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Use of handkerchief instead of facial tissue paper is often seen as old- fashioned and, especially in North America, unhygienic. Some on the other hand see it as a more environment-conscious choice.
A constant debate among some is whether a handkerchief is softer than a tissue on the nose. Depending on which tissue (those with lotion being the softest) and which handkerchief (much-washed cotton ones being the softest) are used, results can go either way.
Curiously, the story goes that the Kleenex company hadn't initially imagined that people would want a disposable handkerchief, so they initially marketed their product exclusively as a make-up removal tool. It was only later after they discovered that people were blowing their noses into the tissue that they began marketing it for this purpose.