Plastic Bags

Originally uploaded by laundrylessons.

I have four varieties of plastic bags - the Ziploc sandwich, the Ziploc gallon, the tall kitchen and the grocery store. All these bags are used in the laundry, a few are even stored on the shelf in the laundry room. Yeah, I know this is supposed to be a little wisdom for the laundry but trust me, I couldn’t get through half the messes I do, especially in the summer, without plastic bags. Here is the breakdown of why I use plastic bags for the laundry:

First, the grocery store plastic bags. These bags go in my car. A nice pile is kept in the way back. Then when a kid falls in the creek, or pops a water balloon (that his mom didn’t know was in the car) or spills a milkshake on his pants, the dirty or wet piece of clothing goes in the grocery store bag. The bag is emptied into the soak bucket.

Second, the Ziploc sandwich bag travels with Merritt. Every time we leave the house and need to feed her the Ziploc sandwich holds a bib and spoon. When the meal is over the dirty bib goes back into the bag. The bag is emptied into the soak bucket.

Third, the Ziploc gallon is packed for trips in my carry-on. I do not travel with out the gallons. Bathing suits that took once last dip in the pool, the change of clothes from the amusement park, and soiled burp clothes all end up in the gallon bag. The bag is emptied into the soak bucket.

Finally is the Kitchen Tall. This is my everyday trash bag. Some have handles or ties, right now mine are the cheap ones from Sam’s Club. These bags carry home the kids’ muddy, trashed clothes from camp, wet towels from the pool, damp blankets from an outdoor concert and tablecloths from the picnic in the park. This bag is not emptied into the soak bucket, but rather goes directly to the wash.

So although some people who are a bit more “green” than I may have a problem with all my plastic consumption, these bags save me when wet, slimy, and dirty messes abound. If you use a plastic bag for all the nasty stuff then you only have to touch it once. It works for me!