OXO Good Tips Blogs: Cleaning & Organising

There may be no more useful tool for keeping foods and other items organized than the functional, sustainable, reusable silicone bag. Those easy-to-use pouches are an excellent, eco-friendly way to store leftovers, pack snacks, and reduce the waste associated with single-use zip-top bags in the kitchen and around the house. But that’s hardly where their practicality ends.

After all, silicone bags are microwave- and dishwasher-safe, leak-proof, and supremely packable. Which makes these handy reusable, washable, long-lasting and multi-functional bags just as convenient for travel, whether you’re setting off on a family road trip or jetting around the world (check out these tips on air travel with kids). Here are a few ways to make the most of reusable silicone storage bags on your next vacation.

Pack snacks for you and your kids

Reusable silicone storage bags make excellent snack bags for travel days. Just fill them with your favourite cookies, fruit, sandwiches, road-trip snacks, or whatever your heart desires, and never rely on those tiny packs of airline pretzels to hold you over again.

A set of smaller silicone bags designed to hold kids’ snacks (especially when paired with child-friendly utensils) is perfect for portioning servings for small snackers, while the sandwich- and half-gallon-sized bags are ideal for bulkier foods like PB&J or vegetable sticks. The best part? Once the bags are empty, you can wash them out and refill them as often as you like—and they take up almost no room in your bag.

Store wet swimwear for the trip home

On your next beach vacation, don’t despair when it’s time to pack up and go while your swimsuit is still soggy. Keep everything in your suitcase dry and stink-free by dropping damp suits into a half-gallon reusable silicone bag for the trip home. Bring one bag for each member of the family, so you don’t have to cram everyone’s damp clothes in one suitcase.

Stash toiletries

You don’t need an expensive toiletries case to hold your necessities on your next trip; just grab a reusable silicone bag or two. Sandwich or half-gallon bags in particular are perfect for a short trip, since one holds just about everything you need, from your travel-sized shampoo to face wash to toothpaste. Bonus: Bags that are clear or translucent are TSA-friendly too.

Use multiple bags to keep different products organized and protected. For example, stash makeup in one, shower supplies in another, and quick-grab items like lip balm or sunscreen in another so necessities are always close at hand.

Keep travel documents safe

If there’s one thing you need to protect when traveling, it’s travel documents like passports, IDs, reservation confirmations, and more. Keep them safe and in one place by sealing them up in a sandwich or half-gallon-sized silicone bag. This will shield everything from the elements, spills and more, but also make documents easy to locate when you need them.

Organize your electronics

One type of item that always ends up scattered at the bottom of your bag? All those cell phone and laptop chargers, and small electronics like camera batteries and earbuds. Don’t waste your time digging around for them; stash those accessories in a reusable silicone storage bag so they’re easy to find at any time.

Pack a travel first aid kit

Drop medications, bandages, painkillers and more into a snack or sandwich-sized silicone bag and not only will you know exactly where to find your vitamins and upset stomach treatment, but they’ll all stay protected from spills or rough weather wherever you roam. As a bonus, because the bags are freezer-safe, if a kid stubs a toe or scrapes a knee, the bags can be emptied out, filled with ice and used as an ice pack.

Protect valuables at the beach

Keep sand away from valuables like cell phones, wallets, keys and electronics when you head to the beach: Just drop them all in a reusable silicone storage bag. Then relax and enjoy some peace of mind, knowing you won’t find sand in your valuables for weeks to come.