The Trash Bag Tip I Wish I’d Learned Years Ago

I’ll do pretty much whatever I can to avoid trash duty. Obviously, taking a huge bag of garbage outside isn’t the most fun job, but that part is only half the battle. Once you venture to the outside garbage can, you have to expend even more energy shaking the new bag open and putting it in the trash can. Not a huge deal in the big picture, but in the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered if there’s a more efficient way to replace a trash bag.

According to this game-changing TikTok, my instincts are correct. There is a better way. Ready for this? Apparently, trash bags already come inside out. What, exactly, does that mean for you? Good news: You don’t have to shake the bag open anymore. Instead, according to the folks on TikTok, you’re supposed to put the opening of the trash bag over the can opening, then push it down rather than shaking it open and putting it in bottom-up.

Of course, I had to try it. (Good timing — the trash was pretty close to overflowing. Oops!) First, I unfolded the trash bag, then I opened it up a bit without shaking it all the way open. The next part is where the magic happens: Just turn the bag upside down and stick its opening over the trash can, and push the rest of the bag down to the bottom. With the bag inside the trash can right-side in, it’s easier to grab the handles and seal the bag before you take it out. Super easy!

This garbage bag hack isn’t exactly a major kitchen game-changer — as one commenter noted, the trash will go outside and be thrown out no matter how you do it — but why not skip the most annoying step of putting a bag in your garbage bin? I’ll be doing it this way from here on out — and who knows, maybe I’ll even be more motivated to take the trash outside.

This post was originally published on The Kitchn. Read it there: The Trash Bag Tip You’ll Wish You Knew Years Ago

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