A handkerchief or hanky is a square of fabric, usually carried in the pocket, for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or blowing one's nose.

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.

Handkerchiefs of different colours can identify gang affiliation. For instance, the Crips use blue hankerchiefs, and their rivals, the Bloods, use red.

See also

• Handkerchief codes
• Homer Hankie