I Just Discovered the Easiest Way to Fold a Reusable Grocery Bag (I’ll Never Do It Another Way!)

If you’re trying to be more sustainable in your daily life, using reusable grocery bags instead of single-use plastic bags is one of the easiest swaps. They’re a more eco-friendly way to get food or home goods from point A to point B, but there’s just one thing: Once they pile up, they’re pretty difficult to store.

If, like me, you’ve ever found yourself wrangling a ton of bulky, baggy totes, you’re in luck. Thanks to a recent viral Instagram reel, I now know exactly how to store them. U.K. pro cleaner @sisterpledgecleans shows a brilliant trick for folding them so they take up minimal space, and are easier than ever to tote with you to the store.

Simply flatten the reusable bag with the handles out, fold one side into the middle and roll it twice, then fold the other side into the middle twice (but overlapping the first fold). Next, from the bottom, make three folds up toward the handles. Then, loop the handles around the tight rectangle to keep it intact. And that’s it!

In seconds, you’ll have an easy-to-carry, space-saving square of a bag that’s easy to unfold whenever you need. The pro cleaner recommends storing them in zip-up freezer bags and keeping a couple in the trunk of your car so you never forget them on your next shopping trip. So long to the overstuffed drawer or cabinet filled with an unruly mess of bags — this hack will save you both time and hassle. Plus, it’s a simple way to be nicer to the environment.

But that’s not the only brilliant way to store reusable grocery bags! Check out this hack using lidless storage bins, or this gadget made specifically for storing the bags. Whichever you go for, just make sure you don’t forget to bring them with you to the store.