With the rather large selection of resealable plastic bags currently residing on supermarket shelves, it can be a little confusing at times to know exactly what you should buy. Of course, many people go with the regular tried-and-proven brands, but even at that, there are always other choices to make such as the size of the bag, and how big of a pack you should purchase.

Before getting into specifics, and as I have already mentioned well known brands, I did want to make one small suggestion. Depending on what you are using your plastic resealable bags for, it may not always be necessary to buy the most expensive brand available. My two daughters regularly take sandwiches for lunch and though it is important that they are non-toxic (obviously!) and that they close at the top, they do not need the more expensive ‘zipper’ bags, but a simple resealable bag that just flaps over and seals is perfect for what they need, and it is a lot cheaper. However, I also like to buy my meat fresh from a local butcher a few weeks at a time and then freeze it.  I buy the most expensive and the thickest reclosable plastic bags for that, as they are much better to use in the freezer than the thinner sandwich bags. On the other hand, if I am going to use some bags to sort and organize when I declutter my house, I do not need expensive freezer bags.  So, don’t be ‘brand loyal’, but buy what you need. If something cheaper will do the job, then buy that and save yourself some money in the meantime.

Always try to have a stock of different sized resealable bags on hand. If you don’t, you will find your big (expensive) resealable plastic bag you use for freezing meat in, ending up in the garage, with a few bolts stored in it. Providing enough variety in the sizes of plastic resealable bags will mean that people will be able to decide and choose the right sized bag.  Again ,this will be a saving for you in the long run because people will (or should) choose the smaller bags for storing smaller items, while reserving the bigger resealable plastic bags for what they are truly needed for.

A somewhat related point: Evaluate the size of the plastic resealable bag you need, carefully. Use the right sized bag, as you do not want to put something away with a lot of extra space. Think “saving”.  Don’t just grab the first bag you see, but be deliberate in your choices.

Many times regular plastic bags (not resealable plastic bags) can be used in replacement.  They are quite a bit cheaper, and in a lot of cases you can just wrap an elastic band around the plastic bag rather than having to use a resealable plastic bag. Your little boy’s rock collection, for example, does not really need to go into a resealable plastic bag. The leftover apple sauce can also just as easily go into the freezer in a normal plastic bag, tied at the top.  Save your resealable bags for when they are really needed.

Although I may have stated this before, it does not hurt to remind you again. If you are going to be freezing food in resealable plastic bags, make sure that the bag is actually okay for that. In other words, look for words such as “suitable to be used in a freezer” or “suitable for freezing food” on the package. To use a resealable plastic bag in a freezer it must be quite a bit thicker than many of the smaller bags. Also, if you are going to be freezing liquids, such as sauces, soups or juices, you need to ensure that you use high quality zipper resealable bags for this as otherwise the liquid may leak out of the bag prior to becoming frozen, and make a mess in your freezer or refrigerator.

One final tip: If you use resealable plastic bags quite a lot, you should look into buying bulk amounts as they really do turn out to be quite a bit cheaper this way. Generally, they will keep for a long time before deteriorating, so if it is feasible and you can find build resealable bags, I would recommend you buy them.  It is much cheaper, and you will be less likely to run out of resealable plastic bags right when you need them.

You are doing the environment a favor by using resealable plastic bags, especially as many can be used several times providing they have not been used to store food in. In fact, there are even special drying racks available for people who are concerned about recycling and reusing their plastic bags. When it is time to dispose of them, try to make sure they are recycled properly by disposing of them in the proper location.

There are many different types of resealable plastic bags, ranging from the thicker plastic, expensive zipper type  bags to the small, lightweight resealable bags with a flap.  Different styles of reclosable plastic bags are better suited for different purposes and even different industries. While there are no hard and fast rules regarding what type of resealable bags you should choose for which purpose, there are some guidelines that may help you make better choices, and help you to save money in the long run also by not using a more expensive resealable plastic bag when a cheaper variety would suffice.

