Is it a bit OTT to disinfect your shopping when you get it home?

[Bunnylady54]

I keep seeing posts on Facebook about doing this & tbh it wouldn’t have occurred to me at all. I keep as safe as I can when I shop but not sure it’s necessary to spray what you take home. Also saw something about washing coats etc when you’ve been for a walk.

I've been doing it. I wipe down everything with m&a antibacterial kitchen spray (says safe to use on areas you eat) I also strip and change into clean clothes and wash my hands before and after putting food away.

I'm shopping for both my own elderly parent and my elderly in laws and have instructed them to do the same. It may be extreme but it makes me feel better and more in control regardless of whether I'm being OTT. I have small children at home and need to be healthy to help everyone

M&s

Imagine someone coughed all over it when it was on the shelf in the supermarket.

Yes, you disinfect it.

Yes, you are completely OTT.

The people that stock the shelves don’t get lots of opportunities to break away and wash their hands during a shift. I know they’re meant to but they’re also under a lot of pressure to get everything out. Then there are other customers who may have picked something up and then changed their mind and put it back, who knows if they’re following hand hygiene rules. Then there will be items confiscated at the till and put back on the shelf, one customer has put them in their trolley, the checkout operator has removed them, another colleague will have put them back on the shelf.

I work in a supermarket. Yes I clean my shopping when I get home.

Covid is a virus though so antibacterial spray won’t kill it.

There's a Stephen Fry video out which was quite informative and said the virus can live on plastics and cartons for 72 hours so it's probably a good idea to give everything a wipe down.

I hate to break it to those of you using anti bacterial on your shopping.. That duesnt kill coronavirus.. As its viral

I am but it’s a psychological thing, I’m well aware that the antibac won’t kill covid 19.

Makes me feel a bit better.

I’ve been taking packets from the back of the shelves, washing hands, washing fruit in a mild detergent wash and thoroughly rinsing etc. but my feeling is, if it’s that determined to get us, and transmits that easily (ie from infected person, to packet, stays on packet for up to a week/ fortnight, then gets me when I next reach for that packet but don’t wash my hands....)

Well. Then I just have to accept it was inevitable unfortunately.

I’d do whatever makes you feel better to be honest but don’t think it matters one way or other. Wouldn’t be relying on Stephen Fry for any scientific insight though!

I'm cleaning or binning everything that comes through the door.

I'm opening my post wearing gloves then putting it straight in the outdoors recycling if I can so it doesn't even come in the house.

Today I had a delivery of A4 coloured paper, tissues (toilet paper substitute, can't find any), water, biscuits, 4 x lion bars in a packet and 8 x kit kats in a packet. (This was from 3 days ago when I couldn't find any proper food to order online. Viking stationary was doing chocolate bars & drinks so I ordered some to cheer us all up! The drinks didn't turn up disappointingly but kids delighted with the chocolate.)

I opened the boxes wearing gloves and put them straight in the recycling. I left everything in the porch for a while. Then I got the chocolate bars, wearing gloves. opened the packets and tipped the insides out without touching them. I threw the outer packet in the outside bin.

I opened the biscuit packed and poured all the biscuits into a tub without touching them. Threw all the wrappers away and washed my hands again.

The tissues, water and craft paper are still out there. The water is wrapped in plastic so I'll do similar with that. Not sure what I'm going to do about the tissues. I can't very well wash the boxes. I might take them out too.

All this might sound extreme - I'm not usually paranoid about cleanliness at all - my house is a tip!

But since I read how long coronavirus can survive on surfaces, I know it can come in the house on parcels and the people delivering are out and about so at risk.

This might be total overkill, but I don't think so. Also, I'm conscious there could be a worse virus in future if we don't learn from this and carry on cutting down the rainforests and jungles of our planet and seeing what comes out of them - I'm just thankful it's not the children we're watching dying in Italy and China etc and knowing it's us next. So, I think even if I am overreacting, it's a useful exercise to see how I could protect my family from something that contagious in future.

Not sure if I've got it right yet. I suppose time will tell...

Lots of anti bac products kill viruses too- has to say it on the packaging of course but they're not just for bacteria.

Yes I think they’re bonkers but if it makes someone feel better why would I care

@whatdayisitandotherquestions

I mean this gently- do you have health anxiety normally? Or do you have a generally unwell member of your household?
I understand the need to keep your family safe, but that is very extreme- and I wonder what it’s doing to your mental health?

I had no idea people were doing this. Now worrying a little that I haven’t been doing it!

I wash everything that comes through the door in a bleach solution.

If l go out to work, l take my clothes off inside the door, bag them up and and then wash myself and my hair. Open bag with gloves on, and shove clothes in washing machine.

Bag goes in outside bin, take gloves off, throw in bin, open door with my elbow and go and wash my hands.

As it’s been so sunny I’ve been putting post outside as the virus degrades in sunlight. Turn them over after about an hour.

I don’t think this is at all ott to be honest.

I guess this thread will bring out the people who won't touch door knobs or flushers in public toilets.

Card, plastic and metal are the surfaces it lives on the longest l think.

Most antibacterial gels and sprays and stuff, do kill viruses. That's why it's recommended to use antibacterial hand gel if you can't wash your hands.

I do used to use dettol anti bac until t was mentioned to me on here and I comfirmed that it doesn't kill Covid 19 strain.

Now I use 70% alcohol.

I go the supermarket in near full hazmat style. I dont get ridiculed no where near as much as I did last tuesday. What a difference a week makes.

I haven't been wiping much down in terms of shopping, because I don't have any wipes or method that I feel is both effective and sustainable, ie. could be bought and restocked as needed. I feel like to be effective it would take time and a lot of supplies, most of which I can't get right now. Using soapy water on packaging doesn't seem practical. So I have been focusing more on washing my hands after handling packaging that has only been bought recently. Not too happy with this approach but not sure what else to do for now.

Re parcels, I just bring them in as normal but wash my hands after opening, but I always have done that.

Oh God this is setting me off .

You can absolutely go too far - I went six days without eating last week and have lost a shedload or weight as convinced myself the food was all contaminated ... Took 30mg of diazepam and GP and CPN to calm me down . GP, CPN, two OCD charities, Coronavirus helpline (scotland) and friends who are staff nurses are utterly insistent that food packaging is not an issue and it does not need washed - said chances of it being transmitted that way are very slim .

Have been photographed on Facebook holding takeaway pizzas - in their uniforms , and tucking into Chinese takeaways ...

I can’t let myself start panicking about food again .

I’m forcing myself to eat and drink but wiping down bottles of juice and canned stuff with soapy water first; that’s all .

@adiposegirl2 where was it confirmed that Dettol does not kill this strain of Coronavirus? I have not read that. I have read that Dettol is 99.9% effective at killing other strains of it, and they assume it will be the same for this strain, but have not yet been able to do the clinical tests to say for sure. I'm not a big user of Dettol, I am just curious.

@stupidquestions oh my gosh please get off mumsnet. I am not particularly anxious in general and this site sets me off! Get off mumsnet and find a healthy space that works for you.

And I mean that in the kindest of ways.