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How to Wash Reusable & Recyclable Grocery Bags

Your reusable grocery bags have become an indispensable part of your daily life. Reusable bags are often considered to be high-touch because they are regularly touched by other objects. Learn how to clean your bags.

Cross-contamination occurs when raw meats or products come in contact with pre-cooked food items. Cross-contamination can be further prevented by washing your reusable bag after every purchase. Double bag your groceries when shopping to protect them and your bags. You can also label the bags that you will use for meat, produce, and dry goods on a regular basis at home.

Good Cleaning Tips

When shopping bags are used to transport meats, produce, or precooked food, it is important that they be washed immediately after each use. These are some more cleaning tips:

Before washing your bag, remove the bottom insert.

Use a disinfecting spray to clean the inserts, which are typically made of cardboard or cardboard covered in vinyl or fabric.

To ensure a better cleaning, turn each bag inside-out before washing.

When handwashing a bag, pay particular attention to the seams.

Clean Canvas and Fabric Reusable Bags

Instruction labels may be available for protecting your natural canvas shopping bag. These cleaning methods can be used if your canvas bag does not have instructions.

Wash it with hot water and your regular detergent. To kill other bacteria on fabric, hot water is required.

Line dry the canvas bag or put it in the dryer.

Hand washes in hot water. Air dry any mesh, hand-knit, or crocheted grocery bags made from any material including jute.

You shouldn’t take a canvas bag or cloth bag into the store until it has dried completely. A moist environment promotes mold growth.

If you don’t want your canvas or cotton bag to shrink, don’t put it in the dryer.

Clean Polypropylene Reusable Bags

Hand-wash woven bags made from composite man-made fibers such as polypropylene or recycled PET (a type o plastic resin), or run the gentle cycle in your washer with warm water. These are some tips and tricks:

If you don’t have time to wash your bag, use Lysol or an antibacterial wipe.

Air-dry bags made of polypropylene.

If you use chlorine bleach to clean reusable bags, it will cause damage and the weakening of the fibers.

Polypropylene bags should not be dried in the dryer as they can melt.

Cleaning Nylon Reusable Bags

You can wash a nylon bag without insulation in the washer or hand wash it in warm water. These are the do’s and don’ts to remember:

Warm water and a gentle cycle are recommended for washing bags.

Hand washing should be done with warm soapy water.

When washing your bag by hand, pay attention to the crevices and nooks.

Air-dry nylon bags.

Nylon bags should not be dried in the dryer as high heat can cause them to melt, distort, or become weaker.

Clean Insulated Reusable Bags

Insulated shopping bags and totes should be washed as often as other reusable grocery bags. These bags are made from heavy-duty nylon and waterproof cooler bag liners. Make sure you spray or clean any zippers on your bag or tote.

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