Vacuum bags — close the bag's seal tab before you toss it

Vacuum bag

Vacuum bag tip: slide the bag's built-in seal tab closed before you lift it out, so dust stays inside on the way to the trash.

Vacuum bags: close the bag's seal tab before you toss it (related household photo)
Photo: Photograph: Frank C. Müller , Baden-Baden / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Most paper and cloth vacuum bags have a small sliding or flip seal on the cardboard collar. Closing it before you pull the bag keeps a puff of dust from escaping.

Seal the vacuum bag before it leaves the vacuum

  1. Open the bag door and find the tab or slide on the bag’s cardboard collar.
  2. Close it over the opening while the bag is still seated.
  3. Lift the bag out by the collar and drop it straight into a trash bag.
  4. If your bag has no seal tab, fold a piece of tape over the opening instead.

Stop there. Seat the new bag and close the door until it clicks.

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