You've Been Closing Ziploc Bags Wrong

Today in shocking news you didn't see coming — you've been closing Ziploc bags wrong this whole time. I basically just walk around performing my daily routines knowing that I'm probably doing everything horribly, frightfully wrong. And until the right way to do it is plastered across the Internet, I will just have to come to peace with my near constant wrongness. But I digress — today's topic up for discussion is Ziploc-ing your food, or whatever else it is you Ziploc. Closing a Ziploc bag the right way is a life hack that will not only change your life, it will have you shaking your fist at the sky and shouting, "But it's so simple! Why didn't I think of that?!"

As anyone who has ever closed a Ziploc bag already knows, the hardest part is getting all the air out — that dastardly air. That air that makes your bag take up too much room in your fridge. That air that compromises the freshness of your food. Getting it out while simultaneously zipping closed a sandwich bag is a pain that, for many of us, is all too real and relatable. But what if I told you there was a simple, easy way to get rid of it? Get ready for the life hack to end all life hacks, as demonstrated by Slate:

1. This is how you probably use a Ziploc bag

Most people put their food in their Ziploc, try to clumsily press the air out with their hands, and seal it. Come on, don't pretend like you haven't tried to wrestle and squeeze the air out of a Ziploc bag and then hastily seal it before more air can get in. The problem with this approach is that there's always still some air left inside.

2. But wait, there's a better way!

All you have to do is throw your food in the bag, and seal it MOST of the way, leaving a tiny gap. You don't even need to press the air out, just leave it as is...

3. It's time to get intimate with your Ziploc bag

The next step is to put your mouth over the little gap you've left in the top of the bag, and getting intimate with it, suck until you've sucked all the air out of the bag. Voila! You have essentially vacuum-sealed your food, eliminating extra space caused by the air in your Ziploc bag. I told you it was a simple fix!

Watch the full video below, and prepare to have your mind blown once more:

Meanwhile, we really can't be having a conversation about Ziploc bags without addressing Padma Lakshmi's breakout performance as sandwich bag entrepreneur on 30 Rock. "No Jack, it's a new thing, that I invented."

Photos: Getty Images; YouTube (3)