Back to Ask Maria Index Ask Maria Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Ask Maria is available. Question

Can I reuse plastic bags

for storing food?

Hi Maria! I love your newsletter! Hey, I’m a really frugal person and I have a question that my husband and I are disagreeing on. I use the plastic food storage bags with the zip-lock closure to store food in my refrigerator. When the food in any particular bag is finished, I wash the bag out, and turn it inside out to dry in my dish drain. This way, I can reuse the same plastic bag many times. My husband says that, after a while, the bags start to smell, even though I washed them…and he refused to eat food that has been stored in them. I can’t smell anything suspect. Is it all in his head? --Winnie L., Texas Response from Maria Gracia Hi Winnie, I’m going to side with your husband on this…and this is why. It’s very difficult to clean food storage bags well, especially the corners and zip-lock mechanisms. Since they cannot go into the dishwasher, they’re not sanitized well. Plus, they don’t dry quickly or thoroughly. All of this means there are germs on and in those bags. Any odor your husband is smelling means something is definitely questionable to safely eat. Instead, you’re better off storing food in food containers (I like Pyrex) or food bags (like Stashers) that are specifically designed to be dishwasher safe. They can be safely used over and over again. Hope this helps! Maria Back to Ask Maria Index