PreZero’s reusable plastic bags are made for the long-term—at least 125 uses.
Of course, you probably won’t use your bags for the exact same thing 125 times in a row, so odds are they’ll eventually get dirty. So how do you get 125 uses out of them? Well, California and other states with strict bag regulations also say we have to make plastic bags washable, so all you have to do is clean them!
Here are some tips on washing the most common types of reusable plastic bags:
- Hand wash option: Wash them in your kitchen sink and hang them upside-down to dry. You can also use a disinfectant spray, wipe them clean, and then allow them to dry.
- Machine wash option: Toss them in your washing machine (skip the bleach) in cold water on the gentle cycle, then hang them upside-down to dry.
No, cloth isn’t cleaner.
A lot of people swear by reusable cloth bags because they feel natural. What they don’t realize is cloth bags require a lot more maintenance than plastic to keep clean. They have to be thoroughly washed at 140 degrees in order to kill the bacteria lurking in crevices and fibers. The firm, smooth surfaces of plastic bags allow them to get much cleaner, faster than cloth bags while using fewer resources. Cleaning reusable plastic bags is a great option, and the best one available.
Paper isn’t even in the race.
Sure, you can reuse paper bags for certain things, but once groceries get them wet, they’re well on their way to breaking, even if you allow them to dry. And if they’re wet from raw poultry, letting them dry won’t do anything about the bacteria that may have left been behind. Also, as far as we know, there haven’t been any successful attempts to wash paper bags either in the kitchen sink or a washing machine (and we sincerely hope no one has wasted money trying to do a study). As we’ve pointed out before, plastic beats paper every time.
Whether you wash plastic bags in the washing machine or by hand, you can be sure you’re doing good things for the planet by using the most environmentally friendly bag option.