10 uses for plastic grocery bags
If you’re at all like me, you’ve got close to 100 plastic grocery bags stuffed under your sink, in the closet, and in the garage. Rather than stock-piling the grocery bags for another two years, here are ten alternative uses:
Plastic Bags as Knee Pads
Need to kneel in your garden to pull weeds, or on the street to change a tire, but don’t want to preserve the memory eternally on your pant legs? Grab a couple of plastic bags and tie one around each knee, covering the entire area that will be exposed to dirt and grime.Plastic Bags as Hand Protectors
Fact: There are some things you’d just as soon not touch with your bare hands. Use bags as gloves to handle what’s messy (say, chicken carcasses) or just plain gross (like the little “presents” the dog leaves in the front yard), then turn them inside out to trap the offending matter inside for easy disposal.Plastic Bags as Paint Preservers
You’re painting the kitchen when an emergency (kid’s sick at school; Brad Pitt is Ellen’s special guest) calls you off the job. To keep brushes and rollers from drying out, place them in bags and tie them or wrap them with rubber bands to keep air out. The tools will stay moist and protected for a day or so.Plastic Bags as Makeshift Rain Hats
A 30 percent chance of rain…hmm. Do you tote around an umbrella (maybe for nothing) or head out sans protection (and risk getting drenched)? Third option: Tuck a plastic bag into your pocket or purse. Then, if you’re caught in a downpour, you can use it as a makeshift rain hat to protect your do.
10 Smart Uses for Old Plastic Bags – [Real Simple]
Tags: 
Loading ...
Comments
Jennifer says on March 15th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I use mine as packing material for my eBay shipments.
Neversay says on March 15th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I seriously dislike sites that make you click through 10 pages like that. Why???
Dale Cruse says on March 15th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
I use mine as garbage bags constantly. In fact, I haven’t bought a box of garbage bags in probably 12 years.
Glenn says on March 15th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Notice they didn’t show a picture of someone actually wearing one as a hat. How dorky is that? I agree with Neversay about the click throughs. What a pain.
BTW, Heloise suggests keeping plastic bags in an empty square tissue box. I tried that and it works like a charm. Takes up much less space and unlike a cardboard paper towel cylinder, they’re all easily accessible.
theora55 says on March 15th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
If there’s a dog park in your town, they should be able to recycle them as poop collection bags.
Doug Bromley says on March 16th, 2007 at 1:48 am
They also make good bins. They’re not the most attractive bin but they are practical.
jazzle says on March 16th, 2007 at 3:52 am
Here in the UK the big supermarkets have started providing reusable bags or ‘bag for life’ made of thick plastic. That way you don’t go through hundreds of bags.
20 years ago we used to have our own bags and baskets, we still can.
J-Mo says on March 16th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I use them for throwing away disposable baby diapers. Keeps the stink down until I take the trash out.
Major Fun says on March 16th, 2007 at 10:51 am
see also Baggy Ball
http://www.deepfun.com/2005/05/baggyball.html
SpencerAR says on March 16th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
For those of you who don’t want to click 10 times, click on the Print Option for it to open in a new window containing all of the suggestions.
Another thing do do with one? Compress the air out of it, tie it in a know and stick it in a jacket pocket or medium-large sized purse…you never know when you’ll need to carry something (that you wouldn’t put in said jacket or purse) and it takes up very little mass :-)
–s
Ed Fiske says on April 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
U.S. Military Base Commissaries (Grocery stores) now have available those “pertinent” (or at least long term use)bads for us shoppers. Lots of people are buying them. They hold 3 times more than paper or plastic, have great handles and store flat. We keep them in our car for shopping trips. And their color. You guessed, GREEN.
PS we use many of the ideas above , great ideas to share, Thanks. Ed