How to Reuse Paper Bags

What do you do with paper bags? Toss them into garbage? Recycle? Reuse? Renew?

The obvious first option is to reuse them for your groceries and other goods. They likely won't hold up for as many reuses as the plastic bags, but remember even one reuse is better than none.

Remove Candle Wax With Paper Bags
Place a piece of a paper bag over the wax. Get out your iron and run it over the bag a few times. The heat melts the wax and the bag soaks it up. Just be careful not to use a paper bag that has printing on it or the dye may run. Move the bag around (or use another bag) to expose a fresh piece of paper to the stain as the wax is absorbed.

Use Paper Bags to Dust Off Mops
Dust mops make it a breeze to get up the dust balls and pet hair around your home, but how do you get the stuff off your mop? Place a large paper bag over the mop head; use a piece of string or a rubber band to keep it from slipping off. Now give it several good shakes (a few gentle bumps wouldn't hurt either). Lay the mop on its side for a few minutes to let the dust in the bag settle. Then carefully remove the bag for easy disposal of your dusty dirt.