Have you relaxed on sanitizing things?

[VandVsmama]

I never went over the top with sanitizing things in the first place. I started forcing everyone in my family to immediately wash their hands upon returning home from somewhere. I don't disinfect the mail. Don't disinfect packages. Don't disinfect groceries or to-go food containers either. We don't strip naked before entering the house.

We pretty much wash our hands a lot. Didn't use hand sanitizer while out because I couldn't find any to purchase anywhere. I couldn't find hand sanitizer anywhere until about a week ago.

 

[maxiesmom]

Seriously?? Impressive just from a time, effort, and monetary perspective. Where did you get a powered respirator and germicidal barrier lotion?

Not sure if this is what that poster was talking about, but I purchased something called Persistence. It is a surgical grade sanitizer/barrier, that sanitizes your skin and keeps germs from clinging to you for 3-4 hours. I bought it for when I go back to work, but they are going to require gloves, so it is going to go into my For Disney pile.

 

[amylevan]

I never sanitized the groceries. Spraying food packages with Lysol gives me the heebie jeebies - it’s not food safe. I just wash my hands and the counter after putting things away.

Boxes and mail never got sanitzed either. The stuff inside the packages hasn’t been touched in at least 48 hours, so it’s relatively safe. The packages themselves get opened and tossed out and then I wash my hands. The germs aren’t going to jump from the cardboard into the air. So I wash my hands.

I do wipe down shopping carts with a clorox wipe and use hand sanitizer when I leave a store. Masks are also required here.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I went up and down. - At first, we were putting the cold stuff away, but leaving non-perishables in "grocery quarantine" for a few days.

Then I started worrying a little more, and was wiping down things in plastic packaging (but still not cardboard boxes, as getting them wet felt gross to me too).

But I'm relaxing a little now, as I get more information, and strive to balance the risks - the stress/mental health hit from assuming everything is contaminated vs. the actual chance of the virus being transmitted that way.

I still unpack the non-perishables into my regular big shopping bags and let them sit for a couple of days in the pantry, but I don't stress if people take something out before I go back and officially put everything away.

Other than grocery habits, I've been washing my hands more, reminding DS to wash longer, and have added "FTSs" to my nightly routine - running a wipe over "frequently touched surfaces" like faucet handles, light switches, and the TV remote.

 

[CruiseTraveler7]

We still sanitize products from the stores,but in terms of going outside, I am feeling more relaxed.Still washing hands like crazy though

 

[Feralpeg]

We never did sanitize things like groceries or mail. We keep wipes in our cars. We immediately clean our hands after going to the grocery store, but we don't wipe down the grocery items. Now, let me say that we have had relatively few confirmed cases of the virus in our area. In total, there have been 37 cases in Windermere. There are a lot more in Orlando proper, but we haven't been out running around. When we do go out, we wear masks.

If we were in an area with a lot more confirmed cases, we might be better about sanitizing things.

 

[Hikergirl]

 

[debknight]

Seriously?? Impressive just from a time, effort, and monetary perspective. Where did you get a powered respirator and germicidal barrier lotion?

I believe it was a joke.

 

[shh]

We still sanitize products from the stores,but in terms of going outside, I am feeling more relaxed.Still washing hands like crazy though

We still sanitize every grocery item - only because I've seen employees in curbside and delivery areas taking off gloves for a few min, wearing masks around their chin, hugging someone, then loading groceries into cars. I am not going to judge or rat them out...they're working themselves sick trying to help others and I probably saw them during a 2 second break after hours of backbreaking stock/loading work in the hot sun.

But I'm also going to assume for my own safety that what I saw is the norm, not the exception. We wipe down every package with wipes and soak all fruits/veggies in soapy water. Is it over the top? Can't say, but what the heck...only takes 10-15 min each time.

We also toss all takeout containers and transfer food to others

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

We still sanitize every grocery item - only because I've seen employees in curbside and delivery areas taking off gloves for a few min, wearing masks around their chin, hugging someone, then loading groceries into cars. I am not going to judge or rat them out...they're working themselves sick trying to help others and I probably saw them during a 2 second break after hours of backbreaking stock/loading work in the hot sun.

But I'm also going to assume for my own safety that what I saw is the norm, not the exception. We wipe down every package with wipes and soak all fruits/veggies in soapy water. Is it over the top? Can't say, but what the heck...only takes 10-15 min each time.

We also toss all takeout containers and transfer food to others

Please don’t do this! It can actually make you quite sick. If you’re worried give them a good scrub in cold water or if that’s not enough for you, you can make a vinegar rinse but it can taste nasty.

 

[shh]

Please don’t do this! It can actually make you quite sick. If you’re worried give them a good scrub in cold water or if that’s not enough for you, you can make a vinegar rinse but it can taste nasty.

Thanks for posting...appreciate it. Meant to say we just wipe the outside packages with wipes...then we wash our hands - none of those chemicals touch the food. The produce we wash in warm, natural soapy water, then rinse everything thoroughly after.

 

[cobright]

Seriously?? Impressive just from a time, effort, and monetary perspective. Where did you get a powered respirator and germicidal barrier lotion?

We brought our friend to live with us because her immune system hasn't fully recovered from her cancer treatment yet. We knew this would require a lot of sacrifice and effort on our part going in.

The time element is regulated by me simply not leaving the house. All told I've left the house 2 times in 7 weeks. Money wise ... well we pay more for groceries by having them delivered. Otherwise, the things that might seem extraordinary are tools and supplies I already had.

