If your plastic zip-top baggies are stuffed in the back of your kitchen pantry or drawer, you have a couple of options. You can either pack sandwiches every day until they’re gone, or you can use one of our easy plastic bag hacks. We’ve cracked the code on using this staple kitchen tool in more ways than one, and you might be surprised at how useful they can be. Here are our favorite tricks to make use of those extra bags you have laying around.
Make a funnel
Believe it or not, a funnel can be replicated easily with a small sandwich bag. Simply snip off the end of the bag and put it over your desired container. Then, fill the bag with the liquid you want to transfer. It’s as easy as that!
Color cookie dough and frosting without stained hands
If you’ve ever used food coloring to tint cookie dough or frosting, you know just how messy it can get. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to avoid stained hands. Just add the dough or frosting to a plastic sandwich bag with a few drops of food coloring and mix the dough until the color is fully blended. Keep dough in the bag if it needs to chill in the refrigerator. If not your dough is ready to roll. For frosting, check out the next hack that uses a plastic bag to design and decorate with ease.
Use as piping bag for icing
Skip the fancy piping bags and use a resealable plastic sandwich bag to decorate your cookies. Simply cut a small hole at the corner, add a metal piping tip, and fill the bag with frosting. Be sure to cover the hole when filling to avoid a messy countertop.
Soften hard marshmallows
There’s nothing more frustrating than pulling out a bag of marshmallows and realizing they’ve gone stale. That’s where the magic of the plastic bags comes in. Simply place the hardened marshmallows in a sealed plastic bag, then immerse the bag in gently warmed water from a pan, and say hello to fluffy ‘marshmallows in no time!
Make snack bags in a jiffy
This hack is so easy, you’ll be mad you didn’t think of it yourself. If you’ve ever needed a snack bag but only have large plastic bags on hand, heat up a knife over a stove burner and use it to cut the larger bags in half. In an instant, you’ll have to-go bags for your favorite treats.
Dispose of cooking oil
Not sure what to do with old cooking oil? One thing’s for sure, you don’t want to toss it down the drain. You can use plastic baggies to dump the used oil in once it’s cooled and then dispose of the bag in the trash. Your plumber will thank you.
