where did all the soft cotton bandanas go????

How about a Buff?

Or I just googled "cotton bandana" and Amazon has them for around $1 each? Not what you're looking for?

Try your local JoAnn's Fabrics. The one around here carries some.

I bought a couple at REI not too long ago. 100% cotton.

that's what I mean – those $1 bandanas are NOT all cotton anymore – they are some weird poly blend that's stiff and scratchy and never seem to soften up.

And if you read the reviews of the Amazon ones you'll see people complaining about how scratchy they are……

Has no one else noticed this??

I guess I am weird….

My bad. I just went by the item description which said 100% cotton. I didn't read the reviews, but did notice that the ratings were mediocre.

I've noticed and am also suffering.

I tried making some out of retired bed sheets. Way too thick & heavy, and fat seam way, way to heavy.

Right here: http://www.rei.com/product/807983/carolina-mfg-paisley-bandana “soft 100% cotton” They have them in the stores around Chicago too.

KJ

The REI ones are nice and large but need easily a dozen washes to get past this stuff and scratchy phase.

> Has no one else noticed this?

I noticed. I was using the crappy ones, then got lucky and found an old one in some ski gear I was getting rid of… but I don't know how long that one will survive.

Jennifer,

I may be off base here, so pardon me if I am, but even a new cotton bandana will never feel as good as an old favorite. I have a blue bandana I use for my face. It has perhaps two or three cotton molecules left (I mean it is really on its last legs0, but it’s as soft as a downy chick. None of my newer bandanas feels anywhere near as soft.

A lot of the time, there will be something like “all cotton” or “100% cotton” imprinted on the border of the bandana itself. I look for that and “colorfast”. A non-color fast red bandana makes an interesting conversation starter when pre-filtering out floaties from your water. No, my last name is not Jones, and no I haven’t ever been to Guiana.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin’ Jim’s Blog

You could try washing them in woolite. My friend used to own a t-shirt shop and she warned everyone who bought her shirts not to wash them in woolite because it dissolves the cotton t-shirts. Perhaps this is the effect you actually would need to soften those kerchiefs.

Yes Ken, they SAY "soft 100% cotton," and I've purchased maybe half a dozen of these. But THEY LIE. They are NOT SOFT. They may be cotton (I doubt it…), they do not absorb liquids, they are rough on your skin.

Have you actually felt these in person??? If not, DON'T believe the hype! heck, even read the reviews, you'll also get plenty of folks saying they are scratchy and stiff and need dozens of washes before they are soft again…..

I may just get some nice fabric from Joann's and just make some squares myself…….

My dad has them all. He bring them all when he hikes so if you see him, just get one. It'll prolly have some snot on it AND some cooked food as he cant remember which color is for nose and which color is for cookset.

But really… he has all of the soft bandannas.

Yeah, I suspect that since all the bandanas I've seen in the last several years have been from China, they have a different definition of "100% cotton" than we do or something. I've bought the REI bandana just because I liked the pretty lavender color – it's faded almost to white with several washings but still is not soft like my old red and navy blue ones (which never got used all that much, but are still in good shape and soft).

For my nose, I've made big dedicated hankys out of thrift store silk shirts – very soft, light, and dry quickly, but not as good for general purpose use.

"My dad has them all. He bring them all when he hikes so if you see him, just get one. It'll prolly have some snot on it AND some cooked food as he cant remember which color is for nose and which color is for cookset.

But really… he has all of the soft bandannas."

HAHAHAHAHA I KNEW they were somewhere!!!!

my mom uses an old napkin as her snot rag, that she keeps in her pocket. And she wonders why she is always getting a cold…..

I've noticed also. I have one soft old red one left and guard it with my life. Have several others that are stiff and scratchy and sit in the drawer. I read somewhere to soak them in fabric softener for a day – haven't tried that. Someone else suggested thrift stores. I see a marketing opportunity here….

Peasants.

I have a qiviut bandana. Nice and soft.

Cheap polishing cloths: http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/SZ990004/Pack-of-Four-Polishing-Cloths-12-inch-x-12-inch-Each

Smaller than a bandanna, thicker, soft. I use 'em for potholders sometimes.

Ironic you posted this…cause a box of them just showed up at my house!

I had been feeling the same way, so I called up my old man and had him ship me a few of his older ones. No I'm not bragging ;) the thing to do might be to find a gentleman of a certain vintage (pre-1950 I'm thinking) and/or profession (anything construction/contracting/mechanic related might do) and those are the guys that were raised to always have a hankie in their pockets.

For a cute outdoorsy girl such as yourself, you won't have to ask twice…

I have felt them in person…I used one for the whole JMT. ;OP"

…now my white bandana is permanently brown.

Da Google knows all

Googled "cotton bandana made in the USA"…

Campmor came up:

http://www.campmor.com/cotton-bandanas.shtml

And looks like Rooster139 is your soul mate as s/he wrote this:

"Comments about Carolina Manufacturing Cotton Bandanas:
I was very pleased to find cotton bandanas made in the USA. I had been looking everywhere to no avail. I found some bandanas made in China which claim to be 100% cotton in another store but they are so rough and scratchy that they are virtually useless, very poor grade of cotton. The bandanas at Campmor are much better, they are the old bandanas of the brand called Hav-a-hank which I used to find in the stores. The lighter colors seem to soften quicker than the darker colors so if softness is a desired quality I would buy the lighter colors."

I do believe we have a winner?

Sure enough…Hav-A-Hank is an American company that offers both domestic and imported bandanas. I too have noticed that my old bandanas are far thicker and softer than my more recent purchases. Darn, this is a great community…Ya learn somethin' new every day, dann poor day if ya don't" as my old Vermont father-in-law used to say.

Sneeze…and then call over Charlie the dog, who's always up for a massage. Problem solved.

You're welcome.

All are on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bandanas-Extra-Large-27-Trainmen-Biker-Headwrap-Bandana-Red-Black-White-Blue-/190868869553?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2c70abd1b1