The Many Uses of a Brown Paper Bag

You will be surprised at how the pile of old paper can have several uses. Bags have been around for centuries and they have other purposes besides carrying your belongings. Check out this article to find some of the many ways you can turn an ordinary bag into a revived object.

Paper bags have always been around. You get them at the grocery store, you use them to pack your children's lunch with, and you have hundreds of them laying around your house. Paper bags are made to be strong so that they can hold much heavier objects. Two of the best features of a paper bag are that they are environmentally safe and they are reusable.

Trash: You can use a brown paper bag as a trash holder. This is probably one of the most common uses for this type of bag. You can line your trashcan with them and add a folded piece of newspaper at the bottom, just to secure any potential spills. You can also line the paper bag with a plastic bag, just to keep from having a messy cleanup.

Wrap around mixing bowl: To avoid splattering, cut an appropriate sized opening in a brown paper bag and wrap it around the mixing bowl.

Cover countertops: Cut and flatten a paper bag and place around countertops. You can use this simple method when you are chopping, grating, or peeling veggies. When you are all done with your chore, you can roll up the bag and throw it away.

Defrost a frozen bird: Paper bags work wonders for defrosting frozen turkeys or chickens. You can prevent the outside of the turkey reaching room temperature before the inside of the bird has a chance to thaw. This is a great way to avoid spoilage.

Shakin' up: You can put fries or popcorn in a paper bag, add salt or other seasonings to them, and then shake up. The seasoning will disperse evenly throughout the bag making a sensational snack. You can also use paper bags to season and batter chicken. Just simply place chicken in the bag with flour and seasonings and shake.

Line a plate: Flatten a paper bag and line a plate in order to drain grease from fries, chicken, or other fried foods.

Ripen fruits: By storing fruits and veggies such as, avocados, peaches, pears, apples, tomatoes and more in a paper bag along with a ripened apple, you will get the most tastiest ripest treats. The paper bag will hold all of the natural gases that ripen the fruit and the ripe apple will give off these gases. When the fruit or veggie is ripened, just stick them in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Green bananas: Wrap green bananas in a damp dish cloth and then place them in a brown paper bag to ripen. When you are ready to stop the ripening process, place them in the fridge.

Dry herbs: Paper bags can be used to dry fresh herbs. You can tie loose bundles of the herbs and hang them upside down in a paper bag in a warm, dry room. When they are dry, simply remove the stalks and roll the bag with a rolling pin to crush the dried herbs. Next place them in an air glass container for storage.

Food Storage: By placing mushrooms in a paper bag you will be able to keep them fresh much longer. You can keep an onion from sprouting for two to three months by placing them in a brown paper bag on the bottom shelf of the fridge. You can store ice cubes in a brown paper bag to avoid them sticking together.

Cooler: Make a temporary cooler out of a paper bag by washing out an empty plastic milk container. Fill it ¾ of the way full of water, screw the lid on tightly and squeeze. Line the bottom of the paper bag with several layers of newspaper, about one inch thick or more. Place the container of ice on the newspaper; arrange cold foods and drinks in the bag. Fold the top of the bag and staple shut to keep food cold.

Laundry aid: Dampen and tear open a paper bag along the seams and use it as an emergency pressing cloth. You can keep wool sweaters or stretchy knit in shape by spreading it on a brown paper bag and then tracing it shape before washing. After the sweater is done washing, place it on the paper to dry and then work it smoothly into the pattern.

Dust Mop: Open a large brown paper bag and place your dust mop inside and shake. Now the dust won't return back into the air or on a surface, because the dust will be securely inside of the bag.

Pocket: Make your own handy little pocket while cleaning with a small paper bag. Tape or pin a small paper bag onto your apron or belt and then when you find little nick nacks you can easily store them in there as you clean.

Clean silk flowers: Clean your silk flowers by shaking them, with salt, in a paper bag.

Painting: Spread several paper bags around the floor of the area you are expecting to paint. This will help you to avoid messy paint spills in the process.

Snow Separator: In order to avoid having to scrape snow off of your vehicle, you can place a flattened paper bag(s) on the windshield of your car. When you are ready to drive off, simply pull the paper bag and snow off and enjoy a clean windshield.

Paper recycling: Place all of your reusable paper items into the paper bag for storage. When you are ready to recycle your items the paper bag will also be recycled.

Light a fireplace: Crumple up small paper bags with some crumpled newspaper and ends or pieces of candle to make a wonderful fire starter for your fireplace.

Breathing: Paper bags are great if you are having a hard time breathing or beginning to feel sick from hyperventilation or anxiety. Breathing in a bag forces you to re-inhale CO2, which can stabilize your breathing problem.

Postal packing: Use brown paper bag to wrap up packages and send them off.

I hope that God willing this article will help you to use your collection of paper bags efficiently.