Plastic Bag Uses Options

[Zoes_Mommy]

Sorry I havent posted a tip in months. I am going to try and get back on track (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Uses for plastic bags
How many plastic bags do you have on hand? How about garbage sacks? Or bread and grocery bags? No matter how much we try, we wind up with an assortment of plastic bags unless we just throw them out, and what frugal person does that??

Being a frugal person with a little green bent, and a hoarder of sorts, too, I cringe when I have too many plastic bags on hand. I just have to get busy and use them up some way.

If you know more ways, email me at frugalliving.guide@about.com and let's see how many uses there really are for the lowly plastic bag.

Caution: Some are concerned that lead MAY be present in the ink/paint used on bread wrappers. I've not been able to find out, but to be sure, don't use bread sacks inside out.

# Cut bags into strips and crochet, knit, weave, or needlepoint a door mat, or a tub or shower mat.
# Wear between your socks and shoes to keep your feet dry whether your shoes stay dry or not.
# You can freeze food in bread sacks, it just won't keep as well as heavier plastic. If you have food you'll use up within a month, it's wasteful to use expensive freezer bags. Save those for the long term storage.
# Use larger ones to line trash cans. Gladys adds: Keep a few extra in the bottom of the trashcan, so there is always another one to put in.
# Use as disposable gloves for tasks that don't need fine finger use.
# Cover a paint brush with plastic bags when you go for a break, or even overnight. Make sure the bag is closed tightly and your paint won't dry out on the brush.
# Carry one or more with you when you go walking to pick up aluminum cans, trash or treasure.
# Keep grocery bags in your car to tie around your knees in case you have to change a flat tire in your good clothes.

Many thanks to you readers for the following ideas!

