Are Reusable Tissues Hygienic?
March 22, 2020 · Aaron Burr
Announcer: In the blue corner, weighing in at an undisclosed weight of a reusable tissue, saving trees, saving water, saving energy, ladies and gentleman...LastTissue!
Crowd: yeaaahhhhh!!!
Announcer: And in the red corner, weighing in at probably a lighter weight than the more durable LastTissue, contributing to unnecessary waste, pollution, and deforestation, ladies and gentleman...a regular single use tissue!
Crowd: Boooooooo!!
Announcer: This is the true test to see which tissue version is more hygienic. By the time this is all over, only one will remain victorious.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Reusable tissues, are they hygienic?
Take a classic handkerchief for example, a lot of us picture it well used and stuffed somewhere in our bag or pocket. Whenever we go to use it we are probably just smearing old germs, boogers, and other undisclosed substances onto our face.
It’s no wonder why the use of disposable tissues replaced the handkerchief, they are oftentimes out of sight and out of mind after one use. This limits our spread of germs pretty easily, but not without all the impacts from single use tissues.
Can reusable tissues be as (or even more) hygienic while reducing our tissue footprint? Well first, let’s go over some things.
What even is a reusable tissue?
Reusable tissues are really any reusable alternative to tissues. Wow, that’s helpful right?
This can include handkerchiefs, maybe even rags, and definitely LastTissue. They are meant to clean up messes like mustard on your shirt, boogers in your nose, makeup mishaps and removal, etc.
Reusable tissues are usually made from an absorbent and durable material like cotton. This contrasts single use tissues which are made from trees. You know, the things we need in order to breathe?
So come on, are they hygienic?
The short answer is, they absolutely can be as long as we use them correctly. Speaking literally, reusable tissues are hygienic in the sense that the materials are great for cleaning messes and can be easily cleaned after use.
A heavily used handkerchief stuffed into our pocket creates a ground zero for germs to spread all over. However, LastTissue’s pack has a separate compartment for used tissues which isolates germs and separates the dirty from the clean.
If used correctly, this is a very clean way to use a reusable tissue. If not used correctly, LastTissue can be just like a handkerchief stuffed in a pocket.
In an effort to make things simple, let’s compare some situations to see how LastTissue performs as opposed to a single use tissue.
On the go
In a perfect world, there is a trash can available to us everywhere. But our world isn’t perfect. And let’s be honest, it would be quite boring if it were. A lot of us carry tissues wherever we go: in the car, on a hike, in our bag, and down the street.
If we sneeze or have a runny nose or it’s plugged up, we’ll probably use a tissue. But without a trash can, where does that tissue go? In our pocket or bag...just like a handkerchief. Uh oh.
Now, picture you are carrying LastTissue in that situation. You sneeze, you spill, or your nose is totally plugged, what do you do? You blow your nose with a reusable tissue and then proceed to place it in its respectable compartment, fully contained and separate from the clean tissues.
LastTissue comes in a silicone carrying case which is not much bigger than a small travel tissue pack. So it’s great to carry on the go.
When we are lazy or stationary
A lot of us may find ourselves working at a desk or table, or maybe we are watching TV on our couch. A situation may arise where we have to use a tissue. Maybe we have the energy to use it, but maybe not enough to get up and throw it away.
I’m so entranced as I am writing this article where if I were to blow my nose, I don’t know if I would get up! Having LastTissue and it’s nice holder, I can lazily stuff the used tissue in its compartment and get on with writing.
Maybe I should be getting up to wash my hands before I touch my laptop, but the truth is things like this happen a lot and most of us don’t wash our hands right after. So it’s better to not spread germs from a tissue sitting on our desk, couch, or in our pocket.
And the winner is…
LastTissue excels in real life situations without trash cans present, like on a hike, driving, or on a bike ride. The convenient travel pack can act as a mini trash can temporarily. Just don’t throw the tissues away, throw them in the washer instead!
That doesn’t mean reusable tissues don’t have potential to be unhygienic.
When LastTissue is used incorrectly and more like a handkerchief stuffed into our pocket, they can be very germ spreading.
Contrastingly, when single use tissues are used correctly and thrown away right after, they are very hygienic. Unless they rip due to a heavy blowing of boogers of course, but we won’t see that happen with LastTissue.
There is still an issue when single-use tissues are used correctly, which is what they do to the environment as well as our mindset and habits.
Reusable tissues (especially LastTissue) are hygienic in a more variety of real world applications. But if we always use tissues next to a trash can, then we might as well choose the equally hygienic and more environmentally friendly option which doesn’t even require one.