using dettol spray to clean food?

[UrsulaSings]

My OH has been cleaning the food packaging with dettol antibacterial surface cleaner spray (non bleach) once we got all the stuff back from the shops before we put it away.

Hes now worried that the chemicals will permeate into the food and I'll eat it and ingest chemicals which will then effect the baby.

How realistic is this? Is anyone else cleaning their shopping? If so, what are you using?

Thank you.

No we arent cleaning shopping at all. I hope the things he is spraying have waterproof outer coverings and he isnt spraying cardboard with it

All you really need to do is wash fresh stuff like fruit and veg in water as normal

Not cleaning packages. Washing fruit and vegetables as normal.

Does he generally have anxiety?

OP we've been doing this with all our food for weeks and I'm absolutely fine.
I haven't become ill from ingesting chemicals (to date) but to be honest, most of the food is plastic packaging, or cereal for example, the cereal is inside a plastic package and we wipe down the cardboard.
We don't clean down food that has no packaging we just wash it, but to be honest if you're cooking it, any germs will be killed at that point anyway 👍🏻

I’ve been washing all mine down with washing up liquid in water, like I would wash plates with. Sometimes with a bit of added bleach. Things like cereal boxes and tins and packets of meat etc. As long as you’re cooking or washing the food inside that may have got a tiny amount of spray on you’ll be fine anyway!

I'm pregnant too. Anything water tight and water resistant I've been washing in the sink with fairy liquid. Anything cardboard etc I've been using Wipes. Any thing fruit veg etc just rinsing with water. I would try and use soap and water for as much as possible!

Not an expert but maybe it would help your anxiety to get a non toxic spray cleaner? That's what we have for general cleaning, but gave up cleaning the shopping after two trips! Wash veg and fruit, wash hands before eating, and that's all I can manage

We've been using antibac or very diluted bleach spray for weeks now - we are all fine

We’ve been using dettol spray but Dh mentioned his bread tastes of it, and now he’s said that it feels like everything I eat tastes of it! We’re going to use dettol wipes in future

Just use soapy water (washing up liquid) from now on OP, just to be on the safe side.

It's unlikely to have harmed you/the baby so far but I wouldn't use it long term.

Please don’t do this, it’s not necessary and disinfectants are not good for anyone.

Dh has been using disinfecting wipes on packages and boxes of food. He does the post when it arrives too.

the only stuff I clean now is the milk containers
what I do is put cupboard stuff on another shelf for a couple of days
freezer stuff goes straight in to freezer
& I have a couple of shelves in the fridge that I keep for storage for a couple of days
& I have 2 tupperware boxes in veg drawer one for older food 1 for the new shopping
after a few days from what I gather the (most/all) virus dies & its safe
to use
if I do need to clean anything I use washing up liquid neat than rinse thoroughly because it soap

Where did you get advice in the first place to spray everything with disinfectant ?

We’re shielding and the woman from the council that has called up asked whether we were wiping down packaging, so there’s obviously some sort of advice floating around. I’ve been using Dettol for packages - if it can be used for food prep surfaces I figure packaging should be fine, and popping fruit and veg into a sink full of water with a couple of Milton tablets. Non perishables that aren’t needed immediately are being quarantined for 72 hours, easier than wiping down a whole shopping load.

I quarantine most of my shopping and wipe down the rest with an antibacterial spray.
Governments of other countries advise people to do it. I dont understand why we aren't told the same here, but I do it anyway as it does make sense to do it

I rinse bottles of milk or stuff in thick plastic down under the tap and that's about it really. So far we've been fine just doing that..

If the scientific and medical advice was to chemically wipe food packages, do you not think this information would have been a part of all the government updates as to what you should and shouldn’t do. I watch the daily updates and nothing has been said.

have to agree with @Parker231 here - I really dont think it's necessary to be spraying food with anti bac and if the government thought it was then this would be in their guidelines. just regular handwashing is sufficient

Antibacterial isn’t necessarily antiviral either. Soapy water is more effective and less toxic.

I fill up my sink with hot soapy water and dunk most of my shopping in it. Anti bac won't kill the virus. I chuck cardboard packaging if I can. Everything else gets quarantined for 72 hours

I would not trust the uk government right now and wait for them to issue guidelines on this matter. They've already made a lot of mistakes so far. The government of other countries are telling people to quarantine their shopping. I think it's safer and logical to do it. People touch everything in shops, so when you buy something, bear in mind someone else touched it before you.

Stop doing it and stop worrying. Just wash your hands before eating

I quarantine most of my shopping and wipe down the rest with an antibacterial spray.
Governments of other countries advise people to do it...

Personally I don’t bother
Also, correct me if I’m wrong but an antibacterial won’t get rid of viruses??

Why not just wash your hands?