A mum has revealed the ultimate grocery hack – and she’s been using it for almost two decades.
The New Zealand woman said she has used the same four Coles shopping bags since 2006, but washes them regularly to keep them looking and smelling fresh.
She only owns five shopping bags – including one insulated container – and has in turn saved hundreds of dollars on paper and plastic shopping bags.
“What a lovely sunny day here, thought I would wash my shopping bags,” she shared on Facebook alongside an image of her drying rack.
“I left them in the bathtub with hot water and dish soap. Then I drained it and ran cold water over it while lightly scrubbing them with my wash brush. Spinned in the washing machine and now they look like new again!’
The New Zealand woman said she has used the same four Coles shopping bags since 2006, but washes them regularly to keep them looking and smelling fresh
The mother said washing it by hand uses the least amount of water and electricity and works just as well as her washing machine.
Many cashiers praised the mother for keeping her bags clean and told horror stories about their experiences at the counter.
“I remember my days at checkout, some bags smelled so disgusting I had to hold my breath to avoid vomiting and scan as quickly as possible,” one person shared. “I don’t understand how anyone can eat food after being packed in those smelly bags.”
Another said, “As someone who works the cash register at Cole’s, thank you! The amount of stinky bags we have to deal with, whether it’s urine soaked or the stench of cigarettes, it’s so disgusting.”
Others revealed that many shoppers don’t even wipe away their freezer bags after flesh and blood leak out – with one even spotting a dead mouse in a customer’s shopping bag.
The mother said washing them by hand uses the least amount of water and electricity
Washing your shopping bags will not only keep them bacteria-free, but it will also save you a lot of money and inconvenience in the long run.
Thousands of consumers have consistently criticized the paper bags that supermarkets have switched to, with many claiming that they are not as sustainable as the plastic bags.
Many also tend to leave reusable bags at home and buy the 25 cent shopping bags at the counter.
While the sum doesn’t seem like much right now, it certainly adds up over time.
Many others said they also wash their bags regularly, with one even admitting to using her mother’s shopping bags from the 1980s.
“You don’t have to keep buying bags, keep them clean and they will last forever,” said one woman. ‘I love my mother’s, I have to sew one. It ended up with a stress crack, but it’s from the ’80s and it did a great job.”
“I use fridge bags for everything and often get compliments from the checkout staff on how clean my bags are,” says another. ‘I spray them with vanilla after use. Good job, yours looks great for 2006 bags.”
“I have canvas ones that are foldable and have snaps to hold them when folded. There are only three, but they are nice and big. “I’ve had them for 15 years and I regularly put them in the washing machine,” said one mother.