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Wiping down/quarantining shopping and parcels

54 replies

TheLifeAndDeathBrigade · 17/02/2021 13:19

Can anyone convince me either way? I've not found anything particularly conclusive (admittedly have not looked too hard as have baby and toddler keeping me occupied). Have had a few parcels delivered today that I'd like to rip open. I should just do it shouldn't I?!? Highly unlikely route of transmission?

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/02/2021 14:20

Never wiped or quarantined anything, never will. No one I know does it either including my elderly relatives and relatives who work in hospitals.

Globe22 · 17/02/2021 14:22

Never done it, if I've ordered something its because I want it now nor in 3 days time, imagine doing that with a Chinese takeaway!! I've never washed anything, I wash my hands after shopping and putting things away. None of us in our house are at any risk, if we were I may have a different viewpoint.

Wingedharpy · 17/02/2021 14:23

Until Boris's podium says "Hands, Face, Space - and bleach your shopping", I'm not doing it.
And I'm a shielder.

simbobs · 17/02/2021 14:27

If this was actually a route of transmission the delivery people would have been dropping like flies. It really isn't necessary. Outer packaging is disposed of anyway, and the chance of catching anything from the contents is vanishingly small. Just wash your hands after handling the item.

NewMumma1819 · 17/02/2021 14:28

Up until November I bleached all my shopping that could be and anything that couldn't be cleaned was left in a bag for 2 weeks. Most of mine and DP's family are still doing this but we gave up as so many clothes where getting bleached in the process and it was just such a bloody nightmare to continue, especially with a baby to contend with too!

Biscoff2020 · 17/02/2021 14:41

Yes, been doing this since last April. Leave all post for at least 2 days in the porch before opening it. Get shopping delivered once a week and quarantine all non-perishable items for 3 days before putting them away. Wipe down all other packaging with Dettol spray. Remove fruit/veg from packaging and rinse it.

It takes about 30 minutes to do the shopping once a week (that's for 3 of us) and I'm used to the routine now- I don't know if I'll ever stop!

TheLifeAndDeathBrigade · 17/02/2021 14:43

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair as I've said in previous posts, I'm looking to garner general opinion as have two people with health anxiety who use me as their sounding board, and quite frankly it seems a bit bonkers to me to do this. Data on route of transmission would obviously be quite convincing, but, in the absence of that, I'm using a talk board, to, god forbid, talk about an issue that's been raised to me and ensure that my view is not widely outside of the norm. Is that ok with you? Hmm

OP posts:
yearinyearout · 17/02/2021 15:03

Well I've never done this, and nobody in our household has ever had covid (and we live in a market town that has had pretty high infection rates at times)

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 17/02/2021 15:21

I don't know if I'll ever stop

Me neither. Having seen people sneeze on shop displays, pick things up and put them back, the dirt that comes off when you clean them etc we may just carry on. Maybe we will continue to get less normal bugs that way too.

Exhausteddog · 17/02/2021 15:26

I anti bac my hands going into and leaving the supermarket, and after I put the trolley back. Then wash my hands when I get in and then usually whole family helps put away groceries. we don't wash our hands afterwards unless we're about to eat.

poppycat10 · 17/02/2021 15:41

I tear open my letters and parcels as soon as I get them and as far as I know have not had covid, if that helps?

Topseyt · 17/02/2021 15:53

I've never done this and never will. I couldn't be arsed faffing like that.

Shopping is put away as soon as I get home from the supermarket. Parcels are opened as they arrive and the packaging put into the recycling bin. Hands are washed regularly.

I don't know anyone who quarantines or washes shopping and deliveries.

skinwalker · 17/02/2021 15:54

just posted this on the other thread:

I have been washing shopping since last March, quarantining post, change clothes when come home, etc.

Currently recovering from Covid..... Grin

BigWoollyJumpers · 17/02/2021 15:56

@Biscoff2020

Yes, been doing this since last April. Leave all post for at least 2 days in the porch before opening it. Get shopping delivered once a week and quarantine all non-perishable items for 3 days before putting them away. Wipe down all other packaging with Dettol spray. Remove fruit/veg from packaging and rinse it.

It takes about 30 minutes to do the shopping once a week (that's for 3 of us) and I'm used to the routine now- I don't know if I'll ever stop!

The thing is, a bit of dirt and grim and germs are actually good for priming your immune system. Washing everything and spraying with Dettol is not a good thing.

Putting Covid to one side, for which vaccination is the way forward, the way to build a strong immune system, is to expose your system to germs.

hamstersarse · 17/02/2021 15:59

How did you get to the conclusion that your shopping is going to harbour the disease?

ThePricklySheep · 17/02/2021 16:00

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

I don't know if I'll ever stop

Me neither. Having seen people sneeze on shop displays, pick things up and put them back, the dirt that comes off when you clean them etc we may just carry on. Maybe we will continue to get less normal bugs that way too.

