Can you wash a grocery bag?
Grocery shopping itself is a chore. We have all done it and we have all found the difficulties of it. When stores bag the groceries, they use cheap plastic bags that don’t do much but pollute the earth. These bags often tear before the groceries ever make it into the house. A better option while shopping is to bring cheap reusable grocery bags with you. These bags are even better when they are washable.
It may seem comical when imagining washing a shopping bag but is not so funny when it is a reusable tote bag. It is even less funny while imagining meat drippings flooding out into a bag and not having the option to wash it. This is why searching for the right bag is a must before purchasing one.
Speaking of those nasty meat drippings not only washing the bag is a helpful perk to owning a reusable bag for shopping purposes. Wouldn't it be fantastic if that reusable bag came with separate pockets that won't leak from one part to another? This is a great example of shopping for a new reusable bag with a purpose in mind.
Reusable shopping bags come in all shapes and sizes. Large reusable shopping bags are excellent for families that consist of 3 or more people. Smaller reusable tote bags are the perfect size for single people or small trips to the store to purchase just a couple of smaller items. Of course, this means that medium-sized bags are great for small families of 1 or 2 people. For a large shopping trip, there are even enormous bags on the market that have the ability to hold over 50 pounds worth of goods.
Reusable bags used for shopping are also made with a variety of different materials. Some are made from nylon while others are made from canvas. Both have their perks. Nylon seems to rip less than canvas does, but canvas holds the stitching around the edges better. Both of these bags will have a hole in it if you puncture it with a sharp object.
When searching for cheap reusable grocery bags the main thing to determine is the durability of the bag. A bag may be cheap but if they have to be replaced all of the time, they are not an economical choice. If the bag has been constructed with double stitching, then it will be stronger than most others no matter what type of material was used to create it. Another very strong material used for a shopping bag is twine or yarn. Handmade shopping bags are excellent choices for non-perishable shopping items.
Back to the washable factor when it comes to shopping bags now as it is another durable factor to look for. Inside of the bag, there should be a label. Look to see if this label states that it is washable. If it is missing this tag, then it should not be put inside of a washing machine unless it is handmade. With this material option, the creator of the bag will be able to tell you if it can go through the washing machine or not. Cheap reusable grocery bags that can be washed are made to be more durable than others. The tag inside of the bag should also state if it should be line dried, flat dried, or if it could be placed inside of a dryer.
Some reusable bags come reinforced with a thermal or insulated liner. These bags are fantastic for perishable groceries such as ice cream. If the shopping bag has a closure on top it helps keep the temperature inside of the bag just the right temperature to haul frozen goods for a longer period of time. A thermal liner will also be leak proof in case something inside of it spills. If this bag states that it can be washed it may be best to hand wash the item to keep the thermal part of it intact. It is actually advised by most manufacturers not to put insulated items inside of a washing machine. This also means that the bag should be dried flat and not placed inside of a dryer.
Only tote bags that labeled as washable can be washed as instructed.