ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 71 Comments

Coffee Break: Laundry Bags

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

set of mesh laundry bags with different colored zippers

Why is it so hard to make a mesh laundry bag that stays closed in the washer?

I cannot tell you how many mesh laundry bags I have purchased over the years, and they all had one fatal flaw: they would open in the wash. I've had ONE bag (since college!) that at least had a large circular pull on the zipper so we could safety pin it closed.

(I generally try to wash my delicates on the delicate setting, but I feel like the truly important part of it is air drying them — so if I'm throwing some of my delicates in with a larger load of regular laundry it can become problematic if they're let loose, since they're more likely to end up in the dryer.)

It's almost comical over the years how many times I've tried other mesh laundry bags. I read about this set of laundry bags somewhere and was intrigued that they made special note of how you can tuck the zipper into a piece of elastic so the zipper stays shut. We'll see about that, I said.

I am strangely delighted to tell you that YES, the bags work. Some of the larger sizes seem a bit unnecessary, but hey. I also like that the zippers are fun colors, and you can in theory tell which bag you're grabbing based on the color of the zipper (should you be bothered to learn the colors).

The bags are under $10, at Amazon.

Sales of note for 1/17:

  • Nordstrom – Designer clearance up to 70% off
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your purchase, including new arrivals + extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off + extra 20% off
  • Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance, already up to 60% off
  • Express – $30 off $100, $40 off $120, $75 off $200 with code
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off peak-winter styles + up to 70% off sale styles with code
  • J.Crew Factory – 40-70% off everything + 70% off clearance
  • Lo & Sons – Winter sale, up to 50% off + flash sale 15% off laptop and crossbody bags (ends 1/19) — reader favorites include this laptop tote, this backpack, and this crossbody
  • M.M.LaFleur – Extra 25% off sale with code + try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Neiman Marcus – Up to 70% off select sale styles
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale! 50% off + extra 25% off all markdowns + Red Door Deals $24.50+

71 Comments

  1. Sort of like this product and a packing cube had a baby, but I have found these useful to allow fast purse swapping because I can see what is in them:

    They used to have a lot more colors, but maybe I bought them out as stocking stuffers? I don’t work for this company but mine have been the only purchase that has bought me joy this year:

    https://baboontothemoon.com/products/monomesh-pouch-set?variant=42263989878855&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_content=paidsearch&tw_source=google&tw_adid=699013289673&tw_campaign=21270643614&tw_kwdid=pla-2445500722988&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21270643614&gbraid=0AAAAAC94Z1oFCZbG1IOzoLvE8a3S6_XIc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP_JBhD-ARIsANpEMxwN5F0fwf8nw2WHHQdw_cKtZg9Yi0hQpL40CZcjhK4Y8J4W6fxQBKcaAmbdEALw_wcB

    1. Are these stiff or are they a drapey mesh? I have one stiff mesh pouch that looks a lot like these, and that thing is soooo useful.

    2. These kinds of things are my favourite for travel. I have one for cords, one for snacks, one for electrical adaptors, and a few empty ones which get used for different purposes depending on the trip. It helps to keep my stuff contained and I love that I can quickly see what’s in each pouch.

  2. I just got MRI results back for a suspected rotator cuff tear. Follow up is next week but I’m in pain and impatient. From reading the notes, the tear is absolutely there and looks to be a near total (95%). PT will likely be recommended and where I’ll want to start unless strongly advised otherwise for some reason, but from all of my armchair googling, surgery is the fix given where it’s torn and how severely/length of tear.

    I have two little kids, youngest is 2 and still in diapers (read: lifting kid, she’s also very physical when playful). The thought of surgery and having my arm laid up is crippling. It’s thankfully my non dominant arm but still. Any success stories of PT fixing this? Or non-horror stories with this injury to put me at east for the next 7 days while I wait for the post-MRI appointment?

    I’m 41, in good health, I strength train so my arm muscles are in reasonably good shape otherwise.

    1. And FWIW this wasn’t caused by a trauma of any kind. It’s a lingering pain I’ve had for at least two years, no idea when or how it started, but it’s gotten a lot worse recently. Shame on me for ignoring it. I think picking up and playing with my toddler has made it worse as she’s grown. Sigh.