You will probably get more ill by minimising your exposure to anything. Your immune system needs contact with bugs in order to stay the most active.
hamstersarse · 17/02/2021 16:01

@Biscoff2020

You are doing your immune system much more harm in doing what you are doing. What specific information has brought you to think this state is a good thing?

EileenGC · 17/02/2021 16:05

@Biscoff2020

Yes, been doing this since last April. Leave all post for at least 2 days in the porch before opening it. Get shopping delivered once a week and quarantine all non-perishable items for 3 days before putting them away. Wipe down all other packaging with Dettol spray. Remove fruit/veg from packaging and rinse it.

It takes about 30 minutes to do the shopping once a week (that's for 3 of us) and I'm used to the routine now- I don't know if I'll ever stop!

I wonder how those of us who’ve been in shops and on public transport for hours each day also since April have survived, coming in contact with all these germs.

A genuine question though, do you never get urgent post? I can think of very few instances when an envelope that arrived didn’t need opening straight away. It’s usually documents, important invoices or Prime deliveries that I need today, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with Prime.

SunshineNeededNow · 17/02/2021 16:08

I'm. Clearly very relaxed about this.
I've never wiped down shopping or quarantined it. Most of the food in this house is eaten within days with everyone home. So leaving it for a day or 2 would be madness.
. Parcels if its something I need I open and put in recycling. Wash hands as i would after touching the wheelie bin. Not because I've touched the parcel.
If it's a parcel I know i don't need. For example a birthday gift like may have arrived for dcs birthday this I just chuck it in the wardrobe. Until its time unpackage to wrap them.

SunshineNeededNow · 17/02/2021 16:10

Also I'd have no where to store non perishables for 3 days before they go in cupboard. Get home unpack. Put bags back in car. Wash hands and wipe sides down

polyjuicepotion · 17/02/2021 16:54

Have you ever done a Covid test? The one where you have to swab your tonsils and inside your nose? If yes then you'll know that you have to swab the tonsils about 10 times and also insert the swab quite deep into your nostril and turn it around for a while, to collect the virus.
And PCR is a highly sensitive technique, probably THE most sensitive biological detection method.
If it was so easy to transmit a meaningful infectious dose (which is by the way much much higher than the number of viruses required for the PCR to work) onto a surface, we would be just licking the swab once, no fussing around swabbing tonsils for 10 seconds.

Xenia · 17/02/2021 16:56

I get at least 2 parcels a day and have not wiped anything down. I do wash my hands generally both before and after covid 19 however.

Moreofawonderingment · 17/02/2021 16:59

Did this in a panic at the beginning before common sense prevailed.
Shock horror I don’t wash my hands after opening parcels either and we get at least one a day.
No covid.

InsaneLockdowner · 17/02/2021 17:17

I do. But I'm am on my own and so it's 10 maybe minutes once a week. Not sure I'd still be doing it with a big weekly shop for a large family. I get click and collect, so I'm still saving time. The whole thing is collected, wiped and put away a lot faster than doing the weekly shop myself.

I bring my shopping in through the back door and choose to quarantine some items like bin bags, laundry detergent in the garage I walk through. I generally buy these items when they are on special offer rather than when needed, so it's not really a change in practice since Covid started last year, I've usually got a few boxes of detergent etc sitting in the garage anyway.

I use dettol wipes to wipe down what I do wipe with a tiny bit if washing up liquid because it apparently breaks down the lining of the virus cell, so basically killing it. I remove most packaging straight away too, so there is hardly any wiping. I'm much more aware of what my use by dates are on fresh stuff since doing thus too. I used to be so pissed off by the time I got home from the shops I used to just chuck it in the fridge with no thought. I now find I'm planning my week, roughly by the dates and have less wastage as a result.

I had to watch a video on how covid is spread for a job I did. Yes it's mostly airborne but if someone with covid touches their face then an item, albeit trolley handle, door knob, car keys, tin of beans in Asda some germs are transferred. There are several debates on how long it lasts on surfaces. It obviously starts to diminish straight away, however there have been traces found on cardboard left undisturbed 17 days later. Obviously it all depends on conditions and yep it's less likely to transmit on surfaces than in the air but it is a thing. Why are we asked to sanitise our hands begire going in shops if touching things isn't a risk??

Tbh, I'm not overly worried these days it's just a new habit I've got into. I've always been a bit ick about certain things like salad bars etc. All those people that let their kids touch everything has always made me a bit 🤢 grossed out and I suppose this is just an extension of this

I get people roll their eyes, snigger and laugh at me but carry on. Is what I'm doing making any impact on them at all?? No, its my 10 minutes a week in my hoyse, so they can fuck off.