Plastic bags are handy, but when used and tossed they are expensive. It doesn’t take long to wash out a bag and hang it to dry. They can be used over and over this way. If there was just lettuce in them, I rinse them out with water. For pasta or something with a little oil, I use clean soapy dish water. When the weather is good I hang them outside on the line. When it’s not, I use clothespins to clip them to a hanger in our laundry room.
The bags dry best wrong side out. When that side is dry, I turn them right side out to finish drying, then fold them and put them in a baggie box saved for washed baggies. Then we have a choice in the drawer to grab a new bag or a washed one, depending on the purpose. If it’s for us, I reuse them. If I’m packing something for a guest to take home, I grab new.
If your baggie has been used to store raw meat, toss it–don’t even think about washing it. Otherwise, enjoy reusing your disposeable bags!
If you are going to wash and reuse your baggies, spend a few cents more for the thicker freezer bags. They will last longer and withstand washing beter.
This post was originally published July 2009
angela i have one caution about this: if you are prone to seasonal allergies and/or live in an area that has a high pollen count, hanging the bags inside might be a better idea even on sunny days.
this is why we can rarely hang our clothes out to dry–the pollen that comes inside is enough to set off both mine and esp. ella’s allergies to a nearly unmanageable level.
Good Tip, Rowena! Thanks for chiming in.