# Plastic ziplock baggies: best thing since sliced bread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438 "2013-08-28T20:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/1 "2013-08-28T20:58:27Z")
…or sliced cheese. I have fallen in love with these modern inventions, and stock all sizes. Here’s why they are so good: They group small parts together so you don’t lose something that’s part of something else. I can gather all thumbdrives together so I don’t lose one in the cracks of another storage medium. I can gather all mounting parts for a camera in one place. They cushion stuff in a minor way (stuff some padding inside if you need more) and allow me to toss computer or electronic parts in a big box with little danger of damage. When I get a new gadget, which often comes with accessories, a disc and a manual, I put all of this in a large baggie. No more lost manuals, warranties, accessories or driver discs. And it takes up less space than the original packaging, which never seems to allow re-packaging without excessive fluff. If they get torn or worn or crinkled, I can replace an old one with a new one for very little cost. They are somewhat moisture resistant. If I am caught in a rainstorm with a gadget bag, they prevent major water damage to stuff. I can write on them with a fiber/felt tip pen: “batteries, new” or “batteries, used,” info that is not obvious by looking. I can color-code items by inserting a small, colored card inside: red means these batteries need recharging, green means they are charged. I can put business cards in them and the cards stay in better shape than in a pants or shirt pocket. A bunch of items in a bunch of baggies is quite flexible, and fits in a backpack or soft case carrying bag. Baggies keep non-related items from touching and scratching each other. I can put dog biscuit in one and not have it get inside my camera bodies. I can put two bananas in one, and two cookies in another. Is there anything baggies won’t do? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/2 "2013-08-28T21:04:48Z")
I write notes on a scrap piece of paper and put it in the bag with loose parts. _Screws and washers from coffee pot_ I used to keep my floppy disks in a ziplock bag. I’d include a scrap of paper reminding me what was stored on them. I have trouble writing on the plastic bag. My handwriting gets too hard to read with a Sharpie. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/3 "2013-08-28T21:13:50Z")
I don’t know. I prefer presliced bags to put my ziplock-bread sandwiches in. But seriously, yes, to all of the above. Quart and gallon ZLBs are miracles of modern science when it comes to keeping all your shit together. I bought 100 small ZLBs - about 3x3 inches - a while back and found them very useful for small sets of screws, etc. that would be lost in even a quart bag. Ran out. Need to find more. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/4 "2013-08-28T21:23:44Z")
On the rare occasions when I travel, I am reminded of even more reasons to love ziplocks. I like the way they keep my toothbrush clean in my suitcase, without allowing the damp brush to touch anything other than the inner side of the bag. I like to put my meds in the little daily bags, so that I can just grab a bag and gulp down the pills in one drink. And I particularly like to seal any liquids that I have in my checkin bag in a ziplock, just to make sure that I never again open my bag to find that all of my clothes have had a nice shampoo and/or conditioning treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/5 "2013-08-28T21:24:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I bought 100 small ZLBs - about 3x3 inches - a while back and found them very useful for small sets of screws, etc. that would be lost in even a quart bag. Ran out. Need to find more. 🙂 The smallest I’ve seen in the supermarket is 6x3. Smaller ones can be had thru shipping/parts suppliers, but you might have to buy 5000 as a minimum! Almost forgot…baggies are really useful for keeping cables from getting tangled. I have a headphone with a long, coiled cord that I carry everywhere, and it gets tangled with other stuff in my camera bag. Put it in a gallon baggie and it stays separate. And other cables (USB, phone, firewire, AC, etc.) can be stuffed in baggies without having to coil them or wrap a rubber band or tie around them. Very compact, very separate, even in a big box of many cables. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/6 "2013-08-28T21:28:55Z")
Why do you have a ziplock bag full of old batteries? But if you’re looking for something they don’t do well, they don’t hold things many college kids enjoy. Both green and white stuff get caught in the zip lock mechanism so you have to use regular baggies. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/7 "2013-08-28T21:45:34Z")
> [@](#): > > The smallest I’ve seen in the supermarket is 6x3. Smaller ones can be had thru shipping/parts suppliers, but you might have to buy 5000 as a minimum! Look in the pharmacy, you might find tiny ones that are about a third of that size, in more reasonable quantities for a regular consumer. They are meant to hold several pills, either a daily dose, or the noon dose, or whatever. Also, hobby and craft stores sell very small bags, for very small parts. I work on small cross stitch projects, and I keep the needle and floss and fabric and guide in a bag. Easy to carry, and this way I don’t mix up the floss with another project. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/8 "2013-08-28T21:51:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Why do you have a ziplock bag full of old batteries? Primarily temporary storage. I have bags or bins full of batteries in various states:[ul][li]brand new alkaline, ready for use[_]slightly discharged alkalines, not suitable for starting a recording session or using in a camera, but suitable for other uses like electric toothbrushes and wireless mice, so I hate to throw them away[_]discharged alkalines, kept until I can dispose of them, but I don’t want to mix them with good ones[_]fully charged LiON or other rechargeables,[_]LiON or other rechargeables that are in need of charging when I can[\*]rechargeables that have reached the end of their useful life and should be safely disposed of or used only for short sessions, but that I don’t want to mix with good ones[/ul]Does that answer your question?[/li] > [@Joey\_P](#): > > But if you’re looking for something they don’t do well, they don’t hold things many college kids enjoy. Both green and white stuff get caught in the zip lock mechanism so you have to use regular baggies. I don’t have that problem, but there are several different kinds of locking designs. Perhaps another one would work better for this purpose, and there’s always a twist-tie. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/9 "2013-08-28T21:55:13Z")
**[Uline has every size imaginable in reasonable quantities.](http://www.uline.com/Grp_5/Poly-Bags-Reclosable)** Maybe we could go in on a gang order of 2-3 useful sizes in 1000 lot and divvy them up… ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/10 "2013-08-28T22:26:59Z")
Zip locks are the greatest. Being frugal, I wash and reuse. I wish they would make the bottoms with rounded corners. Much easier to wash. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/11 "2013-08-28T23:01:56Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Is there anything baggies won’t do? Break down and disappear forever? Please switch over to kraft paper or wax paper bags. [That island of plastic’s only getting bigger.](http://janakatemartin.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/trash-island-and-media-coverage/) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/12 "2013-08-29T00:06:45Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Break down and disappear forever? Please switch over to kraft paper or wax paper bags. No fucking way. Plastic is good BECAUSE it doesn’t deteriorate like paper or get soaked through. It lasts longer than kraft paper or wax paper. It’s reusable. What ecology-minded person likes throwaways over reusables? What a boon to mankind when plastic baggies were invented and we didn’t have to put up with that awful, 2nd-rate stuff. I just thought of another good use, but this works best with bags that have an airtight closure, not the sliding zipper one. I can put partly-open envelopes of seasoning inside a baggie and it protects the contents from bugs. If I don’t, I sometimes find tiny moths have crawled inside paper folds and made cocoons. Plastic prevents that, also keeps the contents from drying out or absorbing moisture. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/13 "2013-08-29T00:19:19Z")
bags can be reused for years. meal moths in their younger life forms can chew right through plastic bags. the eggs might be on what you’re saving inside. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-ziplock-baggies-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/667438/14 "2013-08-29T02:37:51Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > meal moths in their younger life forms can chew right through plastic bags. the eggs might be on what you’re saving inside. Hasn’t happened yet.