    2. No stories on rotator cuffs. I have plenty of stories about kids (even as young as 2) learning the adults in their life’s surgery restrictions. Watched my 2 year old niece enforce her grandpa’s lifting restrictions with the detail of old, no-nonsense nurse. Likewise, my friend’s extremely shy kid got over all her shyness while he recovered from back surgery demanding that the rest of us lift and carry her.

    3. I had a similar tear from a calcium deposit that was lodged in my rotator cuff. I waited a bit for my surgery and got cortisone shots. They helped a ton with the pain. I did require surgery, but they were able to use this new technique where they basically patch the tear. It made for a less invasive surgery. I was laid up for a week or so. I then had to to do PT for a few months, but now I am like 95% normal, and that was several years ago.

    4. A family member had a severe tear, and was much older than you. Unfortunately, surgery is the only real treatment for a severe tear. A truly torn tendon to that degree will not repair itself. As I’m sure you know, surgery traditionally means no use of that shoulder for 6-8 weeks, then slow return to weight bearing over weeks and PT.

      Meanwhile, you should be doing ice, NSAIDs, gentle range of motion exercises only until you see the surgeon. Of course it is always worth doing some PT if you want to put off surgery, but you need incredibly clear and strict guidelines about weight baring, exercise/activity limitations. You don’t want to lose the shoulder entirely.

      There are some newer types of surgical repair that have less downtime. If your surgeon presents these as options they are worth consideration, but only if the surgeon is very experienced with them.

      My relative tore his rotator cuff by overdoing weight training. The recent craze for using very heavy weights is going to lead to a lot of injuries. And remember trainers at the gym are not physical therapists / orthopedic doctors, and their recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt.

      1. Yes, this lifting heavy business drives me nuts. This is the current craze among the perimenopause fitness crowd, and … I dunno. We already have some weird imbalances in this stage of life, and it seems like a recipe for injury. I am all about strength training, within reason. I want to challenge myself, but I don’t need to hurt myself and end up worse off!

        1. I know we need some kind of weight for bone strength, but I completely agree that it doesn’t have to be excessive or a contest!

    5. Are you sure that continuing to lift weights is a good idea until this is resolved? You need to have an in-depth conversation with your doctor, of course, but I don’t think you can fix that severe of an injury with just PT.

      1. Agree. She shouldn’t be doing any weight training on this arm before seeing the specialist. And since she didn’t mention how she tore the shoulder, I would stop weight training on the other arm until she gets some guidance. She may be doing something incorrectly.

        1. Oh, I’m stopping fully – don’t you worry. I didn’t think it was this severe until I went for the initial consult 30 days ago (and even still they said I could keep going, (“just listen to your body”)) and now with my untrained read of the MRI results, I’m sufficiently scared. Ill go to the gym this week but will trade arm exercises for lower body until I get professional direction next week.

          1. Also, outside of the gym, don’t do any lifting / arm extension movements that rise above the shoulder. Never lift heavy weight above the shoulder, with the arm fully extended.

    6. 20% of people over 40 and 40% of people over 60 have rotator cuff tears.

      Strengthening will absolutely help stabilize your shoulder, and a repair can be done minimally invasively if it’s liable to help.

      1. True, but most don’t have 95% tears. She should stop “strengthening” until she knows what is safe to do.

    7. so not this particular injury, but my 76 year old father had a shoulder replacement over the summer and experienced 0 pain afterwards. like literally never took a tylenol. his arm was laid up for about 6 weeks, but it was less restrictive than he anticipated and for him it was his dominant arm. yes, it will be hard with 2 young kids, and you’ll want to make sure you follow the doctor’s instructions! hopefully you have a supportive partner and maybe family that will be able to help out or you can hire additional help as needed.

    8. Also look into “Frozen Shoulder” which can hit women in their 40s-60s and is related to perimenopause. You are in that zone too, so it could be both.

      Sometimes surgery is the right answer, even if it doesn’t fit well with your life….

      1. Years ago we had a number of young kids, and my husband kept putting off surgery for tendinitis, but he really needed it. The surgery was not nearly as inconvenient as he feared, and it solved his problem. (this was 25 years ago and it hasn’t recurred).

      2. Frozen shoulder and torn rotator cuff present very differently. OP needs to listen to her ortho, not investigate other random shoulder injuries.

    9. I had a different shoulder injury and I would recommend just going to surgery. You’ll have to do PT post surgery anyway. I did PT before surgery and it did nothing but my insurance made me go that route. It was just more pain for no real reason. Yes, you will need help during recovery but 6 weeks of recovery is a whole lot better than being in pain.

