I have spent the past 2 days looking at every possible way to store plastic bags on the Internet. Pinterest, for example, has about 10 really cool looking ways to store them that are linked to over and over again.
You know the types of bags I'm talking about. Those plastic grocery bags you have to use when you run into the grocery store without your reusable cloth bags, because you left them sitting in your trunk.
The people of Pinterest, for some reason, believe I want to iron, fold, flatten out or roll my plastic bags. I do not. I want to shove them. I don't care if they look particularly cute while sitting under my sink. I don't care if they impress people with how cleverly they're arranged. I want to shove them under my sink so they're easy to get at and don't float around the entire cupboard when I want to grab one.
Why, after bashing around the grocery store with a cart that alternates between only going right and skidding to a stop every few feet, coming home putting away the groceries, realizing I forgot the mandarin oranges and the inevitable cleaning out the fridge to make room for the peppertettes I was again compelled to buy … would I want to sit down on the floor, flatten and fold all my plastic bags into thirds, lay them on top of each other and roll them into a tube? I would not.
The intention of course was to find a brilliant way for storing plastic bags, which I would then introduce to you. I could picture it immediately. Me finding the ultimate plastic bag storage idea, implementing and photographing it under flattering light, you my adoring readers gasping and holding your hands to your hearts. This was exactly how Nobel Prizes were won.
But all of the ideas were … O.K., if I'm being my true self … they were ridiculous. If I'm being "hey I'm a blogger and every idea has at least some good in it …, they were ridiculous.
The worst thing about these storage ideas and in fact, dare I say it, Pinterest in general, is it's often based around super-cute photos. I love Pinterest for inspiration but when it comes to some of the DIYS, they excel more at highlighting the overuse of chalkboard lettering than actual usability.
The biggest problem with all of the plastic bag storage solutions was they took too much time to do and … they didn't work. One suggestion was to stuff all your plastic bags in a can with a plastic lid, cut a slit in the lid and pull the bags you've shoved into the can out. Great. Paint the can all pretty and stuff.
The problem with this solution is it's only the first bag that will pull out of the can and the rest just stay shoved in there until you pop the lid off to pull one out and 5 or 6 randomly assert their freedom at the same time.
The other big one on Pinterest was the flag fold. Laying out any garbage/plastic bag and folding it up into a triangle like a tiny flag to be presented to a family of freedom fighting mice.
I've done it before. I'll admit it. I've done the flag bag. It's the kind of thing you'd sit and do while watching television. But it isn't a solution for a quick way to stash plastic bags.
Then there's the roll er up solution. This involves laying out you plastic bags, bag by bag, flattening them out and then folding them in half. Then you place bag after bag after bag on top of each other until you've run out of room or bags or sanity and then you roll them up. This creates a neat little roll of plastic bags that you're supposed to be able to pull out from the centre with the next bag following in succession.
The first problem with this is the fact that when you come home with more plastic bags in a day or two you can't just add them to the roll. You have to save the bags up and wait until you have enough saved to make another roll. Which means you shove them under your sink like you always did and never, ever make another roll again.
The rest of the suggestions were too ridiculous to even consider. Like sewing an old shirt up and filling it with plastic bags. Huh? People are even reupholstering boxes and crates complete with trim, piping and batting. omg. I just wanna find a place to shove my grocery bags and it's looking more and more like that place is going to be up Pinterest's ass.
Don't misunderstand. I will spend an inordinate amount of time on ridiculous things. This Sparkle wipe dispenser for instance. But some things are worth my time and other things aren't. YOU may think an upholstered, piped crate specifically for your bags that will take up more room than just shoving them inside themselves in your cupboard is a great way to spend your time because you love reupholstering and you just ran out of solid white, 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzles to do. But I do not.
To each his or her own. (I'm just saying that to at least appear somewhat accommodating on the subject)
So what was my solution? How did I solve the great grocery bag dilemma?
I didn't.
You're up.
[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="5342563"]
J reed
I used to buy 12 packs of pop and fill the empty box with my plastic bags! The part that you punch in to carry it would be the opening to take a bag out. I hung it up vertically leaving the top open to add more bags. I placed it on the side of the fridge using strong magnets inside the box. I stopped buying pop and forgot about this. Oh well...off to the store tomorrow for more pop!
Jaylah
Well, Karen, you certainly know how to make a girl feel inadequate. ;)
A very crafty friend from England made me a beautiful one like Jennie Lee mentioned, and sent it to me for Christmas a few years ago. I did stuff a few bags in it and hang it in my kitchen because the fabric she made it from is so pretty, but....
I have a medium-sized cup-hook screwed near the top center of the inside of one of my under-the-sink cabinet doors and I have a bag hung on that. When I bring more home from the store, I just shove them (any old which way) into the hanging bag. When it gets full, I grab it and take it next time I go to my favorite second-hand store. They use them when people buy several small items and it saves them from having to buy as many new. (You can also take them to your local food pantry to use when they give out groceries.)
Then, the next plastic I bag I bring home goes on the hook and I start the process all over.
Karen
I'm not sure I have room for that in one of those under cabinet doors without having the bag stuffed full of bags push over my cleaning products, but it seems like a good simple solution! ~ karen
maggie van sickle
Wow Karen you opened up a can of worms on this one. Cheers Maggie
Karen
Clearly! ~ karen
toni
i havent had time to try it but i had the idea of using the sleeve of an old sweater. seems like it would work. cant wait to try it /.
Erin
I have this. It would fit in nicely with your existing linen!
http://atomicgardenoakland.com/products/fog-linen-work-plastic-bag-holder
Karen
That is easily the nicest one of those things I've seen. Thanks Erin! ~ karen
Alice
I just solved that problem. I took one of those zippered plastic packages that sheets and blankets come in, cut a round hole along the bottom, stuffed it with bags and closed the zipper. I just have to pull them out one at a time thru the hole and stuff more in at the top.
