How are you disinfecting groceries?

[Moominmummy12]

Can see that it’s possible to wipe down bottles/jars but how do you clean a punnet of fruit or a loaf of bread?

[GirlCalledJames]

I’m not, just putting them aside for a few hours:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/26/dont-panic-about-shopping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/?fbclid=IwAR3clwRH0Eh0KX_xDRtsDrG0DJB8aqx9KRMpaAediPvRgrQ388Rky0BIba8&utm_campaign=wp_opinions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

[fartyface]

I lick them clean.

[TWD89]

I’m not

[ThePluckOfTheCoward]

I urinate over them.

[Wavescrashingonthebeach]

Ive not bought loose fresh fruit or veg for a while due to the idea of peoples hands all over it in the supermarket (apart from bananas, tangies, kiwis etc)

Ive been sticking to frozen / dried / tinned fruit & veg for now

My last supermarket shop was before lockdown and i was more concerned to dettol my bank card etc

[WeAllHaveWings]

Bring them in, bung them on counter/fridge or freezer/ in bags. Wash hands. Leave groceries alone for a few hours.

[ohdearmymistake]

I'm not

[Northernsoullover]

I quarantine mine . I put anything like veg aside for a few days and I put new chilled foods in my second fridge (I rent so I ended up with my fridge and the house fridge) tins are wiped with flash bleach. I know its probably overkill but this virus has sent me a bit over the edge.

[elQuintoConyo]

Nothing. I fortunately don't have OCD or anxiety problems, but that'd tip me over the edge. We clean the dog's paws after every walk, wash hands, shoes outside, and I disinfect the plasticky bags for life about once a week, hang them in the sun to dry.

[snappycamper]

I'm not

People are mad.

[LooksLikeImStuckHere]

I don’t.

[redeyetonowheregood]

No, it wouldn't occur to me.

[TimeAintNothing]

I'm not.

As posted on another thread today and for me at least, therein lies madness. My anxiety can just about handle lockdown, homeschooling, lack of exercise, and struggling to get food shopping delivered. Quarantining the post, wiping parcels down with antibac, and disinfecting the front door/hallway after deliveries is a step too far and would encourage behaviours that I have worked very hard to overcome.

As a household have been isolated for two weeks now so are past the typical incubation period, we go out for our daily walk and observe social distancing, we only go in the corner shop when absolutely necessary and follow safe shopping rules. Our changes of catching CV19 are as low as we can reasonably get them and are at a level where I consider accepting deliveries and groceries to be an acceptable risk. I was my hands after opening/handling and I bin external packaging such as envelopes or boxes, that's more than enough.

[Queeftastic]

Milton tabs.

[Ricketyswimmer]

I am washing anything that can be washed in soapy hot water. Things where outer packaging can be removed (eg bags of potatoes) are emptied and packing discarded immediately. Things that can't be washed and carrier bags are quarantined for a few days. It's a pain in the bum, but it makes me feel better.

[DaisyDreaming]

[Nitpickpicnic]

Definitely take measures to disinfect groceries coming in, or else what’s the point of the other measures?

I consider everything coming in to be ‘red’, and I have to get them ‘green’ before touching or using them. Different protocols for different surfaces, but basically I put the shopping bags somewhere cool/cold overnight (using gloves). Basically the shed, or garage concrete floor. Then spray them down outside bags, then inside with bleach solution. Fruit & veg get a dip in soapy water then rinsed & dried. Lots of hand washing, and some stuff straight to the freezer.

I’ve also changed suppliers for some products to be sure fewer hands have touched the food. Like eggs from the farmer rather than the supermarket.

You should see the palaver I go through to get petrol into the car...

I don’t think it’s OTT, or mental health driven. It’s just science, y’all. No point staying 2 metres from people but then touching the same surfaces as 1000 other people have that same day.

[DaisyDreaming]

Nitpick you sound like us, it looks and sounds crazy but who cares if it saves us or even just reduces the viral load if we do have it! The video I posted had a good analogy of imagine it’s covered in glitter and you want to get it into your house without getting the glitter on surfaces or yourself

[DramaAlpaca]

I'm not.

[DaisyDreaming]

@Moominmummy12 for bread your best bet is opening the plastic and dumping the bread out onto a clean surface without touching the bread with your hands or letting the bread come into contact with the outside of the bag. As most bread comes in plastic these days you could wipe it down instead.

A punnet of fruit like berries I would either wipe the plastic down or dump into a container and rinse although some advice actually washing things like apples in hot soapy water.

I guess what lengths you go to depends on how worried you are (and if you have someone who is high risk)

[LovingLola]

You should see the palaver I go through to get petrol into the car...

What do you do?
I have disposable gloves in the car and use those? Is there something else?

[Bagelsandbrie]

I’m not.

I actually think people are giving themselves bad stomachs and making themselves ill by using all kinds of mild bleach and Milton all over everything non stop.

[HarrySnotter]

I'm wiping everything down with antibacterial spray or washing. I would never have thought I would be the kind of person who would so this but this situation as brought up anxieties in me that I've never even considered. I'm recovering form cancer and if spending 10 minutes giving everything a wipe helps me sleep at night then I'll do it.

[Inkpaperstars]

All we have done so far is..leave non fridge stuff in bags for a couple of days before unpacking. For fridge and freezer stuff, just trying to be aware to wash hands after using it.

I think I do need a better system, but as you say it isn't easy to work out what. I certainly will not be using bleach, I just can't tolerate it. I would rather use a soapy cloth then wipe away soap. In general though, risking ingesting soap and or cleaning fluids is not good.

[Namechangervaver]

I've been increasingly thinking about it. I think if I was high risk or in contact with someone who was then I definitely would. The YouTube video someone posted upthread looks good because I was wondering exactly how you would do it if you wanted to.