  3. I have these bags and I really like them. Pro tip: I put my aprons in them so the ties don’t get all wound around everything and make a big tangle in the washer and dryer.

    1. You know that had honestly never occurred to me! I usually tie the ties together, but like this solution better. Thanks for the tip!

  4. Ugh. Younger relative just posted a gushing birthday tribute to her dad. Her dad walked out on his first batch of children to marry his affair partner and then have another batch of kids with her and take care of her prior kids. Isn’t paying for relative’s college at all, while buying cars for her new step-siblings and sending them to private school. IDK what this is even about and it seems to be very performative. Posting here so I don’t react on my own social media.

    And I get that nothing is guaranteed to an adult child from a parent, but it is hard to watch someone give some of their kids crumbs while giving the others cake.

    1. I hope you reach out and send a card/gift to this younger relative and their siblings. Sounds like they need it.

      1. Definitely. I always do. Where that creates issues if is one other relative gets wind of any gifts (which I generally do via Venmo), then that relative makes a stink of it. That relative is in a different boat, but will complain loudly to me. The “gushing” relative is a teen still, but is an adult. But given how weird the extended family dynamics are, someone is always counting the pennies and angry about it. Shaking my head. Holidays are just the worst because TV holidays don’t exist that way for us.

    2. People are allowed to be gushing to their dads even when their dads kind of suck. Any chance this dad was married to your sister? I think it is normal for you to be team mom, and also normal for niece to have more complicated feelings about the situation.

    3. I’ve always assumed that the amount of gushing one does on social media about somebody (spouse, parent, etc.) is directly proportionate to how dysfunctional their relationship is. Those with genuine relationships don’t post.

  5. not to be a debbie downer, but the news cycle from the past 48 hours is so upsetting, Brown University, Bondi Beach, the Reiners — anyone have any good news to share?

    1. Bondi Beach fruit seller? I cannot imagine running into that situation. I read that he was shot twice and is in the hospital. I pray he is OK.

    2. It was a weird weekend to be Jewish because the news from Australia was so terrible but personally we had probably the nicest Hanukkah celebrations we’ve ever had. I posted on the moms page, but we had my daughter’s Hanukkah program at Sunday school in the morning, which was just lovely, and then we hosted a party for a big group of her friends in the afternoon. I’m happy to put to the bulk of the hosting behind me (we’re hosting her BFF for dinner + a sleepover next Sunday but that will be much more low key) but it was a really perfect day, minus the news.

    3. The news is horribly upsetting. My tiny bit of good news: I felt like making fudge, and posted on Facebook asking for recipes. Lo and behold, my cousin halfway across the country came back with our grandmother’s recipe! I’m making it now and it tastes exactly like I remember.

  6. Gift ideas needed:

    Brother’s long term girlfriend. Brother is a blue collar dude, GF is a post doc at a prestigious research university and works in extremely nerdy (and fascinating) science things. They have 2 dogs, live in an apartment. She likes plants, the beach, nature, live music, and science. There are lots of dietary restrictions so food is not an option.

    Thinking: jewelry? Cozy hoodie? ~$100 budget very flexible for the right thing.

    1. Some of the science or home garden kit-themed items at Uncommon Goods might be right up her alley.

    2. hydroponics growing system, maybe? gift card to a nice seed place like Johnny’s?

    3. If they are not trying to fly back with it, a nice dog-safe houseplant in a pretty pot. Darn Tough socks.

    5. If she’s a post-doc, then either great coffee or a gift card to a coffee place near where her lab is would be *hugely* appreciated. Couple that with a plant or with some beach/nature-inspired earrings.

    6. A picnic blanket with a canvas side that they can take to concerts, or a regular blanket for the couch. The british blanket company has nice ones I’ve given over the years.

    7. Concert gift certificate – like Ticketmaster gift card, if such a think exists (?) Or something from REI with a gift receipt, like a Rumpl blanket. I would not do jewelry unless you know she likes it and know her tastes well.

