13 Genius Ways To Repurpose Dollar Tree's Mesh Laundry Bags Around The House

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Mesh laundry bags are a winner when washing delicates, like lingerie or silk shirts, in the machine. But that's not the only thing they're good for. These breathable carriers have other uses, too. For instance, you can use them as packing cubes to keep your garments organized. You can even turn them into spacious hammocks for storing your kid's stuffed toys and odd-shaped pillows. Need the pesky pests wreaking havoc on your houseplants to take a break? Create a semi-permeable screen by draping these bags over your most targeted plants. There are 10 other such genius ways you can repurpose them, as listed below.

Worried about the pocket pinch? Don't be. You can buy mesh laundry bags from Dollar Tree to use them in creative ways in and around your house. Projects demanding a large capacity (like the hammock or pest screen idea) will require Essentials' Jumbo Mesh Bag. On the other hand, Essentials' Zippered 3 Count Laundry Bags will be ideal when you need multiple pouches for a specific task (like using them as packing cubes for your underwear or gloves). Interested in knowing more about the ways these unassuming mesh laundry bags can fit in your everyday routine? Here are 13 ideas for your consideration.

If your kid has more plushies than their game hamper, bed, or cabinet can hold, create the ultimate storage for stuffed animals with a simple Dollar Tree DIY. All you need is a large mesh laundry bag to build a hammock for their cuddly friends. Cut it lengthwise and attach its ends to two nails or hooks on a wall. Just ensure you get a bag with drawstrings and not a zipper, since they'll be hard to fashion as a hammock. The strings will also keep your makeshift hammock from sagging.

Packing cubes are a great way to keep your drawers and shelves organized. But if you'd rather not spend much money on dedicated ones, repurpose your Dollar Tree mesh laundry bags as packing cubes. Simply place your garments inside and zip them up. If you're using a couple of bags, stick removable labels, like Avery's Multi-Use White Labels, and jot down what each bag holds. For instance, if one of them has your chunky socks, write down winter socks or something similar to instantly find out what you have stored in it.

Have you been keeping your prized puzzle pieces in tattered cardboard boxes? If yes, try TikTok's genius trick for tidy board game storage. Grab a mesh laundry bag and slide the bits and bobs along with the board inside. This simple hack will free up space in your game shelf and keep all the pieces together. However, avoid stuffing more than one game in a bag, or you'll have to spend a lot of time finding the right pieces for your puzzle and tiny thimbles for your other board games.

Tired of having pests eat up your houseplant's foliage, fruit, vegetables, or flowers? Protect them with a DIY floating cover. Get a mesh laundry bag (one with a drawstring, not a zipper) to keep the pesky creatures out. Put a tomato cage over your plants and slide down the bag to create a breathable screen that lets in sun. You also won't have to put it up when watering them. To avoid dealing with a too large or too small cover, determine your plant's size and opt for a laundry bag accordingly.

Want to preserve your homegrown herbs and flowers without losing out on their fragrance? Dry them well before storage. But if you don't have a drying rack, lay the petals (or flowers if they're flat) on a mesh laundry bag and let them air dry. For your herbs, put them in individual baggies and hang them from a clothesline to allow the clusters to dry quickly. Keep the petals and herbs away from direct sunlight (a cool and dark spot would be best), or you'll lose their organic scent and color.

Don't like the clanging sounds your wet sneakers make when you put them in the dryer? Use a Dollar Tree item to machine dry your shoes silently: a mesh laundry bag. All you have to do is put the wet pair inside the bag and tighten the drawstrings. Put it inside the dryer and hook the bag's extra length over the appliance's door. This will keep your shoes in place and eliminate the banging noises. If you're using a zipper laundry bag, fold the top part over the dryer door for a similar effect.

Keeping your kids' bath toys organized can be a chore, especially if they have an impressive collection and you have a small bathroom. Plus, drying each toy or lugging them to and from your bathing room can be tiring. This is where mesh laundry bags come to the rescue. Once your children are done playing with them, put the toys inside a bag and zip or string it up. Hang it against your bathtub from a waterproof hook, like Command Medium Bath Nickel Colored pieces, to let them air dry.

Following a few small habits will make your home smell better than ever. But if you're after instant gratification or want to wow your guests as they step inside your humble abode, DIY your own potpourri. You'll need a couple of small mesh laundry bags and a good amount of dried flower petals. Sprinkle in a little fixative like orris root powder and a few drops of your favorite essential oil(s). Combine everything well and put it in the bags before placing them around your house. Alternatively, use laundry scent boosters.

If you're lucky enough to live near a beach, chances are you take advantage of the good weather whenever possible and take your kids for a fun outing. They make their sand castle, and you get to work on your tan. Win-win, right? Not really, if you have to spend hours cleaning the sand granules your children's toys trail in. To avoid this, put them in a mesh laundry bag and give them a good shake to encourage residual sand to drain out of the tiny holes.

In case you have replaced soil with LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) for your plants, you might be familiar with the frustration of rinsing and soaking the balls before using them. Fortunately, mesh laundry bags can speed up the entire process. To elaborate, put LECA in the bag before taking it outdoors for the initial rinse. This will keep the clay dust and balls from getting lodged in your pipes. Plus, you can use the bags for soaking and drying them before you use them around your beloved plants.

You shouldn't skip certain important steps before starting a load of laundry, like putting socks in a washable bag. However, if you can't spend precious minutes separating them from the rest of your garments, you might soon find yourself hunting for the missing half of a pair. To prevent the number of your orphaned socks from climbing with every wash, clip one or two mesh laundry bags to the side of your hamper. Put your dirty socks in them and tie (or zip) them up when putting dirty clothes in the machine to make your life easier.

A bath mat is necessary to bathe a newborn. However, it can be quite a challenge to dry the absorbent material. In case you're looking for a do-it-and-forget-it kinda solution, fashion a holder using a large mesh laundry bag. Fold it in two and sew sturdy ribbons or rope on each side (like you find on a shopping bag). To use your makeshift holder, simply slide in the wet material and let it air dry. This will also make storing the large mat easier in a small bathroom.

A portable first aid kit can be an invaluable resource if you have mischievous kids or spend a lot of time outdoors (playing, surfing, or landscaping) and like to be prepared for small injuries in advance. Instead of buying disposable plastic cases or lugging around heavy metal ones, assemble one yourself using a mesh laundry bag. Neatly place a sanitizer or disinfectant, a pair of tweezers, a few Band-Aids, cleansing wipes, pain relief creams, absorbent compress dressings, and the like, based on your requirements. Place it in your car or bag to take it wherever you go.