Tips and Tricks for How to Make All Bags Easy Open Dog Poop Bags
If you're new to being a dog owner you may be expecting to pick up your dog's poop, however you'll probably be surprised that opening dog poop bags can be a very frustrating experience. I've been there on a cold winter night struggling for a minute or two just trying to get them open. In this article we'll take a look at how to avoid the frustration and make your walks just a little bit better. We'll do that by covering some great tips for opening bags, and cover some of our favorite bags and products that might be easier.
Use Water
One of the easiest ways to get a dog poop bag open is by getting the bag or your fingers wet. Like the plastic bags you find in the produce aisles of the grocery store, with a source of wetness these kind of bags tend to open right up. How you get the bag wet is another story! Here are some suggestions.
- You can do this before hand at home using water from the sink. This is probably the easiest way but requires you preparing a bag before hand, if you forget you're on your own. I use this method to help me open trash bags all the time. This also don't work if you go for a long walk and need multiple bags.
- You can lick your own hands or use your own spit, this however can be slightly unhygienic or awkward, especially in public.
- Dew or rain on the ground (or falling from the sky) works wonders but is dependent on the weather.
- If you carry hand sanitizer with you, that can be a great reliable way to get your fingers wet.
- You can also rely on your furry friend to provide liquid by having them lick your hand or using their wet nose. This can be tricky and make things even more frustrating if your dog is raring to go and not cooperating or you have trouble bending over. My dog tends to want to go right away after she poops and doesn't want to stick around to help me clean up.
Buy the Right Bags
The variability between bags can make a huge difference! Here are some of our favorite easy open dog poop bags.
1. Amazon Basics Dog Waste Bags
We've found that the Amazon Basics dog waste bags tend to open really well. They're also a great value at around $0.02 per bag when buying in bulk, and do a great job in terms of volume and thickness and retain odor well compared to other more expensive brands. These are not biodegradable or compostable dog poop bags however. They also tend to have some quality control issues with them being scented vs unscented in some cases.
2. Give A Sh!t Compostable Waste Bags
For a more eco friendly option you may want to consider these poop bags. The plant based cornstarch material can sometimes be easier to grip. In addition they're actually at home compostable (unlike other bags which are just biodegradable, which doesn't always mean a lot.)
3. Arm and Hammer Easy Tear Waste Poop Bags
These bags are one of the more accessible brands as they cam be found in Target and other big retailers. I've had mixed results with how easy to open these bags are, however out of the options available these tend to do okay in terms of ease of opening. They do great at keeping the odors in. If you dispose of your poop bags in your own garbage I can definitely recommend these ones.
It's Not All In The Bag
Choosing a different bag isn't a super reliable method to solving the problem of hard to open poop bags. Your results can vary a lot depending on how dry your hands are and, if you wear gloves (in which case the choice of bags probably doesn't matter too much), if you purchase bags in person and what's available where you go to shop, etc. The truth is even picking the best dog poop bags for you, you may not find ones that are easy to open all the time. There is a decent amount of variability between brands and the choice of brand can make a difference though. Try different ones and see what works for you!
Change Your Habits
While this doesn't make things any easier, but it can be a less frustrating experience to open the bag either before you need it on the walk or to open a new one immediately after you use it. Changing your habits can be hard but at least the time pressure will not be there. Try opening the bag as you're walking before you need it.
Get the Sanfuss Wishbone Poop Bag Opener
The easiest way by far is to use this nifty tool to help you open the poop bag. This is a reliable method that works all the time, even if you're wearing gloves on your hands, and doesn't require you fiddling around chasing your dog for a lick or spitting on your hands in public. It clips right on to the leash and is there all the time to help you open poop bags. Here's what some of the wishbone's users had to say about it
If you have dry hands and struggle with getting the pickup bags open…get a wishbone. I wash my hands constantly with my line of work and the chemicals I get exposed to have my hands super dry all the time so I be in the struggle. Not anymore. Game changer for sure. Wish something like this had been around with my first dog.
I am so tired of taking off my gloves to deal with dog poop bags. And now I don't have to! This gadget is amazing! So glad to have it.
No matter what brand of dog waste bags I use, I stand there fumbling with my fingers trying to open those things. This simple solution works instantly and perfectly. It's actually amazing.