Is anyone else cleaning their shopping?

I'm wiping everything packaged, and the shopping bags, with hypochlorite solution (baby sterilising fluid) diluted at WHO recommended rate of 45mls to 1.5l water (that's stronger than the manufacturers' dilution instructions). Then leave it all to dry before putting away.

Vegetables are cooked, that will destroy the virus so I see no need to wash them, though handwashing after handling them is necessary. I'm not worried about fruit that is prepackaged ('cos I wipe that) or comes in its own wrapper (oranges, bananas). I understand that the virus doesn't persist for so long on fruit & veg. (Might be wrong, of course)

DP, being younger than me, is doing the shopping, wearing disposable gloves. When he comes back I rush out and disinfect his car and any door handles he's touched!

Anything that can be washed in soapy water or submerged in a Milton solution, is. ...... I am doing that too.

I quarantine the post, but how do you disinfect the newspaper? Not much point in quarantining it as it will be out of date by the time I read it.

If you're peeling all your fruit and veg you're losing a lot of the vitamins, minerals and fibre.

I clean what I need and leave the rest of a few days. It seems logical to me - because I'm isolating and it's all delivered.

I think it's way, way more important to avoid going into shops and supermarkets. I think shopping is risky.

Transmission is mainly from other people and the jury's still out on the threat from airborne droplets, the 'safe' distance. We aren't talking about still air either - it's circulating.

Why have our government not emphasised that people are most infectious before they have any symptoms?

People may get a false sense of security from cleaning their shopping, don't you think?

Mines due between 10 and 11. Gloves ready and waiting, hot soapy water and bleach. Fruit washed in Milton and veg washed where practical.

Not that I’m neurotic you understand?

A friend told me that she wiped all the plastic bags of frozen food that she had bought with a bleach solution and then put them in the freezer. They have all stuck together!

No I dont do it.

M0nica, SueH49 and morethan2, I was beginning to think I was the only one who didn't wash down everything.
We also wash fruit and veg, before peeling.

I've read a few articles on this, and although there is a small risk because the virus can remain on surfaces, it apparently soon starts to deteriorate, and washing hands after handling, and not touching the face seems to be best advice.
I wonder if we are putting ourselves at risk from the chemicals we are using to "disinfect" the shopping?

Witzend, could you please post a brief list of recommended durations for what you call "quarantine" for stuff coming into the house?

Yes I got a big Tesco order delivered on Tuesday , it was left in the porch , I had latex gloves on and carried the bags through to the garden , Everything was wiped down with soapy hot water that could be washed , then dried off with Dettol wipes and anything that could be left out tins , bottles etc was , Frozen food in plastic also got dunked in hot water before being put away in freezer,Fresh fruit and veg got washed and left outside to dry The whole thing took ages but I felt happier and safer for doing it for DH and myself as we are both vulnerable, All the bags the food came in was promptly put in the bin,

I do. I lather it lightly with bar soap and a quick rinse under the tap and wipe it or leave to dry if it's cardboard.

No, I still wash fruit and vegetables, I always did. I’m fastidious about hand washing and wiping down surfaces though. That comes from all the infection seminars I had to attend before I retired. I keep having this disagreement with my grandchildren about soap and water versus hand sanitiser. Soap and water and good hand washing techniques are far more effective than sanitisers but I might as well be talking to a brick wall.

my DIL & GD both work in the same stores in their home town further south and receive some terrible abuse from customers

This is dreadful; heard about a young neighbour yesterday who has suffered this at Tesco. I think a police presence is necessary, and I hope these customers are banned forthwith.

We are. Anything that can be washed in soapy water or submerged in a Milton solution, is. Miltoned a whole lot of fruit and veg the other day.
Anything else is left outside in a cool place for a couple of days.

All post and the daily delivered paper is also ‘quarantined’. I pick up anything like that with rubber gloves on, and then wash rubber-gloved hands as per hand washing.

I, too, feel a bit OTT but pleased to see I’m not alone. I wear a mask when I have to go the shop, surgical gloves and wipe down everything. Some tinned and prepacked stuff goes into another room and stays there for at least 3 days. I even washed a cauliflower in a mild bleach solution last week.

Yes, I do. I wipe all the boxes and packages.

No I'm not - other than fruit and veg which I would usually wash at any time.

No.
I do a weekly Tesco shop, where it’s all very well organised now. Wear latex gloves.
Wash my hands thoroughly as soon as I get home, then pack my shopping away as normal. Wash my hands thoroughly again.
Wash grapes in cold water before eating any, peel all other fruit.
Wash my hands before any food preparation or cooking, and before and after opening packets and tins.
I don’t change my clothes or shower when I get home.
I open post when it arrives, but wash my hands well after reading contents.

Surely if we are supposed to be disinfecting everything, it would be in the government guidelines?

Yes, I wear latex gloves when doing the shopping and wash everything in soapy water, which is supposed to be the best way to break down the virus. Obviously rinse well after.

Yes.

I fear I am becoming obsessive. We got our much awaited delivery from Morrison's this morning. Got my son to stick note on to front door asking delivery driver to open garage door and please put groceries inside then knock and leave and we would accept any substitutions. After 10 mins my son went and brought frozen food in house. I asked him to open box then put item into a freezer bag and throw box away into outside recycle bun. Fridge food had to have a wipe down with Dettox wipes before going into fridge. Left all tins and veg in garage and locked door. I will leave for 3 days. Fruit got washed in washing up liquid in water, then rinsed in cold water and dried. I did the fruit and felt a bit silly but better silly than sick. I am even keeping the front door locked. Junk mail foes straight into outdoor recycle bin and post gets open after 2-3 days. I even set my phone alarm for 2 hourly then I wash my hands again.

Yes, I wash every thing in hot soapy water. Including cherry tomatoes and cauliflowers etc. Everything gets dunked throughly in the sink and rinsed in hot water. Cereal packets and cardboard containers are put away in the pantry floor for three days minimum. I’m not usually fussy, but DH is on the highly vulnerable list.

Curlywhirly I’ve started cleaning my shopping since I read about it on another GN thread. I fill a sink with water and a Milton tablet and immerse some items then leave them to dry. Apparently doing that is better than drying them as it gives the active agent time to kill the bugs. Other things I wipe as necessary eg loaves of bread. Fruit & veg get dunked, too.

Thank you Willow, I have kept them for two weeks.