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AIBU?

To let you know how to wear gloves safely in a supermarket?

164 replies

Isla727 · 08/04/2020 20:10

I have read some people saying that it felt a bit pointless to be wearing gloves in the supermarket, which touch the trolley then the food items, then the checkout desk etc. This is obviously a real concern because you could spread Coronavirus from the trolley to your food, then from checkout area to your food etc.

One option is to just use hand gel or wipes instead of gloves if you have them but here is a safe method if you are going to wear disposable gloves:

  1. Take three disposable gloves with you.
  2. Use glove no.1 to wipe the trolley clean then take it off as it may be contaminated with Covid-19 (it may not be!) from the trolley.
  3. Put glove no.2 on your dominant hand to push the trolley.
  4. Use your non-dominant bare hand to pick up food items (this avoids spreading germs from the trolley-glove to the food)
  5. At the checkout; remove your 'trolley glove'; apply hand gel or use a wipe then pack your bags.
  6. Then put glove no. 3 on to pay (as card machine may be contaminated) and to push the trolley one handed. At the car, take off your final glove.
  7. Apply hand gel or wipes after putting bags in the car.
OP posts:

Am I being unreasonable?

218 votes. Final results.

POLL
You are being unreasonable
92%
You are NOT being unreasonable
8%
cardibach · 08/04/2020 20:11

Or just do the shopping then wash your hands when you get home. The foodstuff will need washing down or quarantining anyway as people other than you will have touched it.

ShinyMe · 08/04/2020 20:12

Or you could just wash your hands before and afterwards.

PoppliosBubble · 08/04/2020 20:14

I don’t think I could push a trolley with one hand, it would go all wonky. I just wash my hands and wipe down all my food packets.

justanotherneighinparadise · 08/04/2020 20:14

I take it nobody cares less about single use plastics anymore?

Sparklingbrook · 08/04/2020 20:16

Mmm. All this time taken while there are people queuing outside?

As PPs have said. Wash your hands, and don't touch your face.

Harrykanesrightsock · 08/04/2020 20:16

I just use the trolly clean facility, anti vac hands do the shopping then after packing the car anti bac again. Wash hands at home Wash shopping at home and then wash hands again.

kitk · 08/04/2020 20:17

Erm but given we're supposed to be limiting shops etc, I'm not sure I could have managed to steer a large trolley around with one hand? Even using two my shoulders ache tonight! (Normally we'd use one small trolley for a week's shop but trying to get 10-14 days at a time right now!

Sparklingbrook · 08/04/2020 20:17

At my local Waitrose they pass you a trolley and the handle has just been cleaned.

Doilooklikeatourist · 08/04/2020 20:18

Good grief !
I wash my hands before I go ( DH drives , so he can get out of the house )
Pick up, trolley ( which has been cleaned );
Go into supermarket
Pick up,self scan thing
Go to cleaning station
Use spray on trolley , scanner and my hands
Shop
Go home
Wash hands and put stuff away , wiping as we go
Easy

DartmoorChef · 08/04/2020 20:18

Just wash your hands... Its easier and better for the environment.

Daisiest · 08/04/2020 20:19

I just anti bac, use trolly cleaning area, pack shopping then mild bleach wash everything once home and wash the bags.

perniciousdot · 08/04/2020 20:19

Is this official guidance or something you made up? It sounds ridiculous.

Tiddlytubbies · 08/04/2020 20:20

In all my local stores the trolley cleaning station is in the entrance to the supermarket so you have picked your trolley up from the trolley park and walked it to the entrance before cleaning it. You have already touched it so these cleaning stations make absolutely no sense to me unless I'm missing something? Anyway I agree with everyone else just wash your bloody hands or use sanitiser!

FurForksSake · 08/04/2020 20:20

Or

  1. Get out of car, alcohol gel hands to protect others. Don't touch your face.
  2. Cleaning station for trolley, use if provided. Don't touch your face.
  3. Shop, only touch things you are going to buy. Don't touch your face.
  4. Pay. Don't touch your face.
  5. Push trolley back to car, alcohol gel hands before getting out keys. Don't touch your face.
  6. Put shopping in boot and return trolley. Don't touch your face.
  7. Alcohol gel hands, get in car and drive home. Don't touch your face.
  8. Unload shopping. Don't touch your face.
  9. Wash hands. Don't touch your face.

10. Quarantine / disinfect / de-package shopping. Don't touch your face.
11. Wash hands. Don't touch your face.
12. Wash hands. Don't touch your face.
13. Touch your face, you deserve it.
14. Wash you face.
15. Wash your hands.
DartmoorChef · 08/04/2020 20:21

take it nobody cares less about single use plastics anymore?

I just said exactly that to DP. All these years trying to reduce waste and use less plastic and we will have disposal glove mountains undoing it all.

OhClover · 08/04/2020 20:21

I take it nobody cares less about single use plastics anymore?

Well quite. I do appreciate these are extreme times and that some measure of relaxing efforts to reduce disposables is necessary, but this just seems excessive.

jillandhersprite · 08/04/2020 20:22

Agree that level of changing of gloves is not needed for shopping. Maybe in a clinical setting where you know there is covid but not for shopping.
I drive without gloves, lock car, put away key and put gloves on. They are a barrier reminder to not touch my face, scratch my nose etc. Do my shopping using gloves, pay and pack. Remove gloves before car, retrieve my key and head home. At home wash hands thoroughly. Give items for immediate use a wipe down. Items that won't be used within 3 days get put away. Wash hands again...

ShinyMe · 08/04/2020 20:23

Also - your step 4, according to your logic would mean your bare hand gets contaminated by the food. AND then you have a bare hand taking off your contaminated glove, so it's contaminated again. If you're going to wear gloves, you need to wear them on both hands, so you can take them off without touching the outside.

MissDemelzaCarne · 08/04/2020 20:23

I’m currently working as a nurse on a Covid ward.
I just can’t connect with this OP

Mistystar99 · 08/04/2020 20:24

You sound like this is your wet dream come true.

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/04/2020 20:25

FurForksSake
😂😂😂

BorrestGump · 08/04/2020 20:26

I take it nobody cares less about single use plastics anymore

Apparently not. I live in a rural scenic area and there are gloves and wipes discarded the length of our rural roads. Also on the road leading from the supermarkets. Ignorant feckers looking after their feckless selves and to hell with pollution!

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TwoZeroTwoZero · 08/04/2020 20:28

That's a lot of fannying about just for some shopping when all you need to do is wash your hands and be vigilant about not touching your face.

Isla727 · 08/04/2020 20:28

Okay I guess there's loads of ways to deal with the situation. There is a bit of a risk of spreading germs from the trolley to your food items and from the checkout to your food items if you just keep one set of gloves on the whole time though!

Also re. single use plastics- of course it matters but long-haul flights (which at least are currently restricted) have a huge impact on the environment and people get caught up with small things like plastic and turning lights off.

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 08/04/2020 20:29

I use gloves and wear a mask. I am habitually touch my face. Acne does that to me as I'm always on the lookout for something new..
The mask and gloves prevent me from doing it. Its a real reminder not too.
I load the shopping in the boot and remove my gloves to get in the car and once I'm in I clean my steering wheel and handbrake etc then I gel my hands.
I don't use gloves to pick up the bags and unpack but they do get a good wash when I have unpacked. I wipe the shopping down first before it goes away. I don't know if its overkill but it calms my mind.

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