was doing.

The health and safety people have a lot to answer for when it comes to wasting money. Remember the old adage ‘coughs spread germs? Well, so do used tissues.

At least with hankies you can wash the germs away.

At least with hankies we’re not causing more havoc for the planet?

At least with hankies we LOOK good when we use them.

World habits have become slovenly as well as costly. Why spend money on tissues when cotton ones last forever. Of course, the issue of the tissue could lead to other money saving and planet saving ideas, if only we’d stop and THINK.

I hear that Wales is going to charge 5p for any plastic and paper bags given to customers in shops and supermarkets. Ireland introduced a similar system a while back and a lot of English shops restrict the amount handed out, but is that the answer? Wouldn’t it be better not to have bags at all? I mean, what did we do before the invention of plastic carriers? We used our own, that’s what we did. Now we have to go back to old habits ... and about time, too. While watching the news programme I frowned on the people who actually complained about the idea. I’m not sure the planet will benefit but the economy certainly will.

Oh well, back to the ironing…… and must remember to switch off the electricity before I finish the shirts.

13 comments:

  1. My nose never appreciated ladies hankies - except to catch a sneeze, maybe. It's good old men's ones for me which can withstand a jolly good bow! LOL

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  2. Hi Jinksy, I'm okay with ladies hankies which is good because I get to use the pretty ones.

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  3. It's a touch of class, that's what it is. But you've got to admit that when winter comes around and you've got a real stinker of a cold, it pays to have a kitchen roll handy.

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  4. Ooooh Mr V, what do you do with the kitchen roll when you've sneezed into it... lol.

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  5. Well, if you really wanna know... being a keen re-cycler myself, I hang it on the ceiling and use it as fly paper *wink*

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  6. that is a cool fee on the bags as long as you can afford bags, which is fair enough for the rich but adds up for the poor...i like the concept but...

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  7. LOVED this post, Valerie, because it reminded me of when I was a kid and my mother allowed me to iron all my father hankies. When I was a kid I LOVED to iron. Now, I can't stand it - HA!

    My father was like you, he much preferred using a hankie rather than tissues. He never left the house until a fresh hankie was placed into his back pocket. And he taught us kids to do the same thing.

    "Why spend money on tissues when cotton ones last forever."

    Great point!

    And great post, dear lady! Love the title!

    Happy Saturday.....X

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  8. Oh yes--I remember those. Sleek to the touch, tucked away in a safe place.

    Irons, I mean.

    :-/

    I think I cut the cord.

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  9. Mr V. I don't believe you....lol.

    Brian, I think the idea is for the poor NOT to buy the bags. If they use their own shopper they're wouldn't have to fork out. It's all a matter of what to do best for the planet.

    Mel, I had to laugh at your comment. Cut the cord indeed....

    Ron, so you were an avid reader too... that's great. I'd like to have met your father.

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  10. My dad loved his hankies. I think it is something lost today. Loved the post Valerie.

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  11. My mother always used pretty hankies; she'd tuck them up her sleeve, have them in her pocket, even tucked down her blouse! We'd find her hankies in the chair or couch where she sat. After she died my sister made Christmas angel ornaments out of her old handkerchiefs so all of us kids would have a wonderful keepsake of our mother.

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  12. Pat, your story about your mother touched my heart. What a lovely idea to make Christmas decorations out of her pretty handkerchiefs.

    Kelly, you're right, there is something lost now that tissues have become so popular.

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  13. My Mom all ways had a hankie. She never went to church with out a clean,ironed one. I don't know what my older sister did with all of them, but I saved one! It was old when she passed away nearly 40 years ago. It's very thin and faded....but priceless to me.

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