Cleaning

An over reaction as far as I can see !

I used to wipe down groceries but stopped a few weeks ago. I open letters and parcels straightaway and read the paper when it arrives. I'm not a great cleaner, I've always employed one up till now, but I give the kitchen surfaces a skoosh of anti bac and wipe a bit most days and have a go at cleaning the bathroom once a week. I quite like dusting so I do that fortnightly and hoover once a week.
Is that the sound of clean Grans fainting I hear? It's amazing we're still alive (so far...)

Well I don’t do any of these things. The only thing I do more of is washing my hands, I’ve always cleaned worktops floors washed twice week, and I’m not going to do any more than I’ve done all my life, I have a neighbour that washes her carrier bags and hangs them on the washing line couple times a week long line of them, but that’s her way I’m not knocking how others do things, but it’s not for me,I’m self isolating and have been for last 13 weeks, so I’m doing what I can, haven’t been out in any vehicles, nor shops , I’m not doing anymore

That made me laugh. Goes straight in your mouth lol

My groceries are just put away and I wash my hands regularly. In fact every time I touch recently bought groceries. I have wipes in car and wipe hands and wheel when I have collected my click and collect. I note the two 'heard of' cases but nobody has ever posted links about these so I take no notice. I have always thought that regular hand washing is the best advice.

I think the chances of catching the virus from packaging, post, etc, is very low unless anybody is in the extreme vulnerable group, e.g. those having cancer treatment, severe heart conditions, etc. The main danger, in my view, is being in direct contact with somebody who has the virus, or is carrying the virus.
I wipe door handles, etc, a couple of times a week.

I’ve stopped wiping handles down and cleaning everything to death now..... plenty of hand washing is all I do. No deliveries and no car so I’m going out every 3 days shopping. Mask in shops and on buses is all! We’ve got to get a grip on reality soon else we’ll all end up neurotic idiots. Good common sense is what’s needed.

I am not doing deep cleaning, just washing my hands every time I have been shopping or to the bin. I go round door handles with anti bacteria wipes every couple of days now, plus tv control, phone. I put the shopping away when I buy it sometimes it gets used straight away. If I go to the supermarket I gel my hands and put a mask on when I get out of the car and clean the trolley with stuff supplied by shop. I also put the towl in the wash most days from the kitchen. I think it is just a case of being sensible and trying to keep 2 metres away from people in supermarkets etc.

I dont disinfect or isolate shopping, nor do I deep clean. I wash my hands in a fairly intensive way every time I return home after shopping or walking and touching field gates. I dont use communal hand sanitisers unless you can do so without touching the bottle, but carry my own. Thats it really. Dont wear a mask except on public transport as per 'the rules'. I feel OK with the precautions we are taking, however we are in a low incidence area.

I am one of those that wipes down the groceries with a weak bleach solution.
While my son, who lives with me, goes to get the groceries, I wash down the worktops, the inside of my fridge and the door handles with a weak bleach solution using a microfibre cloth.
When he returns, the chilled food, such as yoghurst that are usually in a multpack gets taken out of the packaging and put straight in the fridge (if no packaging, aquick wipe around the pots then into the fridge.) Any fruit or veg in bags gets tipped into the chiller drawers, bags disposed of. Potatoes go into a cloth bag, out of the plastic. Loose veg will have a wash in soap and water before going in the fridge, The frozen packets and boxes get wiped before in the freezer. I wipe round the milk container etc. Tins get wiped, my bakery bread and rolls are decanted into linen bags that I have, then when all of the shopping has been put away, the external door knobs, locks and letterbox get wiped, take off rubber gloves and wash hands.
My son is going to donate blood tomorrow - he has been told that the wearing of face masks is voluntary but he plans to buy one to wear.

I saw something claiming to be ‘anti-viral’ spray cleaner - a new one on me. If it’s genuine why isn’t it used for herpes and the like?

