Plastic Bag Clutter

Tubes for bag storage will store neatly and take up only part of a drawer or cabinet.

"Sanford and Son" made its television debut on this day in 1972. Fred and his son ran a junkyard. If a growing pile of plastic bags is turning your place into another Chez Sanford, here's what you do. To keep plastic bags of all types and size under control, stuff them, but not in drawers and cabinets as you do now. Instead, start saving the cardboard tubes from rolls of paper towels. As your collection grows, start labeling them for grocery bags, produce bags and sizes such as small, medium and large. Then when you come home and unload, stuff the bags in the proper tube. Tubes will store neatly and will take up only part of a drawer or cabinet. You can easily make a wall-mounted model, too. Cut the top and bottom off a two-liter soda bottle, turn it upside down, screw or nail into place and stuff it. Presto! It's a neat plastic bag dispenser. And that's the On The House tip for today.

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