Wait, Are Garbage Bags Supposed To Be Turned Inside Out?
Have you ever seen a video online explaining how the bumps on the bottom of your salt shaker make the salt flow faster? Or how you've been using your cheese grater all wrong by not putting it on its side? TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube seem to have a hack for everything, and according to some viral videos, trash bags are supposed to be turned inside out. These videos claim that the seam of a new garbage bag, fresh out of the box, is placed on the outside for a reason. The idea is that instead of pulling out the bag, unfolding it, and shaking it so it expands to fit your garbage can, all you need to do is fit it over the top of your can like a hat.
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It's a fun idea that we've all been using trash bags the wrong way, and this TikTok hack does work for getting a bag into a can. Still, there is little evidence to support the claim that we have been using our garbage bags incorrectly. The official Hefty X account weighed in on the issue, saying, "Can confirm: there's no wrong way to line a trash bin." So if you can get your bag in a trash can, then you're doing it right as far as this company is concerned. And honestly, we're talking about trash cans here. Whatever works for you is probably the best solution.
The side of the trash bag you should use
There is no doubt that this TikTok hack is a simple way to fit a bag onto a trash can, but we haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet. Snopes contacted Glad, a leading trash bag producer, and was told that inside-out is not the correct way to place a bag. While it will make no difference functionally, some trash bags include scents or additives meant to reduce odor, and those are added inside the bag, not outside. So if you reverse the bag like the viral TikTok videos instruct, you're doing it wrong. Of course, you can also help reduce smells by not using an open bin.
For most garbage bags, such as the Kirkland Everyday Essentials, which outperform other brands, you can place them whichever way you want in the can. The functionality of the bag won't change at all, regardless of where the seam is. However, if you buy bags with odor eliminators or artificial scents, they will not work as intended if used inside out. Despite what viral videos tell you, inside is sometimes the wrong way.