So it turns out that we’re supposed to be washing our reusable shopping bags. Even just the thought of this made me feel so exhausted, I had to go and lie down for a bit. Then, instead of going and washing my reusable shopping bags – some of which I’ve been using for, like, ever – I decided to write a story about it instead. Consider it an act of community service. 

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Why should I wash my reusable shopping bags?

You carry all sorts of things in those bags. Along with groceries – including raw meat – they’ve probably also been used to carry beach towels, dirty laundry, your kids’ sports kit and the week’s recycling. Not to mention that your cat likely crawls into them whenever you leave one lying on the floor. 

All of this means these bags are coated in a huge variety of bacteria, from E. coli, listeria and salmonella to coliform (that’s poop to you lay people). They also carry mould, and potentially even viruses. In one famous case in the US from 2010, a reusable shopping bag carrying snacks was pinpointed as the exact vehicle that caused a highly contagious norovirus outbreak among a girls’ soccer team.

And if you keep your shopping bags in the boot of your car, you may well be harbouring a germ factory back there – the warm environment of a car can allow bacteria to thrive and multiply. 

Grossed out yet? Thought so. Here’s how to take care of things. 

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How to clean reusable shopping bags

You don’t need to be washing your reusable grocery bags every day, but you should be washing or cleaning them regularly. This means every few weeks, or immediately if something spills. 

• For cloth bags, you can wash them in the washing machine with laundry detergent. Throw in some laundry sanitiser as well, if you like. Then air or tumble dry. 
• For laminated or synthetic bags, wipe them down with disinfectant or warm soapy water, especially along the seams. Then leave to dry completely. Any moisture left behind can allow mould to grow.
• Insulated or chiller bags should also be wiped down with disinfectant or warm soapy water, especially along the seams, then left to dry completely.

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Credit: Woolworths

Reusable shopping bag safety tips

Keep yourself, your family and your soccer team safe by washing your reusable bags regularly, and also by following these rules. 

• Have dedicated bags for each purpose: keep specific bags for meat and poultry, fresh produce, other groceries and cat caves. A colour-coding system is a good idea here. 
• Put meat into a plastic bag before putting it in the reusable bag to prevent spills. 
• Don’t use reusable bags for gym clothes or dirty laundry: use gym bags and laundry bags instead. That’s what they’re for. 
• Store your bags properly: keep your clean bags in a cool, dry place – not in the boot of your car.
• Unpack your groceries as soon as you get home: leaving damp groceries sitting in the bag gives more time for bacteria to grow. 

Remember that reusable shopping bags aren’t eternal. If your bag is torn, has a mysterious stain that won’t go away or smells like something crawled into it and died (hopefully not your cat), it’s time to say goodbye.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some laundry to do. 

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