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Ziploc Large and X-Large Bags Weld Separation on First Use
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 2:02:48
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I have found a small percentage of my Large and X-Large double seal Ziplocs have stress fractures/separations on first use at the top part of the bottom seam corners where the bag seam is folded up on itself and welded. Repeat- this separation is on first use!
It's disconcerting to discover this after use, so I recommend checking the bag seal very carefully when closing it by emptying the bag of air and checking blow out through a small portion of unsealed zipper. If there is a 'whoosh' sound anywhere else you have a problem.
I thought I was being very careful and still missed some of these, even when the bag was not overly stressed on closing or over filled. Some of my bags endure many open and close cycles and foldings/deflations and have no problem. It's just the rare few that are defective right off.
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buggedmama
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 8:03:10
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We bought a box of XLs that are completely sealed together under the zipper. They really aren't the greatest quality, but I guess our best bet. (We plan to return those bags! $9 a box!)
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 8:52:16
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Good advice, NotSoSnug. If anyone finds this problem, I'd definitely return that box. (I bought a whole box of 1 gallon bags once years ago where none of them zipped at all.)
buggedmama, $9 US is too much (if you are in the US). You can buy them via the Useful Stuff page for less, and shopping around, even lower. Cases of 8 boxes on the Useful Stuff page as well, for even more savings, if you're a heavy user.
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Bugless
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 9:13:53
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Vacuum storage bags are reliable. They are intended for long-term storage of clothes and blankets. They are made of sheets of heavy clear plastic that are welded together along the edges to form a bag. One edge has a ziploc closure. Because they are intended to hold a vacuum, they have no air leaks, not even at the end of the ziploc.
The bag has a fitting to which the hose from a home vacuum cleaner can be attached. The fitting takes the place of the various nozzles that can be attached to the hose. After debugged clothes or blankets are placed in the bag, the ziploc is closed and the vacuum cleaner pulls out the air in the bag. The fitting is then sealed by turning it. The hose is then removed.
The bag now has a squashed appearance due to external air pressure. That has the added advantage that it reduces storage space by as much as 2/3.
The bag keeps out air, so it will certainly keep out the smallest bedbug instar.
These bags are available in various sizes. Some have a heavy wire hanger so they can be hung on a closet rod. They are also available in the form of a cube for blanket storage.
For short-term storage, the bags could be used without pumping out the air. But be sure to close the hose fitting.
For long-term storage the bags have the advantage that if an air leak develops, it can be detected because the bag no longer has a squashed appearance. Other types of plastic bags do not have that advantage.
To find these bags advertised online, go to google.com and search for 'vacuum seal storage bag'. This will yield many, many web sites that sell the bags. The great majority of the sites listed are duplicates, but there will still be a variety to choose from.
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 9:57:40
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I did experiment with the space bags, bugless, and personally found them disappointing. They would often "fill" with air in time, even if undisturbed, and used properly. I also would travel with one of their hanging bags--not vacuumed--in a garment bag, and it broke upon first use. They may work for others, but I had some bad experiences.
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pleasehelp
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Dec 28 2007 13:49:33
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I like the Hefty OneZip XL Big Bags - much easier to close than the ZipLocs. Haven't tested them for leaks, however...
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Anonymous
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Posted 5 years ago
Tue Jan 1 2008 23:04:08
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I recently tried the Hefty OneZip XL's myself. You need to be much more careful when you close them. Yes the Zip part is easier but I found that some of them would unzip by themselves unless done very carefully. Make sure you get all air out BEFORE you even start to zip them. Otherwise they can open by themselves.
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BBsBlow
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Jan 6 2008 12:14:04
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Just also note with the "zippered" kind of bag (I think it's Hefty?), the zipper will stop working along the track after repeated use. I wrote about this in a past post, and I keep meaning to call the company and complain since I've gone through so many boxes.
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pleasehelp
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Jan 6 2008 14:32:01
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To prolong the useful life of a Hefty Big Bag when the zipper stops sealing the tracks: I pinch the tracks together manually behind the zipper as I move it. Just started doing this, so I don't know how long it will work. But it's still easier than closing a Zip-Loc.
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Jan 6 2008 15:12:10
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Similarly, when a Ziploc XL zipper gave out zipping in one direction, I found it would still zip in the opposite direction. (I like them because they have dual zippers; since that development, I have had few problems. When this site started, they only had one.)
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BBsBlow
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Jan 6 2008 17:17:37
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I've tried both of those things in the past. Necessity breeds invention all right!
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