STASHER CLEANING DO'S AND DON'TS TO KEEP YOUR BAGS HEALTHY (AND SMELLING FRESH)

Stasher bags were designed to be endlessly reusable in order to keep your food fresh, making life easier and preventing plastic pollution for a long time to come. But in order to keep your Stasher bags going strong, you gotta treat 'em right and it starts with simple, safe cleaning.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR STASHER BAGS

First things first: do not turn your Stasher bag inside out. Flipping your Stasher inside out to clean it like you would with a regular plastic baggie will degrade the strength of the bonded edges, and eventually your Stasher will rip open. We know it's tempting, but we don't recommend it. What are the edges of a Stasher bag bonded with? We use the liquid form of the same pure platinum silicone to adhere the glossy and frosted sides together before the finished Stasher cures for the last time. Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business.

WASH UP

Cleaning your Stasher bags is actually pretty easy: just toss them into the dishwasher (top or bottom rack — either will do) or use warm soapy water. For a deep clean, we also like to use bottlebrushes to get any remaining particles out of the seal to prevent mold.

 Washing Up

REPEL SMELLS

Got some smells staying way past their welcome (like onions)? We've got a few ways to kick the fumes.

  1. Soak your bag in a 50/50 warm water and vinegar bath for a few hours.
  2. Bake in the oven on a baking sheet for eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to let your bag cool and use an oven mitt to handle your bags.
  3. For tougher smells, double up and use both methods.

SAY GOODBYE TO STAINS

Stains happen, but you can use the power of the sun to kiss them goodbye: set your Stasher in sunlight for a few hours to naturally sun bleach stains (really!). This works great for tomato sauce, carrot, or watermelon stains, just to name a few.

 Say Goodbye to stains

CONCERNED ABOUT MOLD?

Prevent mold from popping up in the corners of your Stasher bag seal by rinsing out any and all particles after each use. Those small bottlebrushes we mentioned before come in real handy here! Sometimes even when you give it a good cleaning, you may feel the need to sanitize. No problem: let your Stasher bathe in some vinegar or boiling water to sanitize.

BEST WAY TO DRY YOUR STASHER BAG?

Sometimes Stasher bags need a little more drying time once they are washed by hand or in the dishwasher. We recommend using any non-sharp kitchen items to stand your bags on, including other bottles, cups, or paper towel holders. Our team also likes to use handy “pot lid organizers” to do the job! Here are some of our favorite drying racks from IKEA, Target, The Container Store, and MightyNest! Just make sure to not turn your bag inside out when drying. When you let them air dry, sometimes you can get water spots on the silicone. They are completely harmless, just not as attractive as a crystal clear Stasher, so you can avoid these by giving your Stasher a quick wipe down with a clean towel.

OTHER TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR STASHER BAGS LAST

  • Use colored Stasher bags to store like-colored foods and camouflage stains.
  • Avoid using your bags to store sharp objects, and definitely don't use them as cutting boards.
  • Avoid trapping moisture by storing your clean Stashers with the seals open.
  • Don't force the opening to open farther than it does naturally. To open: hold your thumbs flat over each side of the seal and gently roll them down and away from each other. To close: squeeze out excess air to keep things super fresh, then press to seal.

Get more helpful information on our FAQ page!