I leave the post for 3 days except it’s NHS then I open it and wash my hands again. I clean the shopping with hibiscrub and water solution. We are shielding so no one has come in since March. I do clean the house but only as I have done before Covid. Stay well everyone

I Live close to London where it’s been worse than most places but am with the slack Alice brigade and just wash hands and am trying to make masks ?.
I Havnt seen anything from the scientists to say I must disinfect every thing. Trouble is when food is delivered I go into panic mode so all thoughts of detol etc go out of the window.

NanaHev - first of all cut yourself a bit of slack - you are disabled and that’s why you need a cleaner; secondly, you can now have your cleaner back in your house if you feel safe to do so; thirdly, the deep clean is something that decent restaurants have always done on a regular basis like operating theatres to avoid contamination and it does involve anti-bacterial spraying. The whole point about the public health advice to use Anti-bac hand sanitiser is that the alcohol in it does kill viruses but hand washing is just the best! Personally we do open mail and parcels immediately then wash hands and through packing away and wash hands again - ha ha. I have asked my cleaner to return next week as in balance I think the danger from the build up of dust is probably far greater than that from the cleaner who will be wearing full PPE

Jane10 like the sound of your relaxed cleaning routine but still too much for me and 'liking' dusting? Well, I'm having to rethink my pedestal status for you!

I do nothing whatsoever.

I don't do anything different other than always washing my hands when I come in from outside. I do not quarantine shopping, wash shopping, or anything like that and my husband and I are still alive and well.

just wash my hands, over 70, no underlying health issues, I do get sick and tired of saying that.

washed stuff occasionally, then feel just plain silly,
not been to shops at all

want to go and get my tv mag. as Sainsburys , delivery, out of stock, very annoying! LOL

not scared, just don`t want to queue!! don`t like the change of lifestyle, I am spoiled.

Blimey.
I don't do any of that.
Out to the supermarket, wash hands, store stuff away....
Sorted!

I’m with @BlueBelle, most of our shopping is click & collect but some in shops. I just sanitise/wash hands well depending on where I am and that’s it. Tried to clean whilst my cleaner not coming but noes she’s back, so things are a bit more ship shape. I’m no expert but I think the most risk is person to person transmission!

Have to admit I now have a ritual (no idea if it does any good), going round with a disinfectant wipe, wiping all door handles, letterboxes, light switches, phones, keyboards etc. Then I take another wipe and wipe round the toilets, flushers, etc. Takes about 10 - 15 mins. Then start on my normal cleaning.

I agree. What does disinfectant and antibacterial stuff actually do....I thought it killed bacteria, not viruses. Infact before all of this, I read that hospitals were considering not using sanitisers any more as they cause more bacteria than kill but that’s a slightly different issue. So many anomalies, I think truth is, no one has the answers. The worst advice I have heard so far I thought, came from a virologist on the radio. I just do what enables me to sleep at night!

Just like to issue a warning to all, that you may not know. DO NOT LEAVE HAND SANITISER IN YOUR CAR ON A HOT DAY. IT IS HIGHLY INFLAMABLE AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO START FIRES IN CARS.

"Do you all do this cleaning regime when we have a bad year of flu with thousands dying, and yes it does happen some years"
Bluebelle you are quite right. In fact the statistics show there are no more people actually dying this year than some other years when there was no lockdown.

It is hard not to feel scared with all the media noise about vulnerable people and how to protect yourself and everyone. I worried a lot about getting deliveries, not shopping myself. My daughters wanted me to stop and to get medication delivered, which i did, I did carry on walking in the park as I need exercise but people tend to keep clear and I go very early. I am feeling less worried now and have been to a supermarket a few times in the OAP times. I had to go to the PO too and that felt worse as small and less room to avoid staff and other people. I wiped things from the shopping once when they arrived. I wash my hands now after unpacking and when I get home after being out.

Oops! OH just brought me up a parcel delivery that is one of my presents to myself. I just opened it - a day early.

When OH was made redundant three times in one year during the 90s he worked briefly in insurance. One of the questions to ask would be clients was how they viewed risk. There are five stages from terrified to reckless. Of course if you have serious health issues then your attitude may well change. Even more so if you are sheltering someone else.