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?

I still am

@Balkin

I'm not sure it's wise to be too germ avoidant

I agree. People have been touching groceries in shops forever, there has always been germs and bacteria on our groceries. No one was washing their shopping with bleach during the last flu season that I recall.

Covid-19 has not been on our groceries forever.

I’m not “germ avoidant”, I’m Covid-19 avoidant.

No but other viruses will likely have been.

I generally eat whilst driving home from the supermarket too but i have hand gel in the glovey. Not because of covid, primarily because people are minging in general.

@DullDullWeather

Never done it but I have nobody shielding in my home (that may have changed things)

Can I just ask, non aggressively, if those whom did or do wash things down, get food delivered during the Lockdown (as in a restaurant or fast food delivery)

No, no takeaways as didn’t fancy eating something others had handled. Not a big deal, we only had one once a month and just order something nice from the supermarket instead.

Do people change their clothes every time they get home from being out and about?

I usually have inside clothes and outside clothes anyway. But I change at the door now as soon as I get in, rather than when I get around to going upstairs.

As someone else said earlier, if you know that everything coming into the house is clean you can relax in your bubble.

No, no takeaways as didn’t fancy eating something others had handled.

We've had pizza. Just chucked the cartons straight away and reheated the pizza for 2 minutes.

Do people change their clothes every time they get home from being out and about?

Depends where ive been, but often, yes.
Generally want to get my comfies on the second i walk through the door!

As someone else said earlier, if you know that everything coming into the house is clean you can relax in your bubble.

Ah, there is another thing I need to look into then, what the definition of bubble is in relation to this virus. I've to be honest stopped listening to the news or reading about it in the press weeks ago, as it's all just gone mad to me.

@runbummyrun

What?! Wiping down groceries? Is this a "thing"

Fucking hell, everyone has gone mad.

Actually the first thing that you have to learn when going to a middle eastern country to live for m europe is that you have to clean everything. That means washing all groceries. Because the bacteria/viruses are so very different.

This virus is not different (in a sense) to moving to an asian/middle eastern country.

And once you have your routine it's not that time consuming either.
Also having stuff that don't need cooling go into a 3 day quarantine helps with the amount of things you need to clean.

On another note: I was raised and taught that you have to wash all fruit and veg before eating. How is that different? O do you think ppl washing their fruits are mad as well?

I did have to swill some fridge shopping this week as the milk had leaked a bit on it, it was a right pain

I never did . I'm not shielding and neither are my children. I have always grown up with a few germs are helpful attitude and I'm applying this to Covid. I fully understand that Covid is an unknown, but washing shopping and clothes changing is a step too far for me.

Yep, don't wash fruit and veg either, unless covered in mud.

I’m nhs, have a long commute on various types of public transport and I’m antibody negative for COVID. I’ve never wiped down my groceries. I might however behave differently if I lived with someone shielding.

@Wannabegreenfingers

Yep, don't wash fruit and veg either, unless covered in mud.

That's a little bit foolhardy?! What about pesticides, rodents peeing on it while it's still in the ground, etc? 🤮

I find it very hard to believe that anybody who sees this as odd or "nutty" is vulnerable or has a vulnerable family member.

If they're not washing their shopping, fine. But they would understand that the risk to those vulnerable is higher and would understand people taking extra steps to protect themselves.

If they claim otherwise then they must be spectacularly unimaginative or a covid denier.

That's a little bit foolhardy?! What about pesticides, rodents peeing on it while it's still in the ground, etc? 🤮

Additional flavouring!!

Nope

I find it very hard to believe that anybody who sees this as odd or "nutty" is vulnerable or has a vulnerable family member.

Why do you? As I replied to a previous poster who said something similar, I'm classed as extremely vulnerable and we haven't done any of this. I haven't called it nutty as such, but it does seem quite odd to me.

@TheSunIsStillShining
Actually the first thing that you have to learn when going to a middle eastern country to live for m europe is that you have to clean everything. That means washing all groceries. Because the bacteria/viruses are so very different.

I've just come back from my second stint in the Middle East. I have NEVER washed a single grocery item. I will, on occasion, rinse fruit or veg under the tap for a few seconds, depends which supermarket it came from. I can honestly say, I (nor anyone in my family) has had any problems...

According to the news today, the new outbreak in New Zealand was due to the virus coming in on chilled cargo, where it can be viable for several days.

I do wash some of the garden fruit since I saw a fox pissing up against the strawberry raised beds one night, I don’t bother with some shop bought fruit though apart from grapes which sometimes look dusty, some people feed their children grapes going round the store, I doubt they are washed

I never did.

I was careful with hand sanitising and hand washing after touching things that came into the house, and that felt good enough.

That being said, I've always been in the habit of washing my hands as soon as I get home, so it didn't feel all that different.

PhilCornwall

If you are vulnerable and still find it odd then I'm sorry but I find you odd.

My DH is vulnerable. Always catches every virus, ended up in hospital last year with pneumonia after a virus I recovered from within days. We don't fancy his chances with covid and therefore take the steps we can to minimise his risks of catching it.

Can you please explain why you find that odd?

I always have and still do. I bring groceries in one bag at a time, if I can decant things out of packaging (eggs into a basket in the cupboard for example) I do. Wash all fruit and veg immediately and wipe everything else with anti bac wipes. Once put away I dispose of all if the packaging outside then clean the surfaces with anti bac and wash my hands. Ffs I know it sounds mental but it just means I can relax about it all a bit more, also means that it takes me ages as I shop monthly mostly ha ha.