What to do with old cloth bags?

firebubble

Clearing out my stash of cloth bags, I found some which were too stained and scruffy to be presentable, so put them through a cool wash.

Unfortunately the printing on most of them has now faded and/or the bag has shrunk.

They look just as scruffy now as before. The question is, what to do with them? I can't find anything online, other than putting them in for textile recycling.

I always thought I was doing good things for the environment by choosing these bags, but if they can't be cleaned, they don't really last as long as a plastic bag which could be continually reused, and probably take up far more resources to produce in the first place.

I wondered if anyone here has come up against the same issue?

buildersdaughter

Hello, I use cloth bags a lot, and have for years. It depends a lot on the kind of bag you have - I have been using some of mine for years, and they look, if not elegant, at least acceptable.
Some are very faded and have the odd stain - that seems to happen with the cheaper, thinner kind. As I buy all of my fruit and veg at markets or local greengrocer, I use them there. I happily put loose potatoes, carrots, onions or similar in a bag and hand it over for weighing. Because it's being done by a person, they either knock the odd few pennies off, or weigh loose then pour into my scruffy bag.
I have a hierarchy of bags - and yes, finally they have to go for rag / textile recycling.

But I can see that if you buy fruit and veg at a supermarket where the bag has to be weighed, it wouldn't work.

This post has made me think about how old some of my bags are, and at least 2 cloth bags are 10 years old, and look OK, if a bit faded. Am wondering if that could be used to describe me: getting a bit old, looks a bit faded,wouldn't take her anywhere posh, but still useful!

unrecordings

If you mean those cotton tote bags, then yes plenty of uses. Cut the handles off and use them as a dust cover for say a food processor. With a bit of thought you could probably make an apron out of one

Shropshirelass

Try bleaching them to remove stains.

Or dye them next time you dye faded denims.

littlegreenparrot

Use as laundry bags, for swim kit/ gym kit, separating out shoes/ underwear etc in a suitcase.
Chop of the handles, fold over the top half and use as drawer separators (might need cardboard slipping in the sides to stand them up)
Or just use in the wardrobe to keep bits and pieces in.
If the fabric would work chop up and use as dusters/ cleaning rags.

Tbh I would probably just continue to use as shopping bags though, doesn't bother me if the print has come off.

maman

You could try giving them to a Charity Shop as they like to have bags available for customers.

D&DD

Any scrap fabric that's really beyond sewing with I use as tie ups for anything and everything lol leftover from my shirt factory days when they used the selvedges off the rolls of fabric.
They're very handy in the garden to tie in plants,or for making loops to hang brooms and tools in the kitchen as well.

firebubble

Thanks for all replies!

I think the best use is to give them to charity shops for them to use instead of plastic bags.

I'm not inclined to devote any time to trying to refurbish them, as I've no need for covers or aprons, although these are good ideas.

It's frustrating though - there must be more resources used to grow the cotton for the material, the pollution from the dyes, production and shipping than would actually have been used for a plastic bag, which could have been recycled.

I notice the older bags I have tend to be the ones still going strong, it's the newer ones which can't be washed.

Very, very annoying, and not actually very green at all :mad:

TraySelect

Or on the veg theme - I use cloth bags to wrap different vegetables that come in the weekly veg box.

These then go in the fridge and the vegetables keep beautifully.
The fridge is protected from any dirt on the veg.
I turn these bags inside out and shake them after use. I wash them when needed.
These bags can be hot washed when necessary. [Cool washes don't do the job].

caronc

Mine tend to have a five stage life
Used as a bag until they get beyond this,
then as veg storage bag
then as a growing bag until they begin to rot- filled with compost they're great for all sorts of veg,
then as liners/wadding for pots and baskets

and finally torn/chopped up and added to the compost bin.
By the final stage I reckon they've done their bit!

euronorris

I don't understand why you couldn't still use them as shopping bags yourself though? The only problem with them that you have described is purely cosmetic. Even those that have shrunk would still be purposeful as shopping bags, for smaller items.


Does it really matter what they look like? So long as they are still sturdy enough to do the job, that's all that matters, surely?