Whether you use them to do your part to be a little greener, or your city/state has enforced a bag ban – you probably own at least a few reusable shopping bags. (I personally own a few dozen since I never remember to put them in the car and end up buying more each time I shop.)
My usual routine is to come home, unload the groceries, and then cram all the bags inside one giant Central Market bag, shove them in the bottom of the pantry and forget all about them. But that routine is changing starting this weekend. Something I never thought about before is the stuff that gets left inside those bags – namely bacteria and mold.
The Canada Times found that “64 per cent were contaminated with ‘some level of bacteria,’ about 30 per cent had ‘elevated bacterial counts’ higher than what is considered safe for drinking water, 40 per cent of the bags had yeast or mould, and some of the bags had ‘an unacceptable presence of coliforms.'” (Yep, coliforms, as in “found in feces of warm blooded animals” via wikipedia)
It should probably be obvious that the fruit, vegetables, leaky milk jugs, and packaging that’s gone through who knows how many hands would be covered in some pretty nasty stuff, but how many people really wash their shopping bags between each use?
How To Clean Reusable Shopping Bags
Fortunately its pretty easy to get rid of the mold, bacteria, and yeast with a quick warm water and mild soap rinse. Hang those bags to try on a clothes line (or hang them on your kids’ swingset like I do for all of my line-drying needs) and fold and store them when they are totally dry. Its also a good plan to bag meats and fish separately, as well as put your produce together. And if you like to purchase in bulk from warehouses like Sams and Costco, try taking your own plastic bins to carry items home in, a quick rinse with the hose and some dish soap will leave them clean and ready for the next trip to the store.
How many of you still use plastic bags for shopping? If your area has banned them, how has it affected the shopping experience for you?