This Wednesday: Tips for using Ziploc bags.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: Tips…for using Ziploc bags.

For years, I hesitated to use Ziploc bags. I’ve always loved them, but it seemed very wasteful to buy a bunch of plastic bags, especially because so often they'd just be thrown away. (I knew I would never be one of those people who will wash and re-use Ziploc bags.)

Then, when we moved, we made a big run to a discount store to stock up on all sorts of supplies: cleaners, trash bags, light-bulbs, and Ziploc bags. We bought all sizes: the prototypical “sandwich” size, the cunning, small “snack” size, the gallon, and my favorite, the two-gallon.

With all those Ziploc bags in the house, I caved. I couldn’t resist all that handiness. Now I use Ziploc bags all the time. Some suggestions:

1. Whenever I get a new electronic gizmo, I start a special Ziploc bag for it. I label the bag with the name of the device (“Vaio laptop," “digital camera”) and the date. Inside the bag, I put all wires, disks, manuals—all the paraphernalia that come with a new piece of equipment. I keep all these bags in one large box in a closet. I rarely need this stuff, but when I do, I know exactly where to find it. Also, if I get rid of the device, I can also get rid of the associated equipment. No more mysterious power cords that I'm scared to toss.

2. I kept messing up travel toiletry bags, because bottles of sunscreen or saline solution would explode and coat the inside with goo. Now I use Ziploc bags when I travel. Not very elegant, but they do the job, and if something spills, I can just get a new bag instead of trying to scrub toothpaste off the interior of a proper toiletry bag.

3. My pet peeve is toys that don’t come with their own container. The loose pieces fly everywhere and drive me crazy. Now, I swoop down the moment a new toy is opened and make a labeled Ziploc bag to keep together the many pieces of the Barbie hairdressing set, the Legos that build a hospital, the puzzling yet clearly highly educational set of scarves and clips that my parents gave us.

4. Anything that scatters needs a Ziploc bag. Open packages of picture-hanging nails; magic markers, Q-Tips after I stepped on the Q-Tip container and crushed it…anything.

5. I made a “fun bag” for the Little Girl—a Ziploc bag filled with small toys to grab whenever we head out the door to a restaurant, a friend’s house, a car trip. That way, we always have a bunch of interesting things to divert her. Now, as it happens, someone recently gave the Big Girl a zippy, clear backpack, so I’ve transferred the fun bag from a Ziploc into the backpack; it looks so much more fun. But the Ziploc bag worked just as well.

6. I have a bunch of labeled little Ziploc bags filled with keys: “spare keys to my office,” “key to turn off the alarm,” etc. There’s nothing more aggravating than an unidentified key, and I was having trouble figuring out a simple way to keep them labeled and organized.

7. It may seem redundant to have several grades of Ziploc bags, but it’s far more satisfying to use them when the size is right (and I know that I, at least, am far more likely to keep up an organizational system that feels satisfying). Nothing’s worse than an overstuffed plastic bag that won’t seal properly, or a big plastic bag that takes up far more room than needed, for the handful of binder clips or thumbtacks it holds.

No, I’m not in the pay of Ziploc. And I have to admit, using the bags still feels illicit—especially the fancy ones with the zip-top. But I imagine that the sense of indulgence is part of the reason I love them so much.

Comments

[reluctant housewife]

You are a woman after my own heart. I love and adore the ziploc bags. I can't travel without the huge ones!

[Shanna Swendson]

Ziploc bags are essential travel tools for me. The snack size fit a hotel-sized bottle of shampoo or conditioner perfectly, so I put my travel toiletries in their own little bags to then go inside my toiletry bag. That way I have extra layers of protection between my shampoo and my clothes.

I use the bigger bags to organize clothes when I travel. I put the underwear for the day or outfit in a gallon-sized bag, and that way I'm sure I have the panties, bra, stockings, socks or whatever that I need for each outfit together in one place. Then at the end of the day, I automatically have a dirty-clothes bag for the stuff I've worn. That's especially handy for the kind of trip where I stay a different place each night. I only have to unpack that day's baggie to have all the underwear I need instead of digging through the whole suitcase.

[Elona]

I'm just on my my out the door to buy some Ziplock bags, but I want to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. I really like your tips section, and I think that I am going to borrow your idea for "tip day' for my blog. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm looking forward to reading future posts.

[Carrie]

Another use: impromptu diaper ditty bag for stinky underthings of baby/toddler.
Zippers are good. :)

[Saul]

Ah, Gretchen, you're the greatest! Splurge for the ones with zippers! Even more gratifying!

[Brad]

LOVE your blog; just found it. So many posts resonate with me that it's ironic that the one I HAVE to chime in on is about ziploc bags! But they're an important part of my life (!) and I consider myself a connoisseur. My advice: SKIP the ones with the zippers. Reasons: 1. They actually don't seal as well as the regular, press-to-seal kind. And ziplocs are all about sealing, right? 2. The "zippers" come off way too easily, and then they no longer seal. 3. They are even more expensive than better, regular ziplocs, so whatever guilt you experience about using them is even worse. 4. This one may be hard for casual users to relate to, but by God it's true: They're for lightweights. Amateurs. Learn how to seal a ziploc; it's not THAT hard, and it's very, very satisfying. If you must, the new kind with the double seal are even easier. My wife rolls her eyes or laughs every time I say it, but when I add them to the shopping list I always specify ziploc BRAND bags, I just find them to be superior. They're a few cents more, but ziplocs are somewhat of a luxury and an indulgance to begin with, so buying cheap ones makes no sense to me. And no, I have no connection or any kind of secondary gain. I just like ziplocs.

[Kathleen]

Do you have any good ideas for how to store the boxes of Ziplocks? I have one box of each size & they take up alot of room on the pantry shelf. Thanks

[Debris]

Attention sister ziploc bag freakies: ziploc now has really, really big bags: yes, 20 gallon size: XXL. (Also XL, somewhat smaller). Suggestion for the person who asked how to store ziploc bags: use a BIG ziploc bag to store the smaller ones.

[Carlie]

For storage of the ziplock boxes, when I open a box I don't open it the indicated way, I tear one small square end of the box off so that I can slide a bag off of the roll up of bags when I need one but then I can also leave them stacked on top of eachother most of the time.... hope that helps!

[Bambang]

You got a very good site you run here. A lot of valuable advice. Thanks a lot.

[Anne]

to store ziploc boxes, and other things like plastic wrap, aluminum foil, etc, i use an IKEA plastic bin set meant for shoes called "Trones" - it is 3 plastic tubs stacked on each other that only open about 45 degrees (so they have a narrow footprint). i can keep them in a narrow space in my kitchen and use the other 2 compartments for bibs and burp clothes in one, and potatoes and onions in the bottom. it is awesome. and so are ziplocs!

[Mick]

I agree with Saul (post 11/30/2006) - Importers of industrial ziplock bags may offer many more sizes and varieties, but the big national brands like Ziploc®, Hefty® and Glad® offer much better quality. This is key for longevity - especially if you are environmentally concious and wash out and reuse your bags.

[Missy]

Well, this is just awesome! I've been searching forever for real "sound" advice about baggies. I've found the answers here, to what brand is best, and whether the zipper kinds work better/worse. = Ziploc Brand press and seal baggies!! NOW... My only remaining question...Storage vs. Freezer??? I'm traveling abroad in a few months. The trip will last about 2 weeks, and I won't be staying in the same place more than 2 days at a time. So what baggies are best for packing & pressing the air out, over and over again??? Storage or Freezer??