Brenda in Baton Rouge
My neighbor and I are planning a garage sale. I've been saving shopping bags for several years to use when we are ready. To eliminate having them scattered everywhere I (1) take one bottom corner and squeeze it through my hand to get the air out and (2) then tie it in a loose knot. Reduces the size and makes it easier to store. I use the $.99 canvas shopping bags from Rosses to store them in. I haven't counted but you can probably get close to 500 in one bag. After so long I had to find a place to store the many bags.
Sarah
Thanks SO much for the great laugh!
"and it’s looking more and more like that place is going to be up Pinterest’s ass."
:-)
Camille
A tube of fabric (large paper towel roll size) with elastic drawstrings at both ends. The top end has a loop for hanging it on cabinets. It can hang on hooks by trashcans, on the inside of under-sink cubbies, ...wherever. You can add and subtract bags from both ends. I tend to shove small bags on top and larger (Costco pillow-sized potato chip bag shopping bags) on the bottom.
Karen
Ah yes. That's been mentioned by a few people, it's a popular one. Probably tied with the ikea bag holder. :) ~ karen!
Janet
Only you could write a post about those stupid plastic bags that we all love to hate and get 100 comments! You are priceless and I need to go write a post myself...you inspire me!
Mary
Here's a neat one, fold the bags in half lenghtwise, place the bags in a linel with the handle of the second bag laid ove ther bottom of the first bag, repeat for as long as you wish, then roll the line of bags into a roll, Place a runbber band around to hold it closed or place in a cylinder contain and pull bags from the midde when yiou need one.
Cheryl Johnson
I didn't read all the comments or reply's to How to store plastic bags but my solution was kleenex boxes after they are empty I glue or tape the boxes back to back and then stuff the boxes with plastic bags once they are full I do the same with them all and put them in the bathroom cabinets and the bedrooms and the kitchen that works perfect for me. I use kleenex all the time and plastic bags so they are right there when I need it and not trying to pull it up or out of anything. My family likes it too.
Kelly
try this bag holder. it works. it's about $3
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80010222/
Mindy
Wow, that's a lot of comments.. I'm supposed to be watching the Super Bowl, so I can't read through them. So I'm sorry if everyone else said what I'm about to say. I bought a plastic bag holder years ago. Couldn't have been more than twelve dollars. Bags get shoved into a hole in the top. There's a slit in the front that you pull them out of. Mine hangs on the wall in our utility room. It ain't pretty, but it works beautifully. Screw Pinterest, Google it.
Melissa
I've got the perfect way: don't use plastic bags! Commit to remembering your reusable ones, and you won't have this problem!
:)
Karen Jeanne
I had the ikea bag holder thing, but I seem to have misplaced it, because I never got around to hanging it in my pantry. Stupid. Before that I had a kitchen hand towel that was sewn into a tube, lengthwise, with an elastic loop for hanging. (Easier to hang than ikea's screws and adhesives.) Both of those options work the same way: shove bags into the top, yank bags out of the bottom.
jBess
Here's one more that loves the ikea holder :)
TucsonPatty
I have one more comment on the "forgetting the darn reusable bags at home or in the car...". I have the sacker just place all the groceries back in the cart (they all fit in there when you wheeled it up to the cashier, didn't they?) and then I wheel it out to the car and put them in the trunk, back seat, floor, wherever they will fit, and then when I get home, the multiple trips in from the car are my exercise for the week! (Month?) ; ) If I have lots of small items, I grab a bag from the house on one of the trips back out to the car. I never take the bags with me any more. I carry around recycling almost all the time and if I need, there is usually a cardboard box hanging around in the trunk. When I was a wee one in small town western Kansas, they didn't use no stinking bags. We had our groceries taken out to the car (by the store owner, no less!) in the boxes in which the grocery store got their products!
The more things change, the more they stay the same. (recycling) I, by the way, come home with very few bags, but usually from a friend's house, and they are "folded" thusly- take hold of the bottom of the bag by the two corners, shake, fold in half the long way (both handles are pointing down), fold again same way, then smooth down against your body with one hand while folding in half inward, and then again. This takes all the air out of the darn thing, and it doesn't fly open so very much. I'm not obsessive about the folding, but this is how I fold all my bags, large and small. It works! I do use the one bag to hold them all method, but I don't have many. I pride myself on throwing whatever I have just purchased into my (large and sometimes one of those reuable shopping bags!) purse. I am a no-bag lady! Thanks for listening/reading! Love you lots, Karen, I talk about you to many, many people!
Alex
Like *everyone* else said, I use the Ikea thing deal here. Two bucks. Inside the pantry door. Done.
Molly
OK, I'm late to the party, and I didn't read through all the comments. So, I apologize, if this was mentioned already.
In my hall I've a chest of drawers with one drawer dedicated to... you guessed it... PLASTIC BAGS! They go all in there, the large blue IKEA bags, sturdy large ones duvets and pillows come in, rolls of new large trash bags, nice plastic and paper bags, and on top of these go the grocery bags, roughly folded in half.
I've used this drawer for plastic bags successfully for several years, but suddenly found it a waste of good storage space. So I tried a nice basket on top of a high shelf in the hall. It didn't work. Too cumbersome, too messy. After a month or so I moved the bags back into the drawer, and they lived happily ever after...
For smaller amounts of bags you could take one really nice cotton or (my favourite) straw bag with longer handles which you can hang on a hook at the wardrobe or coat rack (or wherever you want ;-)). Into this nice bag you then shove the ugly plastic bags. Fast and easy.
I'm just realizing that plastic bags in my home belong into the hall. How strange...