Washing the grocery bags.

When I say washing the grocery bags I don’t mean the plastic ones you get from the store.

I have what’s termed over here in Australia as ‘green bags’ even though they come in all colours of the rainbow and differing advertising. My Mr25 many yrs ago worked at a car parts etc store, he got them cheap and I’m still working my way through those to be replaced when torn.

They get banged around in the boot of my car empty, they get knocked around on the stores trolley hook while shopping, they get moved around in the trolley when full and then it’s back in the boot of my car to come home. They collect dirt and who knows where those trolleys have been.

When I bring my bags in they go on the floor, not my clean bench tops, and I pick up a bag at at time to empty items out onto the bench or table to be put away. When all bags are empty they then go straight back in my car boot for next time.

So every couple of months they go into the washing machine with a healthy dose of vinegar to be washed and line dried.

Some people use calico bags, others string bags (I lose things out of string bags).

My mum gets the occasional plastic bag to line her kitchen bin but uses green bags and cold bags as well.

I also always have bags that fold into themselves and clip up/zip up into a small pouch that go into my hand bag  so that I have a bag to carry any bought items when doing the other ‘bits’ of shopping. I hate collecting plastic bags.

As it’s hot over here especially summer, I have soft cold bags (with freezer bricks) for the refrigerated items that also get washed and wiped out more often.

What do you bring your groceries home in?

 

 

4 comments

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    • Kathleen Cateson on August 31, 2016 at 4:32 pm
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    I also use the “green bags” for shopping. I also do a shop every now & then without them to get a supply of plastic bags for my kitchen tidy. My bags also get a good wash with a dose of vinegar

  1. Kathleen, I’ve made many a walk back to the car because I’ve forgotten to take Into the shops those lovely green bags lol

    • Merry Pinbender on March 27, 2019 at 8:36 pm
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    Hi,
    The best green bags I have are over 20yrs old. I got them from a grocery chain store (long since merged and merged again). They are made from rip stop nylon, somewhere between 4 and 6 mil? Sturdy but still cloth like with handles made from strapping, think school or day backpack. This is the best part: they have a drawstring that closes with a three quarters inch long piece of flexible clear tubing. No matter where you slide it, it stays put! Fully closed or partially, heavy content or sticking out the top! I never have anything escape and I don’t have to fight with knots. I should also say the string is actually what we call Paracord, a cord enclosed in a nylon cloth tube. ( Originally for parachutes ). The clear tubing is half inch I’d, the Paracord is quarter inch diameter.
    Love all the down to earth ideas. Here’s one I got from an almost centenarian. Never buy a coin purse with dark lining, it makes it harder to see the coins!😃

    1. Hi Merry, I have to say I also have some shopping bags from many yrs ago though probably not 20 lol. I do still have Mr 24’s library bag from pre school (preps now) I use this as a general catch all bag in my car, good old calico! There is much more variety out there to make bags now days. Thanks for your input.

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