Resealable Grip Bag:  These bags have a plastic ‘grip’ running along the top of the bag, where one side fits snugly into the other side. They are some of the more common types of resealable plastic bags when it comes to using them for food, for example. They are great for storing leftovers, as they seal well enough not to let anything out and they are also suitable for storing food in that there are no adhesives involved. Usually the plastic used is of fairly good quality, as they are made to be used again and again, or to be resealed time and again. They are opened easily, without needing to use tape or scissors, and they are closed up securely again just as simply.

The medical sector also makes use of this type of bag quite a lot. Have you ever bought sterilized gauze, or cotton, for example? Or sterile cotton buds? Often they come in this type of sealable bag.

You will also often find manuals, disks, computer manuals for example that come along with a new laptop, sealed in this type of plastic resealable bag.

Sliding or Zip Bag: These type of resealable plastic bags have a slide or zip that slides across the top of the bag, effectively sealing it. They work on exactly the same principle as a zipper, you slide it one way to open and another to close the bag.

These type of bags are used to store food, and are especially used for freezer bags, for example. However, they are probably more popularly used for documents–you will see these type of closures frequently used on plastic folders as well, for example. Typically, this type of bag is perfect for using within the travel and educational sectors. You will often find advertisements or promotional material that is handed out at trade fairs protected in this type of bag.

Sealed Plastic Bag: These plastic resealable bags are much simpler in design. They use a specific type of glue, either permanent glue directly applied to the plastic or a form of tape, that can be reused.  A common example of this type of resealable plastic bag is the one that encloses most CDs. It is one of the most common resealable plastic bag types used in the retail industry, with many products being sold in this type of bag. Another common use for this type of resealable plastic bag these days is to use for mailing letters or brochures out. They are very secure, mail cannot come out of this type of envelope, and it is possible to print directly on the envelope or leave a transparent rectangle for the address to show through.

From time to time there have been some concerns as to how hygienic resealable plastic bags are. There are concerns as to whether or not the bags themselves are sterile enough to put food in. Also, people wonder how well they keep food, and whether or not they are able to keep food fresh for specific lengths of time.

As these are real concerns that people have, it is good to address these, and sort out the myths from the facts, regarding how hygienic the resealable plastic bag is.

Most regular plastic resealable bags that are bought in supermarkets, for example, are not sterile. They do have to adhere to certain standards during manufacture, however, and have to adhere to specific guidelines regarding toxins in the polyethylene used, etc.  This means that they are generally quite safe for placing food items in, and in most cases also for shorter term frozen storage (although, be sure to get a heavier gauge bag if you want to freeze items in it.) Think in terms of their being as clean and free from bacteria as your kitchen storage containers, for example. While they are not sterile (thus not usually good for preserving food in, long term) they are fine for normal food storage.

If you do have need of sterile reclosable plastic bags, it is possible to buy them. However, these are specialized items usually manufactured to be used in the medical industry, or used with scientific research experiments, for example, in situations where there needs to be a sterile environment in order to successfully conclude research.    There are numerous patented thermoplastic bags that are made from a heat sealable material. In most cases the bag itself is able to be sterilized, and these types of bags are often used, for example, in emergency rooms or operating theatres in hospitals.  As you can imagine, a plastic resealable bag such as this is considerably more expensive than the regular resealable bags, and in reality for normal home usage there is not much need for them.

When preserving food items, such as fruits, jams, pickles or relishes, it is preferable that you use the proper glass preserving jars as opposed to using resealable plastic bags.  However, for most regular food storage the normal resealable bag that can be bought in supermarkets or at the local store is definitely hygienic enough to use on a daily basis.

Some people, an effort to save money, have been known to wash and reuse these resealable plastic bags. While it may be fine to do this when storing some items,  it really is not recommended that you do so if you want to use them for food storage.  While the resealable plastic bag may be clean, once used it would no longer be considered hygienic enough to use for further food storage, no matter how well you washed it out.  Plastic containers can be washed and reused (and can stand much higher water temperatures than resealable plastic bags), but reclosable plastic bags should not.