Hankettes

Specialties

We hand-​make nearly 300 different herbal & organic cotton products for homes, bodies, & more. Our purpose has always been to help people & planet by offering products which reduce waste and pollution. We are a family of four and we each have our functions at the business. Rob is the bookeeper and shipper, Johno is the techy web guy, Sarah is the packager and graphics gal, and I (Lesley) take care of managing, customer service, sales, content writing, supplies, some cutting, sewing & silk screening, liquid soaps making, etc. In addtion to the four of us, our friend Lynda works one day a week and cuts, sews, and embroiders.

We make organic cotton handkerchiefs, herbal body care products, natural soaps, organic cotton baby care products, herbal baby care products, essential oil blends, natural perfume oils, organic cotton coffee filters, and much more!

History

Established in 1996.

Our eco friendly cottage business reflects our personal philosophy of sustainability, enjoyable and rewarding work. Our product line continues to grow, always with the idea of replacing standard disposable products with reusable organic cotton ones. We started in our Vancouver, BC attic in 1996 making reusable boxes of washable organic cotton handkerchiefs. We had a baby and toddler at the time. A year later the biz moved into the basement because our family was growing and so was our business «baby» (and product line). We don’t want to «get rich» in the traditional sense. We want to put food on the table, pay our bills, have a roof (and walls and heat), clothe our family and enjoy a holiday now and then. Wealth is measured in the simple and full life we have created for ourselves and the quality products we offer our valued customers.

Meet the Business Owner

Lesley R.

Business Owner

I started Hankettes back in 1996 because I am an allergy sufferer and an environmentalist. I never liked using paper tissues because they are wasteful, create dust which aggrevates allergies, and they hurt your skin. I decided organic cotton hankies were a much better choice and figured other folks would agree. Well, here we are 16 years later and now we make nearly 300 products all of which reduce waste and pollution.

I believe each of us can make a difference in this world. My passion in life is to have a sustainable business and a sustainable life. One in which my ecological footprint is as tiny as I can make it, and to help others make their footprints as tiny as they can too.