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.

Of course it does. So what do you do? Nothing?

@Parker231 I am sure the OP washes her hands too

Not cleaning shopping at all.

Lilice - I don’t bother spraying any of my packages down

This is really not at all necessary.

Also thanks for correcting me I was previously under the impression only some products can kill viruses, so 70% alcohol based products, hypochlorous acid, or just good old soap/water so I’ve never understood why so many people specifically mention “antibac” in these covid threads

I think for some people it just helps their anxiety by washing all their shopping. Personally if it didn’t, I would spend all day worrying about it so it’s not worth leaving it for me, even though it’s extremely tedious to do. I appreciate it most likely wouldn’t make any difference whatsoever but it gives me a bit of piece of mind and I’m guessing it’s the same for other people on here.

I will add I do have severe OCD anyway though.

@assburgers1 The main ingredient of most antibacterial sprays is surfactants, chemicals that break down lipids. It is the surfactant properties of soap that destroys coronavirus.

@UrsulaSings There are no known cases of transmission from grocery shopping although it is theoretically possible. If you want to be 100% safe and clean everything, don't let people put you off - some scientists advise you should, others don't.

If you do decide you want to clean everything, only use the spray (or a damp sponge with a squirt of washing up liquid lathered up) to clean items that can't be permeated by the chemicals eg tins, bottles, plastic containers (check for holes such as in fruit punnets etc). Anything else eg cardboard containers, you can either "quarantine" for 72 hours or remove the outer packaging without letting the inner packaging touch your hands or the outer packaging eg cereal in a plastic bag, chocolate in foil. Anything without inner packaging, like bread, butter or cakes, can go in another appropriate container eg tupperware, cling film, foil, Kilner jar, cake tin. Fruit and veg can be safely sterilised in Milton fluid.

There are no known cases of transmission from grocery shopping

Only because you could never prove that it came from the groceries.

There are no known cases of transmission from grocery shopping.

Only because you could never prove that it came from the groceries.

There are currently millions of households across the world who are shielding and have no contact with the outside world other than deliveries. Many of them won't be disinfecting or quarantining deliveries. You would expect there to be reports of cases of infection from deliveries (where there is no other possible source of infection) from that group if it were a common mode of transmission. It is fair to conclude that it is a low risk, even though it is theoretically possible.

Surely your clingfilm was made in a factory with staff? Your bread was made in a bakery?

My cling film was made in a factory long before coronavirus was first transmitted to humans And presumably most people have cling film that has been in their house more than 72 hours. Sliced bread is made by an automated process so it's unlikely it's untouched by human hands.

As I said, evidence suggests it's unlikely that you will catch coronavirus from groceries. If the OP feels better disinfecting everything, it is up to her to assess the risk. I was just suggesting ways to decrease the risk further without ingesting pints of antibacterial spray. It would be even less risk to only eat food that you cook at home that is packaged in cleanable packaging.