I'll admit it: throwing away a perfectly good Ziploc bag after using it once can feel a little wasteful.
If the bag held a few crackers, a sandwich, or some dry ingredients, why not wash it out and use it again?
In many cases, you can reuse resealable plastic bags—but there are some important exceptions.
The key isn't simply whether a bag looks clean. What was inside it, how thoroughly you can clean it, and how completely it dries all matter.
So before you turn that pile of used plastic bags into your next dishwashing project, let's talk about when reusing them makes sense, when it's better to toss them, and how to clean them safely.
Can You Wash and Reuse Ziploc Bags?
Yes, some resealable food-storage bags can be washed and reused, particularly when they've held dry or relatively low-risk foods.
Ziploc's current guidance says its brand bags can be reused after hand-washing and air-drying, but the company does not recommend reusing bags that have held raw meat, fish, eggs, or potentially allergy-triggering foods.
For example, a bag that contained crackers or dry snacks is very different from one that held raw chicken.
That's an important distinction.
Not all used bags should be treated the same way.
When Is It Reasonable to Reuse a Plastic Food Bag?
If a bag held a relatively dry, low-risk food and is still in good condition, washing and reusing it can be a practical option.
Think about things like:
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Dry cereal
- Bread
- Cookies
- Dry pasta
- Washed produce
- Packaged snacks
- Non-food household items
A bag that held dry crackers, for example, usually has a very different cleaning challenge from a bag covered in raw meat juices.
And if you're reusing the bag for a similar low-risk purpose, the process can be fairly simple.
When Should You Throw the Bag Away?
This is where I'd draw a much firmer line.
Raw meat, poultry, fish, or seafood
