Part 2: How to Clean Reusable Grocery Shopping Bags with Homemade Disinfectant Spray

First things first: Read up on the health concerns of Reusable Shopping bags HERE.

The 2 questions I have been asked the most since posting about the lead and ecoli found in reusable shopping bags are:

1- How do I know if my bag has lead in it?

2-How do I clean my bags without wearing them down and releasing the lead?


I don't know if your bags have lead in them. If they are from Walmart or Target, odds are they do. Unfortunately, the bags do not have materials labels and do not tell you what they are made of.  My only thought is to track down the Manufacturer of the bag and see if they have a list of materials on their website, or use their Contact Us link to email and ask directly. The key word is Polypropylene. When I google images of Polypropylene bags, I get results showing both the plastic feeling bags and the fabric feeling bags- so that isn't very helpful. My suggestion is, if in doubt, throw it out. Replace your bags with a safer alternative.

I've been researching different methods of cleaning the bags. Many suggest to simply throw them in the washer. It seems to me that you are going to wear your bags down quickly this way. I don't know how your bags look, but mine don't give the impression that they are made to withstand alot of abuse.

I suggest spraying them with a disinfectant spray, wiping them down inside and out, and then letting them air dry. You can use an earth friendly store bought brand, like Mrs. Meyers, or make your own.

Here are a few recipes:



Lemon Disinfectant Spray

• 1 Fill a 10-oz. plastic spray bottle with distilled water.
• 2 Add 1/2 tsp lemon essential oil, shake well.
• 3 Shake prior to every use.

Tea Tree Oil Spray

•  Add 2 cups of distilled water to a plastic spray bottle.
•  Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
•  1/4 tsp. of tea tree oil and 1.4 tsp of your favorite antimicrobial essential oil like orange, lemon, or lavendar
•  Shake to mix and before each use.
• Don't be afraid of the vinegar smell. The vinegar loses it's odor when it dries, but the essential oil smells will remain.

Borax Spray

• 2 TB Borax
• 1/4 White Vinegar
• 2 cups HOT water.
• A few drops of your favorite essential oil

These may be natural, but they are still powerful cleaners. Keep out of reach of children.