Hi, I feel silly writing this post, but I'm curious to see who is still taking the time to wipe down their weekly shopping.
I understand they call it hygiene theatre, but until the last week, I had always wiped my shopping down before putting it away, but I used up the last tub of wipes I had and in the last week I've tried to use warm soapy water on a few things and wash my hands between handling other things, but I'm finding that process a struggle after not really worrying about it for so long.
Should I persevere? Like many mitigations these days (masks, etc) , seeing posts, comments about doing things like wiping shopping just there, so I'm in a little in the dark about what others are doing.
Thanks
Darren
Written by
moonerman
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I would use Dettol wipes. We did at the beginning of COVID. We are really into cleaning stuff that could be infected.
My husband sorts our grocery delivery and still wipes down everything with antibac wipes before putting away. Perhaps unnecessary now but we feel better for doing it.
I did hear some months ago that it is now thought to be unnecessary but we have felt better to carry on and it has become routine too. In some ways it perhaps helps since supermarkets stopped using carrier bags and tray liners as the trays used for home delivery, which we still have, aren't very clean.
We used to wipe all our shopping but don't anymore, I believe it's been established that Covid is more like to be spread through the air than on surfaces. I have OCD but fortunately it's not germ-related but I wash my hands after handling the shopping just in case.
I haven't done it for absolutely ages (like probably May-June 2020), once I read more up to date studies about how COVID is transmitted. There's a difference between finding virus on surfaces and that virus actually being capable of infecting anyone, and I looked at studies which examined whether COVID was actually being transmitted this way. It seemed to be hypothetically possible but realistically a low risk and not actually happening.
I also used to wipe parcels down but never quarantined them (couldn't be bothered, wanted the stuff inside) and I also haven't done any wiping of parcels etc since I read those papers.
I still wash my hands after I've come in and been on the Tube etc, but I've always done that and it isn't because of COVID. There are other illnesses I'd like to avoid which are more efficiently transmitted on surfaces which a lot of other people are touching, like the poles on a train. Hospitals and other healthcare settings will also still be (or should be) vigilant about cleaning because it's good policy in general to minimise infection risks from all sorts of things.
No one in my household has caught COVID (so far!). We are lucky I know but also we haven't taken excessive precautions. I feel that life is definitely too short to keep wiping everything, especially now when we have more knowledge and solutions than the early days in 2020.
I haven’t either wiped things down or waited a couple of days before opening items delivered for some time now. They have demonstrated that Covid is more airborne than anything. I DO and still will continue to wash hands after handling anything new and before eating. This is now ingrained in my habits and makes sense to me.
To be honest I have other conditions that affect me and wiping down items unnecessarily isn’t going to happen.
Only been wiping for the first 2 weeks of the lockdown, i.e. no wiping for the last 2+ years :). My wife and I are still wearing proper FFP3 masks everywhere, including international flights (she took 6). Both of us are still "covid-naiive", but we are not exposed as much others (e.g. no public transport). 3 vaccinations.
Yes we’re still wiping shopping and using medicated wipes after shops and wear a mask if it’s not a clean airy place with spray steriliser for shopping baskets etc. I saw a men stacking food in W. Rose and he sneezed all over both his hands then just carried out stacking food ☹️ Stay careful
Good lord no. Never. And I’ve been pretty careful (or so I thought😬). It’s a respiratory infection, spread by inhaling droplets. I just can’t imagine getting it from objects in the real world (not lab conditions). Unlike, say, Monkey Pox. I would probably wipe down stuff if that got out into the community because it passes through breaks in the skin. But not coronavirus.
I wipe everything that comes into my home with anti viral wipes. It’s a personal choice. After working in healthcare for many many years I’ve seen a lot of rather nasty habits which I won’t go into. Suffice to say I’ll continue to wipe for all of those reasons and not just covid!
Hi Darren, no need to feel silly for your post! Funnily, you beat me to it as I asked something similar last year and was planning to check with everyone again as we've still been wiping things down and I wasn't sure if we were alone! We're actually trying to wean ourselves out of the habit now as it feels we can't go on doing it forever (both for our wider health, time, and the environmental impact of using extra products and wiping materials, etc.), but we're just reducing things in stages. Of course, it's an individual choice and everyone can do it when they feel ready. As others have said, we'll always wash our hands when bringing in post, coming in from going out, before handling/eating food, etc. We did this before Covid and generally didn't catch as many bugs etc. as some colleagues and friends.
Yep I still wipe everything down that comes into my home. Antibac wipes can be bought for 50p a pack of 50 in homebargains or b&m. I like tesco fred and flo about a pound. You could dilute some antibacterial fluid and kitchen roll in you find wipes expensive. My family still wear masks when out. (we are starred at as if we nuts, we dont care) We do tests often especially if been anywhere or near people whom have been abroad. Sanitizer is around my home and we have them in bags car etc. Its choice at the end of the day. Do what you feel best for you. Stay safe it hasn't gone away. 😁
I haven't wiped stuff down since the first few weeks, since all the research I've read since that point has said that it is extremely unlikely for anyone to pick up enough to actually get infected.
I wash or peel fruit and veg before use, and avoid buying any unwrapped food that would not be either cooked, washed or peeled before use (so no deli counter, no salad bar, no unboxed pastries etc). I've always done that anyway, since I went in to buy some cream cakes for a birthday party and the lady serving got cream on her fingers from one cake and licked it off before picking up the next cake! And I remember watching a toddler in a fruit shop picking up apples, licking them all over and then replacing them...
I'd be more concerned about the high level of chemicals around my food if I were wiping or spraying everything.
I do! I order my groceries for the most part but if I have to go in, I wipe down the cart handle, wear a mask and once I get home I wipe everything down with Lysol wipes or spray with Lysol spray.
never have and don't use sanitisers either. the chemicals go into your system through the skin and usage causes anti microbial resistance which is becoming a problem. soap and water is best!
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