Fold Your Reusable Shopping Bags Like A Pro To Save Tons Of Space

If you look through your kitchen cabinets or pantry, chances are you have a few shelves or drawers with a random assortment of reusable grocery bags. Since you often need to bring your own bags while shopping these days (unless you want to make the costly Aldi mistake of purchasing them), it's natural they'd start to pile up over time. If this is true for you, you'll want to try a quick and easy hack to fold reusable bags and save yourself some precious storage space.

Larger shopping totes (like Trader Joe's reusable bags) can be bulky and a hassle to put away, but rather than tossing them in a cabinet and shutting the door, keep them organized with this clever trick courtesy of Instagram account @sisterpledgecleans. In a video tutorial, the account demonstrates a simple way to neatly fold and store any size of reusable grocery bag. 

Start by flattening out the reusable bag with the handles stretched as they would be if you were carrying it. Grab one side of the bag, and fold it toward the center twice. Repeat with the other side of the bag, and let it sit over the first folds you made. Then, fold the bag up from the bottom three times. Last, take the handles and wrap them around the square shape you folded the bag into, securing all the folds into place. Voila! You have a super condensed reusable bag to store without causing a potential pantry avalanche — no complicated techniques required.

While you may prefer this quick method for folding your reusable bags (which you should be cleaning after each grocery trip, FYI), there is a more aesthetic way to fold shopping bags that creates space and symmetry at the same time. A Food52 editor shared this unique folding approach she learned while working in a Japanese dessert spot: turning a bag with handles into neat and tidy triangles.

This hack starts with a bag stretched out on a flat surface, with the handles fully laid out. Take one side of the bag, and tightly fold it over itself and into the center. Continue until you reach the other side of the bag. It's best to straighten and smooth everything out with the handles still stretched up, because you'll be folding again. Next, lift the bottom left corner of the now-folded bag and fold it over to the right side so that it forms a clean triangle. Repeat that exact move but from right to left to fold the triangle over itself. Continue that pattern until you reach close to the top of the bag's handles. Leave a few inches out to use for securing the folded triangle. Wrap that excess material around the triangle, and you should be able to slip it into the crevice created when you folded up the bag. 

Now, you have a clean and space-saving method for your bags. This tip works especially well if you have colorful or patterned bags you don't mind staying visible out on your countertop for a tidy pop of color you can grab and go.