Tote bags

[Secretsquirrelshh]

I have loads of the calico type tote bags - better for the environment and so on. But I find after a few months they get really grubby.

I tried machine washing one but it shrunk. Not so great for the environment when they end up in the bin.

Any way of rejuvenating them?

What temperature did you wash on? I have quite a few tote bags that style and they seem to wash ok but I use 30 or 40 wash generally

I washed at 40.

Does it matter if they shrink a bit? They probably won’t shrink any more after the first wash.

I know they are banned in MN land but have you tried ironing them?

Ironing tote bags? WTF?

Well, the OP wants them rejuvenated, doesn't she?

They shrink the first time they're washed because they're made from cotton that wasn't pre-shrunk. As @twilightcafe suggests, try ironing them.

And they're not particularly good for the environment because producing cotton fabric is very input-heavy (eg chemicals and water).

@LittlePinkWeed Why are we encouraged to stop using plastic bags if cotton ones are so bad?

I’m still using cotton bags that I got over 30 years ago, plus ones that I inherited from my mum over 20 years ago so I would hope their environmental footprint is smaller than all the plastic bags I could have used instead.
Mind you, the aeroplane trip I took to Australia recently has probably wiped out all the recycling and environmentally friendly activities I’ve done!