Plastic bag management

With a concentration on ziplocks

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I store a lot of things in Mason and other jars. But plastic is undeniably useful, and ziplock freezer bags in particular are not something I can see myself doing without.

However, they are expensive (especially those 3 gallon ones) and I don’t like wasting things. I store my homemade bread as well as other rather benign, non-bacteria-spreading foods like blanched veggies, cookies, and so on, in those freezer bags. They might need a rinse, but then what? To be re-used, the bag needs to dry out. (If meat, of course I throw the bag away.)

I don’t like plastic bags hanging around my sink area at all. I have tried other methods, but this is what works for me:

I strung a string line across the corner of my pantry. I leave clothespins on it. After a rinse, the bags dry there.

I wouldn’t put meat into a used bag, because sometimes there are tiny holes from the sharp bread crust edges as you’re rummaging around in the freezer, and you don’t want meat juices dripping when you’re thawing. But these used, clean, and dry bags are perfectly fine for loaves, etc.

The housewife always thinks in terms of a “usage hierarchy,” moving things down until they are totally worn out!

Maybe you have a spot for such a little line in your laundry or utility room. It’s really only about three feet long. I keep thinking it could be more aesthetic, but it works for me this way.

And yes, that is my old kitchen sink out that window — I asked my husband to make a stand for it and connect it to the hose!

Be happy at home! As with everything here at the SFH, the best thing is for you to take my ideas, which come from my experience of escaping feminism to enjoy the gift of 46 years of marriage, seven children, and more than a score of grandchildren, and apply them to your situation with discernment, prudence, and confidence — and a sense of humor!

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