As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, a simple task like grocery shopping has become stressful for many people. If you opt for reusable cloth or plastic bags, it’s more important than ever to keep them clean.
Consumer Reports tells you the right way to clean and sanitize them. How you should clean your bags depends on whether they’re fabric or plastic. But first, you should pick the right bag for what will go inside.
You can put packaged raw meat and poultry in the disposable plastic bags that are still available at grocery stores before you place them in your reusable bag. Keeping either type clean and germ-free is quick and easy.
For fabric bags, you can just toss them in the washing machine. For the reusable plastic bags, wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe or spray, or wash them in warm, soapy water. You’ll want to do this after each use and especially after bringing meat home.
Fabric bags can be put in the dryer after washing, but air-dry reusable plastic bags before using them again.
CR recommends rotating your reusable bags to help them last longer.