Still wiping down groceries?

[Cam77]

Just wondered if anyone is still doing this? At the beginning we were told the virus can live on surfaces for X number of days, but as far as I’m aware, the powers that be never elaborated on whether it was a real risk of transmission.

I have elderly parents and am being extra cautious for their sakes. I was about to stop wiping a few weeks ago but then number started going again when I live. I know the risk is super small, but anyway, anyone else still consider this worth doing? Or was the science updated somewhere to say there’s no risk of transmission from groceries/parcels etc?

[Amber0685]

A relative in in hospital, and anything brought in to them has to be quarentined for 3 days.

[Amber0685]

Should have said not immunocompromised or anything.

[FreyaB84]

I don’t do it. I’ve got OCD which in the past has manifested itself in the form of obsessive cleaning and worry about germs. I’d rather avoid anything that’s going to risk me falling down that rabbit hole again, as I know how difficult it is to get of it.

[SockYarn]

@Amber0685

A relative in in hospital, and anything brought in to them has to be quarentined for 3 days.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we've been told to do the same. Nobody can explain the reasoning behind it though.

[minnieok]

Never did but we came down with suspected covid in March (before you could be tested) so assume we are probably immune, hence being rather blasé

[LadyPenelope68]

What I don’t get is why it bothers people so much what others do, that they feel the need to start a thread about it basically inciting a “thread bashing” for those doing it. Just nasty and unnecessary IMO.

I still wash my shopping down, I still quarantine my post/parcels, I haven’t had any takeaways/coffees etc, etc because that’s what I want to do to keep me and my family protected. What’s that got to do with you and why am I wrong and you are right??

I couldn’t care less whether someone else does it or not, that’s their choice, why the need to criticise and slag people off? If you do it fine, if you don’t want to then fine - it’s called choice, we all have it.

[chargeorge]

If other people annoy you by posting on here why do you even bother to take the time to reply

Do as you want to do my friend OP, if you feel its right then that's fine. Personally I haven't wiped any down but I know some who have

[PermaStress]

I hope all you wipers aren't using single use plastic wipes for your hygiene-fest and quest to eradicate the smallest possible risk available.

Or even worse antibacterial wipes.

FFS.

3 people in my household are particularly vulnerable. We are still shielding as much as we can.

I wash groceries using a spare washing up bowl somebody randomly gave me when I collected unwanted food from her and took it to a food bank because she CBA. I use a washable cotton cloth that I've had since February. I use Fairy liquid and water. I get groceries delivered which come in plastic carrier bags which I save and take to a local food parcel charity. I hate the excess packaging that my fruit and veg comes wearing but I reuse, recycle as much as is recyclable and I've been on the waiting list for a veg box since April. We use mainly bar soap (made by a local lady and it comes in recycled paper packaging). I do have liquid hand soap too, (fuelled by refills to minimise plastic) because I just don't fancy using bar soap when I've been picking up dog poo (with compostable bags). Our masks are fabric washable ones. Our hand sanitiser is rarely used because we're still shielding as much as possible but it's from a large bottle refilling little ones. I did use plastic gloves when I was having to go out shopping before we got a delivery slot - I'm a chemist so I know how to use proper aseptic technique and they go in a bag in my car when done to be disposed of at home. I have used a total of 5 pairs for this purpose and approximately 600 pairs in that time for lab work. A few years ago I managed to get sign off on a protocol to drastically reduce the number of pairs we use in the lab but they are still necessary.

Please don't assume that people who wash their shopping don't give a crap about the environment and aren't trying to make the best choices available to them.

[DaisyDreaming]

Yes we are still wiping down or leaving non perishables for a few days before touching them (we are still shielding)

[CaptainMyCaptain]

@minnieok

Never did but we came down with suspected covid in March (before you could be tested) so assume we are probably immune, hence being rather blasé

I wouldn't assume that.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

Please don't assume that people who wash their shopping don't give a crap about the environment and aren't trying to make the best choices available to them.

This ^^

[WiseUpJanetWeiss]

But the people who have totally bought into the fear and the germs are sold on the disposable. Use it once, throw it away.

What a bizarre claim. I have some disposable baby wipes in the car that generally last a couple of years, but aside from that I use launderable cloths. I’m as afraid of normal environmental microorganisms as I ever was (i.e. not at all).

The germ phobes and their need to nuke all germs is going to rob us of. Effective antibiotics too.

How on earth is washing my shopping going to have an effect on antibiotic resistance?

[CrunchyCarrot]

I hope all you wipers aren't using single use plastic wipes for your hygiene-fest and quest to eradicate the smallest possible risk available.

Or even worse antibacterial wipes.

Nope, none of the above. I fill the kitchen sink with soapy water and wash down anything that can be washed. Other things that can't (like cardboard-packed) will be left to 'quarantine' for a few days. The washing liquid is a Biocare one, bought in bulk so I can reuse the dispenser. I don't actually use wipes at all!

[LadyPenelope68]

hope all you wipers aren't using single use plastic wipes for your hygiene-fest and quest to eradicate the smallest possible risk available.

Or even worse antibacterial wipes.

No, like others I either use hot, soapy water and washable cloths or an environmentally friendly, antibacterial spray, again with washable cloths. The bottle for the spray is totally recyclable. I have never bought antibacterial wipes.

[Comefromaway]

I use disposable wipes & feel no guilt whatsoever. I buy a lot of stuff that we need to use straight away and in some cases am away from home when I have to wipe stuff. My boss at work gave them to me.

[ListeningQuietly]

never did
never will

waste of water and cleaning products
I'd rather not ingest bleach

[FuzzyPuffling]

I'm another "wash with a washable cloth and washing up liquid."
We're a shielding household and don't see the need for such judginess from some.

[PhilCornwall1]

I'd rather not ingest bleach

Didn't Donald think this was a good idea?

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

No one is ‘ingesting bleach’. What a bizarre claim.

I use a system of quarantining, washing and wiping with alcohol wipes (not anti-bac because they don’t work) depending on the item. The alcohol wipes are made with a fine meshed tissue, not plastic. Those washing with bleach are using it dilute and dunking packeted items in it, same as those washing. No one is ‘ingesting’.

[SpeedofaSloth]

No, never did. I washed my hands a lot though, still do.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I must admit I'm a bit jealous of people having the space to quarantine their shopping! There's no way I'd ever do it but I'd love to have the space!

[TheChosenTwo]

Not doing it, never did.
We are not a high risk household, I went to work during the whole of lockdown as a key worker, no PPE available due to the nature of my work (teacher), didn’t see relatives who were at risk.
Didn’t deem it a high risk so didn’t bother with the extra work at a time where there was already enough work to be done in not much time.
What other people chose to do with their time is not a concern of mine.
If it gives you peace of mind, crack on, you’ll hear no judgment from me.

[Orangedaisy]

My rinse aid leaked all over all my shopping today. First time I’ve wiped my shopping down,ever. The Tesco driver and I joked that he’d given me pre-sanitised shopping 😂

[SabrinaThwaite]

It's because some things (like butter, for example) can't easily be washed.

I don’t think butter is supposed to be washed?

[SirVixofVixHall]

I either wipe over the butter ( in packet ! ) with a soapy cloth if it is a foiled wrapper, or if it is paper I take it off, and rewrap the butter in clean greaseproof paper. Then I wash and rinse the butter wrapper, hang it up to dry, and re wrap the butter in that wrapper when fully dried, just so I have the use by date and butter type, as I freeze it and buy salted and unsalted.