In today’s day and age, prices are always steadily on the rise. People are looking for ways to save money where possible, and picking up on seemingly small but sustainable practices is an effective way to do so. A solid place to start implementing these habits would be right in your own kitchen, where there’s tons of potential for waste to occur. Just take a look at those Ziploc Slider bags sitting on your countertop that never seem to last more than a couple of weeks. A surefire way to stretch that carton of bags out for longer would be to simply reuse bags when appropriate.
Ziploc bags are high-quality and come in a range of sizes, making it almost careless to toss them out if they were only used for freezing store-bought cookies or storing tubs of ice cream. To get multiple uses out of a bag, all you have to do is hand-wash it: Fill it up with a bit of warm water and soap, close the bag up, and swish it around. Then, thoroughly rinse everything out and wipe the bag down with a cloth before hanging it to dry. Once there are no signs of moisture, you’re ready to give new life to your Ziploc.
When you should avoid reusing Ziploc bags
While properly cleaning your Ziploc Sandwich bags is a way to make them safe for reuse in most situations, there are still instances in which you’re better off recycling them and reaching for a new one instead. This is especially true for people with allergies or dietary sensitivities who can’t risk cross-contamination between foods. The same goes for bags that once held eggs or raw materials such as meat or fish since a good washing might not be enough to rid the plastic of dangerous bacteria. If you’re attempting Ree Drummond’s hack for effortlessly moist omelets, for example, you want to get rid of the bags you use for that.
Another sign that it’s time to dispose of a plastic bag is if it’s simply not up to code anymore. If it’s too worn out, indicated by broken zippers, holes, overly thin sections, or suspiciously cloudy plastic, your Ziploc has served you well and can be retired. Unless you’re willing to risk using a damaged product, this can also be generally applied to other zip-top bags, even if they aren’t Ziplocs. However, it’s best to research your specific brand’s suggestions for when its bags should and should not be reused, as well as if it’s able to be repurposed to begin with.
