Should we or should we not be wiping shopping??

[Jaem02]

I know the gov say it isn't necessary but lots of people are still wiping down or quarantining shopping. Should we be?

I don't get why some posters are so sneery about what other people do.

When Italy went into lockdown and it was obvious the UK was heading the same way it was decided at work that everyone would wash their hands on arrival, wipe down all keyboards, phones, door handles etc and re-wash hands again. I simply replicated this at home.

My immediate family wasn't shielding but I was supporting elderly parents and a friend who was having cancer treatment who were shielding. If me being cautious by wiping my shopping, opening post and binning envelopes, washing my hands to minimise the risks of COVID-19 coming into my house then I was happy to do this. This doesn't mean I have mental health issues. I also have a friend who is a consultant in the NHS who was telling me in March/April this is serious.

Obviously as restrictions have relaxed at the beginning of July then so have I. Now the children are back at school it is inevitable that local lockdowns will occur but I will be sensible, wear a mask as needed and wash my hand frequently and hopefully the UK can get through Winter as best we can.

@Lovely1a2b3c Well said

How judgemental and smug some of you are.
I guess those of you who think COVID doesn’t remain on surfaces are therefore not concerned at all about any surfaces when you to go to work/shop etc. and are happy to touch everything without washing your hands? Really?
COVID does remain on surfaces for a few days and the ‘I just put the shopping away and wash my hands every time I touch any of it as it’s better than washing my shopping’ brigade do appear to realise this otherwise why wash their hands when you’ve touched what’s in your fridge ffs.
And it’s the packaging people are washing. Not what’s in it.
Anyway, if I want to wash my shopping (which has been picked and delivered after being possibly coughed on by maybe no-one or maybe someone with covid) that goes in the fridge and stick the rest in the spare room for a few days because my husband is completely immune suppressed as a transplant recipient then what’s the big issue?
Low risk doesn’t mean no risk.
And no, I’m not one of these super clean people. Normally extremely lazy actually.

@lifesalongsong

Do what you like with your own shopping, you don't need validation or permission but bear in mind that if food packaging was in any way a risk don't you think we might have heard about huge infection rate amongst supermarket workers, I know someone who works in a very large supermarket, none of the staff have had covid. Till staff don't wear gloves in any shop I go into and touch 1000s of items every day

I've worked all through, from the panic buying, rationing, social distancing, screens, gloves the lot. For the first few weeks we had none of the above. There has been no cases of covid at work, we would all know as news like that would spread like wildfire. I don't wash shopping as I think it's pointless, I'm touching hundreds and thousands of items a day tho admittedly now I'm wearing gloves. However, a friend of mine is washing her shopping and it takes her about 3/4 of an hour, I know because she told me. She's surprised I'm not doing it, I'm surprised she does. Whatever makes you happy, do it.

Genuinely wondering how much shopping people are buying if it takes 3/4 hour+ to wipe it all down. Or maybe I’m just doing a sloppy job of mine
@Supermarketworker06 have you or your coworkers been tested?
Worryingly you didn’t mention hand sanitizer in the list of things.
Hope you changed gloves between tasks too

I was talking to someone the other day. He said he sanitises absolutely everything, all the food, the wrapping - including the bags the shopping came in, the car door handle and the soles of his shoes. He's completely obsessive about hand gel and gloves and mask-wearing when he's unpacking the shopping.

Other than wearing a mask when I'm actually in the shop and using hand gel when I get back in the car, I have been doing none of those things.

Two different perspectives.

@frumpety wroteI used to know someone who Miltoned all their fruit and veg.

That just seems insane but then @Mistressiggi says you can wash fruit & veg I'm soapy water and rinse well. I have never done this in all my years. I just give everything a quick rinse under the tap..maybe I should be using soap too.

I'm soapy water!! Ffs..Obv meant IN soapy water.

If you actually were soapy water, you'd have nothing to fear from the virus

I spray anything and anyone with dettol all in one spray as soon as in my house! I'm not paranoid just cautious and nervous !

@JesusSufferingFuck22

Genuinely wondering how much shopping people are buying if it takes 3/4 hour+ to wipe it all down. Or maybe I’m just doing a sloppy job of mine *@Supermarketworker06* have you or your coworkers been tested? Worryingly you didn’t mention hand sanitizer in the list of things. Hope you changed gloves between tasks too

Sorry, in the long list of things I forgot the sanitizer! Practically bathing in it. Several people have actually been tested, recent one was last week, all negative.

I do it, feel slightly crazy for it, but then think of how much stuff has been touched by people before me. It's a PITA though.

[quote Hangingbasketofdoom]@Lovely1a2b3c Well said[/quote]
Thanks Hangingbasketofdoom!

Covid will never be scary enough for me to wipe down my groceries.
I'm pretty certain the scientists are wiping down their shopping.

@sallyshirt nice that it will never be scary enough for you, and you can’t appreciate that there are people that needed to do this pre covid like having children going through chemo etc. Aren’t you a lovely person.

No but I always wash my hands and wipe down the fridge door and cupboard doors that I touch. Can't see how it's safe to use bleach on food though. People have to do what they feel comfortable with though and I have been wiping and washing more but it's just become routine and I feel safer this way. I don't think I'm obssessiv.

Oh christ not this again

I'm still wiping down shopping that needs to be put away straight away, and quarantining the rest for 3 days. And expect to be doing this long term. I'm vulnerable so anything reasonable I can do to avoid the virus I am happy to do. Especially with cases on the rise again.

Never have. Never expect to. Never had Covid.

If you actuallyweresoapy water, you'd have nothing to fear from the virus

Ha! Exactly!