If you washed your shopping are you still doing so?

[HJ40]

Not looking for a pile on from those who never did because there are plenty of those threads already.

I chose to dunk everything in Milton because back at the start of covid, so much was unknown. I was pregnant and scared. DH & I were able to work from home and our DC1 was at home when nursery was closed. We were perfectly, totally, isolated so it made sense to wash the shopping as our only possible point of exposure.

And then the habit has stuck because it's actually no hassle and better to be on the safe side.

But more than a a year on, DC1 has been back at nursery every day for 14months now and DC2 is about to start. We're going out and about, albeit cautiously, but fairly normally. DH & I are AZ double jabbed but too young for the booster. DH will soon have to return to commuting by train at least two days per week and I will be going back into my office.

I'm wondering if the time has come to stop? Given all our other potential contact points, shopping seems pretty low down the risk list.

In my house biscuit tins are for keeping the biscuits from going stale after they’ve been opened. I certainly don’t take them out of the wrapping before I want to start eating them, that would just make them go stale sooner.
Packaging is useful. It’s usually in efficient shapes for storage, designed to protect the food and has useful information like quantities, best before dates and ingredients on it. I can’t imagine decanting everything because of fear of germs on the packaging.

@5zeds

Do you really do this for everything? Baked beans decanted into a suitable Tupperware? Milk decanted from containers into jugs? chocolate bars and taken from wrappers and wrapped in clingfilm?

Nah. Though I’d probably wipe a tin before I put it in a cupboard. Some of you very obviously have never been in a warehouse. Perhaps think if it like you’ve brought it in from your garden shed?

I’ve been in many many warehouses

I store preserved food (made by me or my mum) in jars in my shed. I don’t wash them when I bring them in, except maybe to brush off a cobweb, but I probably do that on with my sleeve or something on the way back down the garden.

Yuck

@5zeds

Yuck

If you don't lick the packaging I'm sure you'll be fine

I’m pretty sure “thinking I’d be alright” isn’t really much protection against Weils disease but keep your food in unsanitary conditions and skip all basic hygiene if you like. Odd to be so anti other peoples choices though. It’s all a bit “too cool for school” (though presumably more “too cool to wash”).

I don't really care if people choose to wash packaging, if they've got the time and inclination then good for them but I have neither.

My food isn't kept in unsanitary conditions, it's in the cupboard and I wash my hands, the same as the majority of people. Veg is washed before it's eaten but what's the point of washing packaging that's going to be chucked out?

If someone could supply data on how many people are getting Weils disease from unwashed shopping that would be very helpful thanks.

Helpful in what way @TheKeatingFive ?

These exchanges are not data driven they are asking what people DO.

For example if you asked “how many sheets of toilet paper do you use to wipe your arse after a shit?”
The response might be “about ten” or it might be “about 2” would you then expect data on which was “better”?
I don’t eat food that’s been dropped on the floor however many seconds it’s been there.
I don’t touch other people’s glasses on the rim where there mouth will go when passing them a glass of water.
And…I don’t think wiping stuff that’s been stored in a shed before putting it in my cupboards is a big deal.

I don’t care if you lick pavements and toilet doors or bleach everywhere.

Helpful in what way

To indicate how seriously people should take the risk, obviously.

If we have hundreds of thousands of people contracting Weils disease from unwashed shopping then you might have a point. If it’s actually a minuscule / non existent number then your posts about keeping food in ‘unsanitary’ conditions are overblown hysteria.

i don’t think wiping stuff that’s been stored in a shed before putting it in my cupboards is a big deal.

I doubt anyone gives a flying fudge what you do, knock yourself out. It’s the accuracy of your language when describing what others do.

Nope. It’s an inability to accept that your way is not the only way. Depressing.

Nope. It’s an inability to accept that your way is not the only way.

Show me where I have suggested in any way that what you do with your own shopping is anyone’s business but your own?

I wouldn't even care if DH did it, providing he didn't expect me to have anything to do with it or help him.

DD works in a supermarket. A lady comes in and puts two of everything into her trolley. At the checkout she places one of each on the conveyor belt and the assistant has to scan it and then put it to one side. Nobody is allowed to touch the other groceries in her trolley. How she thinks the tins, packets get into the shelves I don’t now

I am of the mindset that living in a purely sanitary world isn't good for you. I think we need to come into contact with bugs and germs so I couldn't get upset with my tins being handled by lots of people and thrown in a delivery crate.

We did at the very start but then soon I realised I couldn't keep everything clean, the post, deliveries, food. And so I decided that if I were to catch it off the milk bottle then so be it because otherwise I'd go mad.

So I'd say stop! Also, with Milton, don't you need to dunk it for 15 mins!? You don't want your house to be too clean either as your kids won't get immunity for anything

@5zeds

I’m pretty sure “thinking I’d be alright” isn’t really much protection against Weils disease but keep your food in unsanitary conditions and skip all basic hygiene if you like. Odd to be so anti other peoples choices though. It’s all a bit “too cool for school” (though presumably more “too cool to wash”).

If you had read my posts, you would see that I haven’t been anti other people washing shopping at all. I’ve said that it isn’t a priority for me with everything else I have going on. You clearly really really care what I do though

@5zeds

I’m pretty sure “thinking I’d be alright” isn’t really much protection against Weils disease but keep your food in unsanitary conditions and skip all basic hygiene if you like. Odd to be so anti other peoples choices though. It’s all a bit “too cool for school” (though presumably more “too cool to wash”).

I've never even heard of Weils disease, certainly don't know anyone who has ever had it!

www.rentokil.co.uk/rodents/rodent-borne-diseases/

I’m aware of it - my village has a section of river that everyone (including my family) swims in