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! 
Yes, please reuse the ziploc bags you have and then try not to buy more. Plastics, especially plastic bags are a big problem for sea turtle survival. Leatherback sea turtles only eat jelly fish. The turtles have poor eye sight and looking up from the depths of the ocean and seeing a plastic bag filled with water looks a lot like a jellyfish to a leatherback. If they eat it, they will die. They don’t have teeth, just large spikes in their throat for catching and eating the jellyfish. God has provided for them well. We must help out too. Reuse the plastic bags you have and try not to buy any more.
Most people reuse their Ziploc bags, and there is now a great way to wash, dry, AND fill your Ziploc bags. This product is now being sold to the general public. To see more about this new product and the informational video go to f-ertless.com. Thanks. Pat
I have been reusing ziplocs for years. I don’t bother turning them inside out. I just wash them in the sink of soapy water with my other hand washables. I think they would take up too much room in the dishwasher and I would think the super hot water wouldn’t be good for them.To dry them, I have three empty wine bottles next to my sink, I just hang them on there. They dry in no time-easy. My mother hangs hers upside down with a magnet on the refrigerator.
Great site, where did you come up with the info in this piece of writing? Im glad I found it though, ill be checking back soon to see what other articles you have.
I use them for going thru the airport – put all of your keys, change, etc in the bag – it simplifies security, its clear and you can grab it all at once
Thanks for sharing the tip of kneading dough in a bag. That will make recipes much quicker and neater.
YES!! I’m not the only one who reuses Ziplocks!!! I’ve never thought of the dishwasher. I’ll have to try that. My drying tip: (Re-used) disposable plastic cups. They store easily, can be used in mass at large gatherings, can be thrown out if destroyed. They are also a great size for sandwich bags. For gallon sized bags I used 2 cups. I also ry to use old yogurt containers (my relatives save them too) be cause they wash easier and result in less squooshidge.
is the plastic in Ziploc bags really dishwasher safe? this sounds so much more convenient (and thorough) than the hand-washing I’ve been doing…but I know high heat makes plastics leach…
It is safe. The high temperatures are only a problem when there is food inside the bag while being exposed to those temperatures. The dishwasher really is not a high temperature either. I have found after further practice, that the dishwasher is definitely not as effective in cleaning them than hand-washing though. Sometimes they get filled up with water and then get stuck in various parts of the dishwasher. You could try the little gadget that fits into your dishwasher for this purpose. I think someone else mentioned it in the comments.
At Lehmans.com they make racks for drying ziplock baggies, I think they only run about $15.00.
i once saw a cool thing to put in the dishwaser to clean ziploc bags but now i cant find it has any one seen it
I’ve been hearing things about using plastics to store food in; there are things in it that leach into the foods. I’m starting to pick up glass jars (pickle jars, etc.) to store things in, though they aren’t alsways as convenient.
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……???
Maybe I don’t know something that you all do, but why don’t you just dry the bags with a towel?
Awesome post.
I never thought to pop them in the dishwasher… duh! lol
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
The DISHWASHER! brilliant!
I would have never thought of this. It seems easy, too, especially with the dishwasher. Thanks!!
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!
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Super post!
Great tips. Thank you for the ideas.
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!
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.
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
“other things” cost money too. Cheap bags that don’t close airtight will make the food go bad faster. Just rewash the ziplocks. Also, you get what you pay for – cheap can equate to using dangerous kinds of plastics that leach out chemicals into your food. Plastic bins are not always safe to put food into.
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!
I love ziploc bags and finding ways to reuse them. Thanks!!
Definitely some great tips, thanks for sharing.