# If you wrinkle them up, they are good packing material when moving, sending packages, or storing Christmas stuff.
# Carry a few in the diaper bag to hold soiled clothes and wet/dirty diapers.
# Put dirty rags in a plastic grocery bag and tie a knot with the handles and dump in laundry bag without fear of making everything else smelly or dirty.
# Put delicate (or easily dirtied) clothes you will clean later or bring to the drycleaner in grocery bag and tie a knot with the handles and dump in laundry bag without fear of having them get dirtier or smellier than they already are.
# Use dark garbage bag to cover expensive stuff sitting on back seat or behind front seats in your car.
# Use plastic bags instead of plastic wrap to put pizza or other food in the refrigerator.
# Return them to grocery store: sometimes they give money for them (like 5 cents each).
# Use them when walking your dog to clean up deposits. With your hand inside the bag, pick up the pile, then turn the bag inside out while still on your hand, tie and drop in the trash.
# Sponge paint with them instead of buying an expensive sea sponge. Crumple, dip in roller pan, dab on paper, and apply randomly to the wall.
# A reader bought a bed skirt at Goodwill that came with pillow shams. She didn't have extra pillows to put in them, and she didn't want to spend money for them, so she took a couple of old pillowcases, stuffed them full of plastic bags, pinned shut with safety pins, and popped into the shams. As they flatten out, she can add more bags. These are not comfortable to lay on, but for decoration, you cannot tell the difference.
# Sometimes this reader takes popcorn to work as a snack. She carries it in a reused bread bag.
# I use my excess plastic bags to fill draught excluders, the long snake like things you put in frount of doors to stop hot air from escaping. I make them using old fleecy tracksuit pants. Cut the leg off the pants and split it open along the seam, then cut it to the length and thickness you want. Sew it into a tube, sew up one end, and stuff it tightly with excess plastic bags and sew the other end up.
# This reader's son wears cloth diapers at home, but has to use disposables at daycare. Sometimes after they get home, he has a BM in his disposable. To keep odors down, she wraps the diaper in the plastic bag the diapers came in, or in a grocery store bag. These go into the trash can. Same principle as the Diaper Genie, but less expense and waste.
# Use flat bags taped to your bench as a wonderful non-stick and disposable surface on which to roll pastry (you may need to still use a little flour). You can also cover your rolling pin tightly in it. The pastry peels off like the backing on prebought pastry sheets.
# To add to the idea of using them for soiled diapers, I hang a plastic grocery bag next to the changing table out of reach of the little ones. Wet diapers go directly in the grocery bag. Soiled diapers go into the long plastic bags the newspaper is delivered in, or produce bags from the grocery store, tied shut to minimize the odor, and then into the grocery bag. At bedtime, right before I shut off the lights, I grab the bag, and the baby's day of work goes into the trash!
# For a foot-beauty treatment apply any kind of creme or lotion to all areas of your toes and feet, then cover with a plastic bag tied loosely, then a sock over that. Wear it around the house or to bed.
# One reader says that handled grocery bags make great refrigerator storage containers for large bowls of food. She just puts the bowl or pan at the bottom of the bag, pulls it up over the sides and ties it.
# She also uses the same handle tie grocery bags to put raw meat or poultry in the refrigerator so they can't leak onto the shelves and cause bacteria problems
# This reader uses a plastic bag as a salad spinner. She lines a bag with a light towel or a few papertowels. Place your washed lettuce/greens inside and spin the bag around. If the bag gets wrapped too tightly, let it dangle and spin the other direction to loosen and start spinning again. Centrifugal force works like a charm!
# Another reader tells us that plastic bags can be used to make balloon curtains poof out, and the outside effect is just the same as tissue. She uses the grocery store size for this. Another reader adds: I hung pouffy valances over the windows. I wanted them to be really puffed out, so I just stuffed lots of plastic grocery bags in the valances and they are beautiful. I don't worry about them losing their shape, because the plastic stays in place balled up.
# A reader says that when they put away the Christmas decorations each year, she puts each string of Christmas lights in its own plastic grocery bag and ties it shut. No more tangled light strings.
# This reader says when she gets a good clump of grocery store bags (both paper and plastic) she takes them to the local food/clothing bank. They are glad to get them and she knows they are re-used. Some of the clients bring the bags back for several weeks until worn out.
# She also drops the bags at her local thrift shop - same principle; and since she buys some clothes there, she returns (or declines in the first place) their bags for reuse!
# Another reader uses them: Put several on your hand to serve as protection from poison ivy. Just pull up the plant with the bagged hand, carefully turn bag inside out and dispose of properly. No ivy touches your hand and no poisons are used.
# Another use for the plastic grocery sacks is to donate them to daycare and preschool centers. Many times they use them to send home soiled clothes.
# Another reader says: I bundle and take them to the library. They especially need them for rainy days or people checking out videos. They love to see me coming with a bunch.
# I use plastic bags when breading chicken, chops or coating vegetables with flour and cornmeal mixtures. I just put all of my seasoning into the bag, wet the meat or vegetables and let them sit for a while so that the flour coating is thick. Then put it into the hot fat to fry.
# A reader writes this: When you take a loaf of bread out of your bread maker (or out of the oven) pop it directly into a plastic grocery bag. Leave it for about 10-15 minutes, remove it and wrap it in a towel until cool, then return it to a plastic bag for storage. this method gives you a loaf of bread with a nice, soft crust.
# I keep all of my lunchmeat/cheese, sandwich bags, condiments, etc all in one bag instead of the deli drawer, of my fridge. When it is time to make a sandwich, everything I need is right there.
# When working for a rather frugal vet, we placed an empty litter box inside a plastic bag, then put a scoop of cat litter in the box on top of the plastic (Just enough litter so the cat could scratch and cover). Then when we needed to clean the box, we took the bag off and tossed it in the trash, put on a new bag, a new scoop of litter, and had a clean box. At one point we used cardboard box tops from beer cases discarded from grocery stores and set them inside plastic bags for litter boxes. The bags kept the cardboard dry, and when the cat left, we threw the whole thing away.

found at about.com

[Funkiemommie]

Any Kroger afflicated store (the are all over the country, Smiths, Fredmeyer, Kroger) will give you a couple of cents off your grocery bill for bring back plastic grocery bags. Its like 3 cents per bag.

[ashleighgurl]

Thanks for all the ideas! I would have never have thought of most of them .. And, I had no idea that some stores will actually pay you for them. lol

[Cassandra T.]

I have just read this... I am making a spider costume for my daughter... I was wondering what I can stuff the arms with.. plastic bags!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bluecheer.gif)

[stepmomtoTDK]

I use plastic grocery bags when I'm decorating . . . For example, when I have a clay pot or basket that I'm going to fill with greeniery or flowers, I'll stuff the pot with my old grocery bads to hold the flowers/greeniery in place . . . This is SO much less expensive than buying the foam from Wal-Mart of a fabric/craft store!! Also, if I need to add height to something, I fill it with the bags then add the decoration on top. Recently I got a basket and wanted to fill it with the little wood orbs that are out right now but they are VERY expensive so . . . I filled the basket with bags then addes 3 orbs to the top just to make it look like they were over flowing . . And no one can tell!!

Just thought I'd share!!

[Aaron Nicole]

I use plastic bags to dump kitty soil. I have TONS of plastic bags. lol