Many years ago, the Lewis family decided to try an experiment: Phasing out (almost) all disposable products. This includes facial tissue, paper plates, plastic cutlery, feminine hygiene, and the ubiquitous paper towels, among much else. It was so successful we've never looked back.
One of the greatest benefits of this lifestyle is the constant presence of bandanas in our lives. Pockets, purses, vehicles, toolboxes – all have their share of bandanas. We use these squares of cloth for a zillion different things. Currently, for example, we're going through the same heat wave that has gripped much of the western third of the U.S., and I can't count the number of sweat-soaked bandanas I've swapped out (I tie them around my forehead to absorb moisture) over the last few days. I keep another in my pocket for nasal emergencies, and another gets draped over my head under my hat whenever I go outside to keep the sun off my neck.
We were running short of bandanas, so I did a load of laundry which included every dirty handkerchief I could find. Here they're hung to dry in the outdoor heat, so they'll be ready to use within minutes.
Bandanas are so much a part of our lives that I can't imagine being without several within easy reach. Now it seems strange when I see someone using a tissue to blow their nose.
Who else loves these little square of cloth?
Me too. Plus I bought some white men's all cotton handkerchiefs. And no lost Kleenex found in the washing machine when some pocket was missed.
ReplyDeleteSJ now in California
I sit on one every day !
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ReplyDeleteMe too!!! Though I’m partial to pretty hankies. They dry so fast and are so practical…..and nicer to use!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have been using cotton handkerchiefs & cotton napkins for years. I know people think it is gross we use the cloth handkerchiefs. And other people think we are being fancy pulling out cloth napkins w/ our dinners!
ReplyDeleteDebbie in MA
I love bandanas. But, I think I just collect them. Yours are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a dumb question, but what’s your favorite source for decent quality bandanas in packs larger than 3? So much cheap junk out there! I just want sturdy, soft, and cotton.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, Walmart was our primary source. Years ago – maybe 10 years ago or more – I went to Walmart and bought dozens and dozens of bandanas. At the time they were something like $1 each, so they were an incredible deal. I know craft stores sell high-quality study bandanas for crafting or decorative purposes, but they were always too thick for our needs (won't roll into a decent sweatband, for example). So the Walmart inventory was a good compromise in terms of quality and cost. I don't know what current prices are, however.
Delete- Patrice
Current Walmart prices are $2 and they may not be all cotton.
DeleteCotton is best for wicking and nose blowing.
They also made great dinner napkins at a themed function. They were then turned into a quilt top,
ReplyDeleteme too. when i retired, i stopped getting hair cuts. now i look like the guy in the robe wandering downtown with the "repent the end is near: sign. a bandana is mandatory for any kind of house/garden/yard work if i want to see what is going on
ReplyDeleteA bandana has been a part of my wardrobe for nearly 40 years. Generally worn around my neck. It has been a very useful habit...
ReplyDeleteI have six white hand kerchiefs in my dresser draw and have had for perhaps 40 years or more. Never once blew my nose on one or wiped body parts with them. Why would I when I can use a tissue and throw it away?
ReplyDeleteAlways got one in my pocket.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of lock down and supplies were short. I started using cloth napkins for meals which I wash with table cloth and cotton dish towels. I also use white wash clothes for number 1 instead of wasting all that toilet paper. Place them in covered bucket and then wash them wkly with added Borax powder.
ReplyDeleteI have many as well, and have been buying them for decades. And at $1 they were reasonable. Now they're at least $2 each, and a lot of times they aren't 100% cotton which is best for wicking sweat or blowing noses.
ReplyDeleteThey're about 21 or 22 inches square. Material usually comes in 44 inch widths. Walmart tends to have a fabric section. If you find fabric you like, get 1 & 1/4 yard pieces, especially on sale, cut into 4 squares and hem them. This is good to do while watching tv if you have time to do such a thing anymore. Just iron those edges over a little bit, then again, and whip stitch it, or machine stitch if you have a machine. A stack of these would be a welcome gift to a gardener.
I find handkerchiefs and bandanas thin and too large so, I took flannel cut 7x5 inch rectangles 2 or 3 sheets and serged them together to create a soft tissue. Works wonders and I use a special color just for them. I did the same for family cloth to use for only number 1 and for those I use organic cotton or organic flannel.
ReplyDeleteI started using flannel for bandanas this summer. I find them softer, more absorbent and I made them from receiving blankets (my kids are in their 30s somI don't need the receiving blankets anymore. I cut them into 26" squares. I do not find them "too hot" for summer (I live in Texas so I know hot.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I started. using old soft flannel for bandanas. I cut them 26"X26". No they aren't "too hot" in the summer. I live in Texas and wouldn't do anything that makes heat worse. Just used my kids receiving blankets (they are in their 30s so not using them)
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