      1. I was also thinking of REI with a gift receipt. There is always something I want at REI.

    8. Since she’s a student, get her a gift certificate so she can treat herself! Massage, coffee, tea, REI, do you know what her favorite beach is? What about a gift card to a nearby restaurant on the beach, or a boardwalk season pass? You could also buy an annual pass to their state parks, here’s an example of the choices for CA, quite a variety of choices and prices: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1049

  7. An older relative is new to assisted living following his wife’s death. It’s a rental, where you are just month to month. There is some escalation of care available (he is currently at the minimum), like for help with meds or ADLs or if a memory care unit is needed. If he needs a feeding via a tube or a PEG, he will have to go elsewhere, or if he needs a hoist to get out of bed (which I don’t think he’d need — he is currently about 130 pounds). In the past, frail older women were largely taken care of at home by their families, so they’d weigh 80 pounds and it was hard if they needed incontinence support, but not impossible. I don’t know what else I should be thinking of with helping him consider future needs (and seeing if we can’t keep a list of local options). If you’ve gone down the road of escalating care for someone in their 80s, is there a helpful list of what else to think of? Other than budgeting that future care may be significantly more expensive than what he currently pays (and maybe that at some places, you have a buy-in)? I guess at some point he could run of out of money (in which case, do they toss you on the street or evict you or just send you to the ER as care of last resort)? He doesn’t have closer family members, which is probably the case for more and more of the population going forward.

    1. I think if you run out of money, you apply forMedicaid and move to a facility that accepts Medicaid, but they may have wait lists too. You should be talking to your family about this.

      1. Sounds like their family is thin on the ground. If someone has more expert advice she could probably benefit from hearing it.

    2. When my parents were in assisted living, we hired a private helper to be our eyes on the situation and to help with tasks that the facility didn’t do, but were hard for my parents to do — like put away the clean laundry after it was done and delivered to the unit. We paid $16/hour (this was a while ago) and it was the best money we spent. She was recommended by the staff at the facility — you might want to ask the staff where your relative is if they have anybody similar they can recommend.

    3. If you would like to assist them with planning, their County Office on Aging likely has good local resources. If you are trying to create a comprehensive plan, attorneys with elder law credentials (NAELA) tend to have solid information on their websites and some have radio and podcast shows about planning. This area tends to be state-specific, so you might want to use your relative’s home state as a required search criteria.

    4. One important big thing is: Who, if anyone, is talking with him about big picture goals & priorities in the rest of his life? This may change over time, especially since he just lost his wife and is probably still adapting – but if you can be the person to start the conversation, that might be the single most helpful thing you can do. If he needed a feeding tube, at this point, would he want one? Is staying local important to him vs. minimizing time in a hospital vs. maximizing independence, etc?

  8. Your suggestions, please. I need a coffee gift to go with a new drip coffeemaker. The recipient isn’t a sophisticated coffee drinker by any means — Starbucks quality would be fine, but I’d like something nicer and ideally from a small business. Budget under $100. Thanks!

    1. I’d take this question to my locally owned roaster and ask them to grind and package up their picks.

    3. you could do a short subscription to trade coffee (drinktrade dot com). They source small roasters across the country.

      1. +1

        This is what I bought for my sibling who enjoys his morning cup of coffee.
        Good ethical company, smaller business.

    4. I agree that this is a job for a local coffee company – my city has lots of them that roast their own coffee.

  9. The Rob Reiner news is just so unbelievably sad. But to add on to it, Trump posting that vile message and then doubling down in a press conference today is sickening. I can’t believe this is our world right now.

    1. I agree. Headline after headline, so depressing and horrific. Sadly, violence is contagious in our world.

    2. As if Trump wasn’t already enough of an embarrassment. Who posts stuff like that?!? I mean perhaps the shooters at Bondi deserve to die, but the Reiners most certainly did not. I can’t imagine becoming an orphan at 28

  10. What (fake) gold is popular w 13 year olds? I want something that will withstand abuse and be somewhat hypoallergenic. Or is it all equally bad and just get something from Amazon?

    1. Someone bought me a fake gold Jewelpire chain from Amazon, and I like it a lot. I don’t honestly know what’s popular w 13 year olds, but they have the “paper clip” chain bracelets that were trendy recently and can be used with charms.

    2. Fake, hypoallergenic gold from Amazon seems like a rough combo. Have you considered sterling silver from somewhere local? It’s less expensive and less likely to cause skin irritation than the fake gold alloys.

    3. Baublebar? Madewell might work too at a lower price point. Their jewelry is often listed as being hypoallergenic, whatever that means in this context.

Comments are closed.