There was a post awhile back where I said I didn't like the reusable bags because I didn't think they were sanitary. Most of the reusable bags I have aren't the type that I can't throw in the washing machine. I do like to use the reusable bags if I'm bringing snacks and drinks to a friend's house for a party.

Of course, the irony is: If you wash the bags after every use, that is almost certainly consuming more resources than the manufacture of the plastic bags would have.

I like paper bags better. Not only can I use them to schlepp stuff around in, but I can also put the newspapers in them for recycling (around 2 weeks worth, they fit perfectly!). When I was a kid, we used to cover our school books with them. Of course, that's unfashionable now; moms have to buy "book socks" at Staples. Although those are okay, 'cause you can reuse them.

The only shopping that might conceivably pick up bacteria and fungi is unbagged fresh produce -- everything else is packaged to death.

So don't you people peel potatoes, scrape carrots, wash fruit?

The only shopping that might conceivably pick up bacteria and fungi is unbagged fresh produce -- everything else is packaged to death.

And meat. It can leak easily.

I am so glad I don't live or work in your neck of fantasy land.

I wash them. It's not that hard and really you can pack up your groceries in them easier than plastic. For meat and milk (which also leaks on occasion) I use plastic. It works out nicely. I don't agree with the plastic bag ban though. Everyone has their preference and plastic bags are not the only trash I see on the side of the road. If we are going to try to reduce waste, we should get rid of take out food, big gulps etc...

Good lord, I'm not so dumb as to take chances with raw meat of any kind.

I don't have to do much washing either. I just bring plastic bags for meat and then save them for garbage later - under the sink. Otherwise, I just throw my cloth bag into the laundry.

I love those links! The dress made out of bags is very cool. Over the summer I took my daughter to art exhibit were everything was made from found objects. It is amazing what artists can do with trash! I wish I could be that creative.

Of course, the irony is: If you wash the bags after every use, that is almost certainly consuming more resources than the manufacture of the plastic bags would have.

Not really. You just throw them into the laundry you're already doing. I throw my bags in whenever I do a load of sheets and towels in hot water. Since I have like 10 cloth reusable bags in my apartment, there are always enough clean ones on hand for shopping.

They could do like a lot of stores do in Europe and charge a few cents for a plastic bag. That way the bags are still there if you need one, but even a few extra cents is an incentive to bring your own. Works for me!

I like the reusable bags and throw them in the laundry as well, but I also like the plastic ones - they're great to reuse as trash bags in the bathroom.

Bottom line is this should be my CHOICE.

Little Shiva, I don't know what the situation is where Amy lives but here in Seattle, where a plastic bag ban was effective last July 1st, stores can still provide them (thicker, reusable plastic bags, not thin, single-use bags) along with paper bags, but they have to charge for them. The store I usually go to charges 10 cents for a plastic bag and 5 cents for a paper bag.

Also, as this article notes,"one-use plastic bags can still be used for produce, meats, dry cleaning, newspapers and take-out food."

It might be a good habit to spray hydrogen peroxide into the bags after using with meat or other produce that might harbor bacteria. Bleach would work too, but fumes are harsh and can cause spots on clothes/carpeting if oversprayed.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a safe, sanitizing cleaning agent and is good for spraying countertops to cleanup after prepping raw chicken.

I wouldn't throw re-usable shopping bags into my laundry unless it was on a sanitize cycle. After watching Consumer Reports video studies on the effectiveness of washing machines on the hot cycle, they have found that the bacteria from one item often just gets spread through all the items. Nothing like having dirty undie germs or re-usable bag chicken dripping bacteria on your
facial washcloth or pillowcase ... this, of course, for those who just toss it all in together into the hot load & then into the dryer.

These new washers are so computer-programmed to perfection for the purpose of greed in sales, so they can get the much valued "Energy Saver" label. That is, they do not use the hot water as you have set your hot water heater temperature. They add cold water to it to reach a lower temperature ascribed to using "less energy".

So, we must unthink what we assume -- the old clothes washers used just the hot water line (the temp you set your hot water heater, which was pretty darn hot back in the day. Then there are other factors when thinking of how far the hot water heater is from the washer; the further away, the longer till actual hot water gets to it.

These studies recommended that underwear and other bacteria prone items should not be thrown in with the rest of the clothes you wear or washclothes used on the face, etc. Most people believe that the clothes dryer kills the bacteria, but it does not. Clothes hung outside on the line in the UV rays of sunlight is the best way for bacteria to be killed, if bleach isn't used. Again, bleach isn't the answer to everything either, because it isn't healthy to breath in bleach fumes.

It is amazing how the "old" ways of wearing tidy whities (which were bleached and/or washed in scalding water) & line hanging in the sun were not just primitive but wise for the times. Might make you think twice about buying these new undies that can't be bleached, recommended only in cold or warm water washing and to be kept out of sun because the dies & materials are too sensitive to the UV rays.

A coworker gave us all salmonella at a potluck that the urgent care docs attributed to her reusable grocery bags and a leaky chicken package. She'd bought a bunch of veggies to cut up for a veggie tray, even rinsed the produce first, but all 11 of us got salmonella from it.

I've made reusable grocery bags out of PUL fabric (it's a laminated waterproof polyester used in cloth diapers) and I wash them with my towels every now and then, but always turn them inside out and wipe down with white vinegar. I don't use my bags for meats or dairy products though, just produce and things in boxes or cans.

You know, I wasnt a fan of the ban, but if has been conclusively proven that it kills people to stupid to wipe them down with a drop of bleach I'm all for it.

Stupidity needs a higher mortality rate

We've been using more plastic since the ban! We figured out that there was a contamination potential and now we make sure all the meat is extra wrapped and all the fruits and veggies are extra wrapped.

But now we are running out of paper bags to bag our recycling. We may need to buy more garbage bags to handle the load. We're at the point of purchasing garbage bags for our small trashcans too. We used to use plastic bags for that purpose. Also for double bagging or kitty litter.

Oh, so they're banning plastic bags so they can fill body bags?

Actually I keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in my laundry basket. If I have biologicals that aren't greasy, such as eggs, gravy, blood (ex-gf's panties) it takes the stains out.

If it is greasy -- such as leftover from fries, or fried green tomatoes, then you use the blue dish washer soap similar to Dawn™ That's also in my laundry basket.

About the only time I use bleach is to clean toilets and similar items or to kill weeds.