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“Cleaning” purchased groceries

(96 Posts)
Feelingmyage55 Wed 18-Mar-20 19:06:33

I understand all the instructions except that I am left to wonder if there is any risk from handling groceries (or other purchases) that might/could be contaminated by a previous handler. So far I have resisted wiping items but as the situation is becoming more serious I am tempted to do this to my next shopping.

FlexibleFriend Wed 18-Mar-20 19:09:38

I'm cleaning mine with anti viral spray.

Feelingmyage55 Wed 18-Mar-20 19:13:24

I wondered if I was being Paranoid? I feel better now.

MiniMoon Wed 18-Mar-20 19:31:23

My daughter is shopping online. When her delivery arrives she intends to leave canned goods outside the back door for 3-4 days! Any other wrapped goods will be wiped down with a good anti bac/viral spray.
She is being ultra careful because my DGD is asthmatic.

FlexibleFriend Wed 18-Mar-20 19:46:33

I'm being ultra careful because my auto immune condition makes me high risk.

Stella14 Wed 18-Mar-20 19:53:09

We are using online deliveries for shopping. We put all non-perishables aside for 72 hours. Any dairy products, we wipe down with antiviral spray (our butter will probably taste of the stuff since it’s only wrapped) before putting in the fridge. Fruit and Veg will be washed before use. Items for the freezer will be placed in the freezer, then when used, the contents of packs will be tipped out without them touching the packaging, packaging disposed off and hands washed. According to my hubby, who has a chemistry and physics degree, viruses have the potential to survive freezing!

Calendargirl Wed 18-Mar-20 20:19:21

This was asked on the news last night. The answer was to wash with soap and water! What, fruit, veg, all food?
Not doing that.

Sparklefizz Wed 18-Mar-20 20:45:27

When there was an E.Coli outbreak caused by salads, the advice was to soak in a weak solution of Milton for a few minutes. I rinsed with cold water afterwards and there was no taste. I guess this might be the answer. I am worried now that I have not been as careful as I ought to have been .... have not disinfected food packets or egg boxes at all.

Feelingmyage55 Wed 18-Mar-20 20:47:04

My family have said that there is so much news that I should limit to only watching it once a day so I missed that calendargirl. Thank you. I don’t need any more shopping for now so have time to think about how to proceed. Given all the other precautions and limits we are setting ourselves, five minutes cleaning the groceries seems reasonable just in case.

Greeneyedgirl Wed 18-Mar-20 20:50:58

I am not washing my shopping. It's never ending and too exhausting.

Do you wipe all the post that comes through the letter box, and the letter box?

If you go out shopping are you sterilising shopping bags, and I've read that if you wear cotton gloves they're more of a hazard than hands that you can wash, because the virus sticks to them.

Anniebach Wed 18-Mar-20 21:02:04

Do we spray a £10 note or a newspaper

EllanVannin Wed 18-Mar-20 21:06:59

Peel everything and throw them in boiling water, rinse, then cook. I even peel those tiny potatoes as I can't and now won't eat them with their skin/peel on.
I peel apples too before I eat them and tomatoes. I've always been paranoid about choking on the skins/peel.

I don't buy packed or ready-made salad.

lemongrove Wed 18-Mar-20 21:07:23

Agree with Annie and Greeneyed you can take things too far.Worried as I am, I won’t be doing that.
When the shopping arrives I take it into the kitchen and pack it all away, then wash my hands.
Hands washed before and after using food items, cooking etc.

EllanVannin Wed 18-Mar-20 21:09:03

I follow what mum used to do when she used to speak about pesticides on fruit/veg produce.

Doodle Wed 18-Mar-20 21:45:57

For me, there is a limit. Food comes in and goes in fridge. Wash hands, wash fridge door. Food comes out, wash hands. Open packets and wash hands. Cook wash hands eat, wash hands and sanitise insides with glass of wine.

GabriellaG54 Wed 18-Mar-20 21:48:49

I always do my food shopping myself as I prefer to choose and browse, however, in today's climate I do more than wipe the tops of tins but I certainly don't use the same cloth on all items as that is just transferring germs.
I use the cheapest kitchen roll, each square ripped into 4 pieces and spray a bit of Dettol anti-bac on each to wipe most items, I piece to each item, bar fruit and veg. Tomatoes stay in their paper bag in the veg rack in utility which is cool and get washed as I need them. Same for fruit and some veg.
I'm not getting in a tizz about C-19, just washing my hands twice for 30 sec altogether as soon as I arrive home and throughout the day depending on what I do. No hand gel as it's drying.
Tesco is allowing elderly and vulnerable customers to shop between 9-10am on Mon We'd &Fridays and those in a queue at other times will be brought to the front and get served first. No bakery, deli, salad bar, fresh fish or meat counters whilst this C-19 is ongoing.
No cash taken at checkouts, only if you use self service tills.
All very sensible and I will see how this works on Friday.

Sainsbury's have stopped their sushi bar as well.

GabriellaG54 Wed 18-Mar-20 21:50:10

1 piece not I piece.

GabriellaG54 Wed 18-Mar-20 21:55:54

Today's bus out at 11.47. No other passengers.
2 other passengers on part of return journey.

M0nica Wed 18-Mar-20 21:58:48

The virus cannot last long away from human contact, so just put shopping in a cupboard or box when it arrives and do not touch for 24 hours.

GabriellaG54 Wed 18-Mar-20 22:14:36

We've been told in the news, by certain esteemed medics, that it can last for days on plastics and various other materials.

Chestnut Wed 18-Mar-20 23:32:20

Wash the stuff that needs to go in the fridge or freezer and leave the rest standing somewhere for three days (or more) unless you need it sooner in which case wash it.

Anniebach Thu 19-Mar-20 09:13:00

I will have 140 bottles of liquid replacement meals to wash next week !

Alexa Thu 19-Mar-20 09:20:14

From the above posts I will soap and water for tinned stuff and the packet of Daz and the cardboard cake boxes. Cold water wash (no soap)for vegetables and tomatoes.

Does ones stomach acid kill virus at all?

Grandma70s Thu 19-Mar-20 09:22:53

Good heavens. I don’t do anything, apart from washing fruit and vegetables, which I have always done anyway. If you just keep on washing your hands very thoroughly, I don’t think you need to disinfect groceries.

Alexa Thu 19-Mar-20 09:24:51

it may be useful to remember it's never going to be possible to isolate absolutely. Virus on letters and groceries is less of an invasion than virus on hands.