Plastic Bag and Bottle Dryer - Patented; Multi-Purpose Drying Rack Saves Money and the Planet. Folds for Easy Storage

So helpful for drying ziplock bags!

I've only used this once so far, but I'm really happy with it. I tended to not re-use plastic zip-top bags just because it was such a pain to dry them and I admit I felt a bit guilty about the wastefulness. So on a whim I bought this bag dryer and I'm just tickled pink with it.It's a simple enough design - several long sticks gathered into a base with a sliding divider-thingy that pushes the sticks apart when you push it down toward the base. The base gives it a relatively solid footing although I'm sure putting something heavy on one side, like a bottle, could cause it to tip over. It's fine for plastic bags, though. The base is removable and the divider slides up to bring the sticks close together for storage.I used this on a gallon-sized bag and the sticks being spread out held the bag open and it dried in no time. The wood might eventually warp or something, but I expect I'll get my money's worth out of it. Those zip-top bags aren't free, you know, and reusing them saves real money. So unless this dryer wears out in a ridiculously short period of time I'm sure it will be fine. (I'll update the review if it does fall apart.)Oh - I tried the trick another reviewer mentioned about using straws in a glass instead of a dryer like this and even though it worked it looked pretty tacky. I'm no Martha Stewart but I really didn't like that at all. Still, it's an alternative for somebody who doesn't really want to buy something like this. Personally I find this dryer to be functional and practical, but I understand everybody has different opinions about things.I definitely recommend this dryer.

Well made, good quality and it folds into a small area. I have dried as many as 5 bags at once, but it works best with 2-3 balanced around the different spokes

Why did you pick this product vs others?:This item was recommended to me. It does the job. I also used it to dry my water bag from my back pack. It's convenient as I have a small counter space. When not in use, it goes under my sink very nicely.

Not all 8 spokes on this bag dryer are usable at the same time. Because the spokes do not spread out very far, not as far as previous bag dryers I've had, bags can be placed on about 4 spokes at a time. I place the bag dryer on the floor vent where either air conditioned air or heated air comes into the room so there is a constant breeze blowing into the bags. Bags dry quickly. The base is glued to the top which means it is easy to pick up from the top and the whole assembly comes up; previous bag drying racks I've had the base was not attached to the top and when picking it up by the top, I'd find that the base was still on the heater vent. I've given several of these away to friends who have seen mine and have admired it.

I don't need this for bottles. Years ago, I saw one in a friend's kitchen. She was using it to recycle zip lock style baggies. It's always grated my nerves to throw away a perfectly good baggie that's been used once and is barely dirty. What a waste of plastic AND money!I remembered hers - just a random thought - and found it here. I was positively gleeful! I ordered it immediately. Now it gets constant use in my kitchen. I wash the inside and outside of baggies with hot water and soap. Then rinse and hang them to dry on one or two of the prongs, depending on the baggie size. They dry quickly and thoroughly. Then they go back into the drawer for reuse until they die a natural death, when they are finally tossed. I just feel so much better about that!The product itself is ingenious. Sliding the disk down opens the prongs. It actually looks a bit like a sculpture when it's sitting out. There's a little metal eyelet at the top so you can hang it up, but mine lives in a drawer. Pushing the disk up brings the prongs together and turns the whole thing into a compact package that doesn't get tangled up in things. It's easy to clean, too, since it really only dries clean things. I just make sure it's dry before I put it away.At the rate we use baggies, I believe this will pay for itself MANY times over. I simply can't say enough about how happy I am to finally have one of my own! There's absolutely nothing negative I can say about it.Thank you for reading my review. I have done my best to give you a detailed and honest opinion. If you found my review helpful, please click the Helpful button below!

I don't know if my small effort to keep my plastic bags out of the landfill a bit longer makes any real difference to the environment, but I figure if I do it ... and someone else does it ... and then 1,000 or so other people begin doing it ... a real difference will eventually be made.A friend of mine has had this for years, and I finally did an online search and found it here. The price seemed kind of silly to me, especially since I've had to really watch my spending lately, but there just wasn't a good substitute at home. In short, this product works well, it's easy to use, easy to store and has turned me from someone who "should" re-use plastic bags into someone who DOES re-use plastic bags. So, it's been worth it. I'm glad I bought it.UPDATE: January 29, 2009Now that I've used the bag dryer for three months, I've really come to appreciate it. Not only does it work well for drying bags, it's also great for letting water bottles hang to dry, and for drying the rubber gloves I wear for dishwashing. I've even been rinsing and re-using the produce and bulk-bin bags from the grocery store. It's a great little tool.

I have been looking for something like this for years. This totally fits the bill and looks like a tiny sculpture on my drain board.