How to Use a Handkerchief

What to do with a set of handkerchiefs: a gift without a use or do cloth hankies still have a place in the age of tissues and small pockets?

Socks and ties are among the most thoughtless gifts a man can receive. And cotton or linen handkerchiefs are probably the most useless. Or are they?

They’re not cheap, and are often marketed as antibacterial to justify their suitability for nose-blowing.

I’ve owned many since childhood. An elderly aunt I hardly knew sent me a set of seven on birthdays and holidays; one for each day of the week. Was I wrong to deposit them in a drawer without ever taking them out of their box?

To my way of thinking, there was such a thing as Kleenex: first sold in 1924 to remove cold cream before being rebranded as paper handkerchiefs in 1930. These were hygienic and small enough to fit into the pocket of a snug pair of pants without leaving a bulge.

But because World War II limited their availability, my father’s generation continued to use cloth hankies. As a result, my generation grew up believing a 16×16‑inch square of cotton was more able to withstand the sort of nose-blow expected of a man than a flimsy tissue. I was sure I’d have to use one too upon reaching adulthood, but I never did.

After it appeared on the market in 1956, wives understandably tried to convert their husbands to Kleenex Mansize. It would make laundering more palatable. But a tissue could never bear the significance of the cloth hankie. It was an essential accessory men should never be without, like the pocket knife or cigarette lighter.

Handkerchiefs were even part of a soldier’s kit.

In some quarters, the habit lingers to this day, which is why you can still receive a set on Father’s Day. And many online men’s columns tell us that we should still carry one at all times. Are these simply nostalgists trying to resurrect a relic, or do they have a case?

Maybe we’re missing something when rejecting these well-meant gifts.

Handkerchiefs and Men’s Pockets

My first objection is that pockets are no longer big enough for such an object.

In bygone days, they were roomier and more functional. Apart from a pocket knife and lighter, there was a pack of cigarettes, a wallet, loose change, a comb, a notebook, and a pen to accommodate. Even the breast pocket was larger in order that a neatly folded, full-size handkerchief could double as a pocket square. Nowadays we have dedicated pocket squares. These are smaller and, being for show and not blow, made from nonabsorbent silk.

The only large object most men carry these days is a phone. I keep mine in a leather case together with cards and banknotes.

I usually carry a single folded tissue just in case. If I have a cold, I’ll take a pocket pack of Kleenex.

For me, that concludes the argument. Handkerchiefs are impractical.

But it is a shame to leave such an expensive item to rot in a drawer—especially if it’s monogrammed. So let’s look at the things men have used handkerchiefs for in the past and see if any are worth salvaging.

Source: Pexels

Five Handkerchief Uses Worth Revisiting

1. For Blowing the Nose

This is the most obvious and least pleasant use, so let’s get it out of the way first.

I’m old enough to remember when men blew their nose into a cloth handkerchief with method. The secret lay in proper folding.

1. For the first blow, open the handkerchief so it is folded in half. A full‑size square is too large to use flat, so the first fold is always a simple halving.
2. For the next blow, fold it into quarters. This creates a manageable square and exposes a fresh surface.
3. Then fold it into eighths, and finally sixteenths. Each fold provides another clean surface.
4. After each use, fold the soiled part inward. This keeps the clean side outward and lets you put it back in your trouser pocket without making a mess.

This is the only way to make a single fabric handkerchief last all day.

But even in my father’s era, a heavy cold was reason enough to switch to disposable tissues.

2. Covering the Mouth When Coughing or Sneezing

If I have a Kleenex at hand, I place it before my mouth and nose while sneezing. For a cough, the hand or inner elbow is less alarming.

I say this because period dramas have used the gesture for so long that it’s become a signal of impending doom: the white handkerchief raised to the mouth, the cough, and then the inevitable speck of blood.

3. Mopping Sweat

Sweat dripping down the face is irritating, especially if you’re bald. A hat or cap is the best solution, but may not always be appropriate. Maybe you work front-of-house or find yourself in a courtroom or place of worship.

Mopping the brow with a hankie is probably a better idea than using your sleeve, and tissues tend to disintegrate when wet.

I remember my childhood neighbor doing this while trudging up and down his perfectly striped lawn behind a Suffolk Punch motor mower. It certainly gave the impression of a man slogging.

4. Drying Tears

Due to hormonal shifts, men cry more as they grow older. But not to an extent that justifies constant preparedness. Besides, a Kleenex can dry tears just as well as a hankie.

And even if some online columnists disagree, you don’t have to be prepared for a “crying woman” in the modern world.

But just in case, it can be a complicated business.

You’ve seen it in old movies. The woman starts to cry, the man gallantly pulls a crisp white hankie from his breast pocket. She instinctively accepts and delicately dabs her eyes.

This was normal behavior back in the day, and the woman got to keep the handkerchief. But even then, the man had to be wearing a suit. She’d only accept a purely decorative accessory.

Today, it doesn’t work at all. As previously mentioned, a modern breast pocket is too small for a full-size handkerchief. Even if it weren’t, you’d probably be met with a puzzled frown rather than acceptance. And she’d certainly crinkle her nose at something produced from your trouser pocket.

As for offering a box of Kleenex, it feels like saying, “Pull yourself together and stop this nonsense.” And that’s exactly what we’re thinking while wondering if a hug would seem like taking advantage.

Now that the old hankie prop is no longer practical or understood, be assured that you’re not the only man incapable of coping with a crying woman.

5. A Handkerchief as a Pocket Square

Why let a perfectly good set of hankies sit in a drawer for years when you could use them as pocket squares?

We’ve already established that they’d cause a noticeable bulge in today’s smaller breast pockets, but you could reduce their size.

With a pair of pinking shears to prevent fraying, cut the handkerchief in half and arrange it in the pocket without showing its edges.

I’ve been wearing pocket squares since the 1980s and can guarantee that nobody will ever pull it out or touch it. Nobody will ever know.

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In truth, no modern man is likely to carry a handkerchief. Their value as a convenience vanished with the arrival of the tissue. As a gift in this day and age, it remains something you could do without.

But if you just happen to have one, here are some additional uses:

• As an improvised sun hat: tie the corners of your handkerchief and place it on your bald or thinning head to protect it from the sun.
• To polish your spectacles if you don’t have a tissue or microfiber cloth at hand.
• As a makeshift napkin.
• To dry your hands in the absence of paper towels in a public restroom.
• To wipe minor spills from ties and clothes.
• As a mask folded over the mouth in smoky or dusty environments.
• As a glove substitute when touching something dirty or hot.
• As a makeshift bandage for small cuts and scrapes.
• To wave goodbye from a train platform.
• To signal surrender or truce.  

© 2026 J. Richardson