I am finally figuring out the routine of reusing my Ziploc bags! I have been reusing them for a long time, but was never able to clean them very thoroughly, and it took time to clean, and they always seemed to pile up in my sink and collect nasty remains from dishes, making it more difficult to clean, and the process repeats itself…but all that has finally changed! Here are my recent findings…
1. WASH: Lay the dirty ziploc bags inside out on the top rack of your dishwasher. They clean really well this way, and don’t waste any extra water to wash them by hand…plus all your other dishes get cleaned just fine!
2. DRY: Once they have been washed, you can bend the edges back and stand them up to dry. That way, the inside dries completely, and any remaining droplets will be on the outside. You can also make a baggie dryer with a metal clothes hanger, by bending it into a standing position.
Since I don’t use paper towels anymore, I have also found my paper towel dispenser to be a great tool in drying my bags!
A few other tips from The Tightwad Gazette (I thought these were great!):
- If the seams on the edges start to split, fuse together with the tip of an iron.
- If the zipper begins to separate from the bag, cut it off altogether and use a bread tab to close it.
- If a bag has a small hole, don’t throw it away yet - use it for foods that don’t need to be airtight, like popcorn.
- When do you know to throw it away? When washing the bag, fill it with water and hold it up. If the bag resembles a sprinkler you may throw it away.
- Definitely do not reuse bags that contained raw meat.
25 Uses for Ziploc Bags - I love this article! Great creative ideas that I haven’t thought of to use these nifty reusable bags for! Some ideas include:
- Use a Ziploc to knead your bread in, and prevent sticky fingers!
- Use a Ziploc to freeze whole herbs to keep them fresh longer.
- Remove chewing gum or candle wax from a tablecloth, a couch, or carpeting: Gently rub gum or wax with a Ziploc bag filled with ice cubes until the substance hardens. Shatter gum with a blunt object, then vacuum up the chips. Carefully peel off frozen wax with a plastic spatula.
I am squeezing a little more life out of my Ziplocs now! You know you are a crazy frugal mommy when you are following tips like these! 
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February 19th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Definitely some great tips, thanks for sharing.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I love ziploc bags and finding ways to reuse them. Thanks!!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:20 am
My problem is finding the space to dry them. I usually stand prop them up on the kitchen sink faucet,but wind up dripping on them when I use the sink. I’ll try to do them freestanding as you show. Hope it works!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:45 am
I never use that kind of thing: too expensive!
So you see…you could even save all the money you put in zip-lock bye using other things…
I have the less sofisticated kind of plastic bags…I ,close them with a washing pin(? pince à linge)
Or I use plastic boxes that can bee re-used over and over…
Zip-loks are very american…we can live without!!!!
When I wash them inside out I can just stick them to the tiles on the wall on top of my sink and they drye very well
February 20th, 2008 at 6:09 am
I have to give the rewashing thing another try, after reading your post. I never thought about the dishwasher–great idea! I’m brand-loyal, at least as far as freezer bags. The cheap ones just aren’t worth it. And I get great deals combining coupons and sales. But it would be nice to reuse them!
I like the reusable containers, too. However, they take up a lot of room. The nice thing about Ziploc or other bags is that you can flatten them out, LOL!
Lindsay replied on February 20th, 2008:
I agree. The cheaper brands just don’t last as long, and fall apart a lot quicker. I buy Ziplocs at Costco and they offer coupons frequently. I buy it maybe once a year, and it lasts forever.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Great tips. Thank you for the ideas.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Super post!
February 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am
This is a keeper post. I never thought the life of a ziplock bag could be so long…An all this time I have been killing mine at such a young age…I feel so guilty.
I must do better…I will do better…Thanks for your inspiration. And washing them in the dishwasher…I can do this…..WOW! THANKS!
You have been tagged for the “What’s On Your Refrigerator?” meme. It is a Meme and a contest! I’ll be giving away two free books. Read all about it at http://heartofwisdom.com/heartathome
February 20th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I would have never thought of this. It seems easy, too, especially with the dishwasher. Thanks!!
February 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
The DISHWASHER! brilliant!
February 20th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Ah! The Great Ziploc Debate continues! We’ve been “chatting” about this over at my place and there have been lots of good ideas. I will have to link to this post next time we ask “Ziplocs: Evil or Reusable? Discuss.” Thank you!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I guess that makes me a crazy frugal mommy, because those are all things that I have been doing- who knew I had stumbled upon all the right tricks? Once mine start to get holds in them, I definitely still use them for non-air tight items, and also for my kids stuff- art supplies, storing toys with small pieces, etc.
I’ve been able to get mine pretty clean just by hand, but I might give the dishwasher a try! The way I dry mine is to use long cooking utensils (long soup spoons, wooden spoons, spatulas, etc.)- I just put them in the air drying rack on my counter, and place the wet bags upside down on them. I will often have 5-6 drying at one time this way!
February 21st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Those are great tips. We’ve had the same problem with dirty ones piling up, so we’ll definitely be giving the dishwasher a go.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I do reuse the ones that had raw meat in them: I wash them out then use them to put scraps from dinner in to throw them out. I don’t feel so bad about wasting them that way, and the garbage doesn’t get stinky!
June 29th, 2008 at 7:42 am
wow! you really can find absolutely anything on the internet…i love looking for new “green” ideas and these are great! thanks for the post.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Awesome post.
I never thought to pop them in the dishwasher… duh! lol
August 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Maybe I don’t know something that you all do, but why don’t you just dry the bags with a towel?
August 21st, 2008 at 9:21 am
I love the idea of reusing baggies. I am always looking for more opportunities to reuse and recycle. My concern about the dishwasher is the heat it produces while washing. Would it break the bag down a bit, releasing toxic fumes and petroleum residue on dishes & in the air??? I know you are not suppose to wash plastic in the dishwasher ie: plastice sippy cups, gladware, etc. I am just wondering……???