AIBU to refuse to wash DH's nasty stinky handkerchiefs?

[SuperMumNot]

DH has always used handkerchiefs and I've always hated them - nasty, unhygienic wrinkled things .

He always has one in his pocket and at bedtime he transfers it to under his pillow (boak...)

He's a sniffling sort of person - always blowing his nose loudly (usually when I'm trying to talk to him, which also annoys me!)

I've tried to convince him to use tissues, but he won't.

He used to stick them in the laundry basket with the whites until one day, when I was ironing a nice linen white blouse of mine I noticed that there were bits of sticky green snot on it, which had obviously been transferred in the wash (more boak...)

Since then I've told him that he has to keep them separate and wash them himself at 60c/90c and they are not going in the family wash since lots of the rest of the washing gets done at 30c/40c as it's not really dirty, just used.
I've also said I'm not touching them - taking them out of pockets, or retrieving them from under the pillow!
I wouldn't expect him to collect/handle my used tissues, so I'm not sure why this is any different?

Now he's started putting them in with a coloured wash of his own at weekends, but is always making snide remarks about how 'petty' I am being.

AIBU?

[VulcanWoman]

The people saying OP is being unreasonable, did you miss the part when OP was ironing her blouse and it was snot ridden.

[peggyundercrackers]

Vulcan if the blouse had snot on it then it can have any number of things on it that were also in the wash. If the washing machine isn't removing snot I would be thinking there was something wrong with the machine or I had used the wrong washing cycle.

[wheresthel1ght]

Vulcan if her blouse had snot on it then she needs to address her capabilities at using it. If it isn't removing snot then any poo or wee in underwear is also likely to be on her blouse

[VulcanWoman]

I think you're are underestimating the indestructibility of thick green snot, awful stuff.

[SuperMumNot]

Tea towels and bedding washed at 60c - don't want snotty hankies in with them!

Peggy - generally no shit on pants - why would there be? Do people not use loo roll?

There's no problem with the washing machine, I think it's just that
a) DH's hankies are very snot-ridden (eugh...)
b) 30/40c not hot enough for them, but fine for most of our other whites
c) I really don't see why I should be expected to have to handle them!

I do remember once reading a science article about how ALL washing at temperatures less than about 60c was just a 'warm soup of mixed bacteria'

[VulcanWoman]

My mum used to boil them in a pan.

[MarianneSolong]

How would we feel if a bloke said we had to wash underwear that had menstrual blood on separately from the rest of the wash because periods were vile and disgusting?

[VulcanWoman]

Yes but snot is worse than blood. IMO.

[TheFairyCaravan]

DH still has cotton hankies. Every time we go anywhere he checks he's got a hanky, he packs them when we go on holiday. He went on about them so much when DS1 was little that DS1 had one as a bloody comforter thing!

Anyhow, I wash them in a 60 degree wash with bedding or towels and chuck a capful of Zoflora in. He's forbidden from using them when he has a cold.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I never knew people had a hankie issue. Well well well. I dont. And I have no issue with bunging grotty snotty ones in washing machine with pants, socks, shirts or towels.

[AliciaMayEmory]

Blimey, what a delicate lot you all are. YABU. Just put them in the wash with everything else. I doubt that after a low temp wash l there were bits of snot on your clothes.

[londonrach]

Hairy..i find dust comes from paper hankies as the tissue breaks apart. Put vasline on your nose too...stops the pollen getting up there. 100% good quality cotton hankies is better for me!

[HairySubject]

I am willing to try anything to avoid the sheer misery! Thanks for the tip.

[stargirl1701]

Hankies are better for the planet. We have switched back to hankies from tissues.

Your DH should be washing them himself though. I wash my cloth sanitary pads and would not ask DH to do it. We both do the cloth nappies though.

[BayLeaves]

I always thought real hankies were pointless and disgusting, DH owns about 50 of them. He suffers from all year round hayfever so if he used real hankies his nose would be permanently red and sore. Now I use them too when I have a cold, they don't irritate the skin as much.

I often do them on a separate hot wash or with towels at 60 or 90...

[londonrach]

Hairy..get the hankies from a good place (thinking marks and the men ones and make sure cotton is very good quality, the older ones sadly are better than the new ones...wish id got my grandparents collection when they died) and wash them before use in non bio, baby wash...you need them soft as more comfortable. Its hell isnt it! The Vaseline tip does work! If i use paper tissue i cant stop sneezing!!!! Tree pollen...grr

[wishfulthinking1]

I can't believe this is actually an issue.
I whack reusable nappies, reusable sanitary towels, used hankies in a general wash. Everything comes out clean. No one has died.

Honestly, the hysteria on here is ridiculous.

[Duckdeamon]

Hankies are better for the environment.

[peggyundercrackers]

Super mum when one breaks wind and the air from their bowels leaves the body I'm sure you will find bits of shit in with it...

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

And hankies are definitely better for your nose.

[londonrach]

You dont get the red nose with a real hankie i see on others in the summer who use evil tissues!!!

[DontMindMe1]

i wonder how he would feel if he had to retrieve, handle and then wash blood soaked knickers from when you're on your period (if you had any)?

i bet he'd find that 'disgusting' and refuse to touch them. i bet he'd expect you alone to deal with that particular item of laundry.

yet apparently YOU are being unreasonable for not wanting to deal with something that makes you feel icky?!

and why is he whingeing about having to sort out his own washing? are you skivvy who is meant to do the 'wife-work' AND enjoy it?

[BoboChic]

Handkerchiefs are disgusting things that need to be washed very hot.

[Oysterbabe]

Yabu to marry someone who uses hankies. Even thinking about them makes me want to vom.