Old-fashioned handkerchiefs just as hygienic as tissues

Drying out your cloth handkerchiefs well ensures viruses and bacteria cannot survive on them. — dpa

Cloth handkerchiefs are back as people seek more sustainable ways to handle sneezes, putting an end to the times they were seen as old-fashioned and unhygienic – though take care when you wash and store them.

Good reasons to use a cloth handkerchief rather than tissues include natural resources as making sanitary paper, including tissues, involves wood, energy and water, says the German Environment Agency.