8 Creative Ways to Use Food Storage Bags

Whether packing lunch for school or preserving a home-cooked meal in the freezer, food storage bags are a staple in most kitchens. However, they aren’t just for food storage — they’re also a handy tool for various household projects and everyday hacks. Here are eight of our favorite unconventional uses for food storage bags.

Store Paint Brushes

Food storage bags are a great way to keep wet paintbrushes sorted and secure. Rather than washing dirty paint brushes that you will use again, seal each brush inside a food storage bag. That way, when it’s time to add another layer of paint, you can easily remove the brush from the bag, and it’s ready to go. 

Protect Your Smartphone

Taking your smartphone to the beach is risky, as sand gets everywhere. You can protect your phone by sealing it inside a food storage bag. The bag’s plastic is thin enough that you’ll still be able to use the phone’s touchscreen without worrying about accidentally damaging it. Plus, if you need to bring your phone into the ocean, the bag protects your phone from the water. Just double-check that the seal is secured and working properly.

Clean Shower Heads

If your shower head looks particularly gross, fill a food storage bag with distilled vinegar, cover the head with the bag, and secure it with a rubber band. After soaking for one hour, remove the bag and scrub the head to remove any remaining residue. Your shower head should look as good as new.

Organize Your Office

Organizing office supplies can be a hassle, especially tinier products like staples, paperclips, and rubber bands. Put each office supply into a small food storage bag to bring some order. If you don’t want to store the bags in a desk drawer, buy a corkboard and affix each bag using pushpins. 

Make Ice

Food storage bags can serve as a handy substitute for ice cube trays. Fill the bag with water and place it flat inside the freezer. Once frozen, you will have a giant ice cube. You can keep the cube in the bag, place it inside a cooler or lunch bag, or break it into smaller pieces for drinks. 

Pipe Frosting

Professional bakers can tell you that food storage bags are the best hack if you run out of piping bags while decorating a cake. Simply place a piping tip in a corner of the bag, cut the corners so the tip is peaking through, and fill with frosting. This also works if you don’t have piping tips and want to write a message on a cake or decorate it with simple lines.

Use as a Funnel

Whether you are looking for a funnel to water your plants or use in a colorful art project, food storage bags come in handy. Fill the bag with whatever material you want to funnel, then cut a small hole in one corner. Doing this allows the material inside the bag to seep out in a slow and controlled manner.

Create Packing Airbags

Consider using food storage bags instead of packing peanuts or bubble wrap to protect a package you need to ship. All you have to do is seal the bag, leaving a small opening to blow air into it. (Pro tip: You can also use a straw to blow air into the bag.) Once the bag is inflated, seal it tightly and place it inside the shipping box.

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