I'm an architectural metal artist. I bought PAPRs when I upgraded to a 40lb foundry about 10 years ago but just got the CleanSpace respirators a little over a year ago, when I started refitting a sailboat and was spraying some really awful paints and resins. The whole thing rides on the head and weighs about a pound.

The barrier lotion is easier. I've always had it handy. I work bare handed with a lot of scrap metal and getting nicks and cuts is commonplace. I started using a veterinary product called F10 Germicidal Barrier Ointment, and it works great. Lab tested safe on humans. It's a QAC sanitizer + I think polyhexanide and then some lotion base. I've also used a newer product called Prefense, which is mostly the same thing and marketed for human use. More recently I just went to a compounding pharmacy and they put some mix of benzalkonium chloride and lotion base together for me.

 

[wenrob]

Thanks for posting...appreciate it. Meant to say we just wipe the outside packages with wipes...then we wash our hands - none of those chemicals touch the food. The produce we wash in warm, natural soapy water, then rinse everything thoroughly after.

I’m pretty sure she’s referring to washing your produce in hot, soapy water. You’re probably doing more harm than good. Water itself starts to break down the virus so water and a produce brush should be more than sufficient.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-...e-soap-coronavirus_l_5e8cced3c5b6e1d10a6b0a6f

 

[shh]

I’m pretty sure she’s referring to washing your produce in hot, soapy water. You’re probably doing more harm than good. Water itself starts to break down the virus so water and a produce brush should be more than sufficient.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-...e-soap-coronavirus_l_5e8cced3c5b6e1d10a6b0a6f

Ah...I'll have to share that with spouse...thank you for posting

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I’m pretty sure she’s referring to washing your produce in hot, soapy water. You’re probably doing more harm than good. Water itself starts to break down the virus so water and a produce brush should be more than sufficient.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-...e-soap-coronavirus_l_5e8cced3c5b6e1d10a6b0a6f

Yes, exactly!

Ah...I'll have to share that with spouse...thank you for posting

Produce is porous so the soap can get into the flesh and make you ill. You can get quite nasty stomach issues from it.

 

[disykat]

We're home for the most part, so no cleaning than usual at this point unless we've gone out. I deal with mail daily, then wash my hands. Same when dh goes to the grocery store, we put everything away, then wash our hands and the do one quick bleach wipe down on the counters, along with any doorknob etc. he touched as he came in. We've never worried too much about each box or can since we always wash our hands frequently as we are cooking so any virus particle that might have gotten on them would either be timed out or washed away at that point.

So basically, any "outside contact" we wash our hands after and bleach wipe direct contact surfaces.

When this first started we were doing the bleach wipe on the surfaces we touch before washing our hands thing more because we were out more. Right now DH is only out every 10 days or so, so we're not exactly screaming through our clorox wipes. Once we start going out more again, we'll probably wipe more again. So my keys, doorknob, two light switches I pass on my way to the sink, and kitchen faucet might get bleach wiped a few times a day - maybe not such a bad thing.

I've never been a big clorox wipe person, usually I've just used them when someone is sick or for a quick clean up after handling raw meat. I'll definitely keep the habit of using them more until this virus is under control. I may start keeping a container of them in the car when we're going out more for a while too.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Packages get opened on the porch, and anything wrapped in plastic-like the yarn I got in the mail today-is opened. I sanitize my hands before reaching into the plastic to retrieve the items and I put them aside. The box is thrown into our backyard to be broken down after a few days. Mail in envelopes is opened pretty much normally, but with gloves on. If it's a bill or something that needs to be kept, it airs out on the porch overnight. I wash my hands thoroughly before bringing things into the house, like the yarn skeins, so to try and avoid cross-contamination.

Groceries, I could do better. I know people are handling boxes and putting them back on the shelf, but all we do is put them away after throwing out all of the plastic bags from the store. All produce, including stuff in bags, is scrubbed with cold water and put in bowls, either on the counter or in the fridge. We buy canned soda, but NEVER drink from the cans, even with a straw. The top is wiped before we pop it open, and it goes into a glass. That last is actually an oldie but a goodie. I used to work in a supermarket when I was a teenager, and often had to go in the back to get stuff. I'll say no more, but it's pretty gross back there.

I wash my hands often, probably too much. They're dry, beginning to crack, and sore. I don't know what to do about it, though. I loathe lotion on my hands, so that's out. If anyone has a solution, I'll be happy to hear it.

 

[wenrob]

Packages get opened on the porch, and anything wrapped in plastic-like the yarn I got in the mail today-is opened. I sanitize my hands before reaching into the plastic to retrieve the items and I put them aside. The box is thrown into our backyard to be broken down after a few days. Mail in envelopes is opened pretty much normally, but with gloves on. If it's a bill or something that needs to be kept, it airs out on the porch overnight. I wash my hands thoroughly before bringing things into the house, like the yarn skeins, so to try and avoid cross-contamination.

Groceries, I could do better. I know people are handling boxes and putting them back on the shelf, but all we do is put them away after throwing out all of the plastic bags from the store. All produce, including stuff in bags, is scrubbed with cold water and put in bowls, either on the counter or in the fridge. We buy canned soda, but NEVER drink from the cans, even with a straw. The top is wiped before we pop it open, and it goes into a glass. That last is actually an oldie but a goodie. I used to work in a supermarket when I was a teenager, and often had to go in the back to get stuff. I'll say no more, but it's pretty gross back there.

I wash my hands often, probably too much. They're dry, beginning to crack, and sore. I don't know what to do about it, though. I loathe lotion on my hands, so that's out. If anyone has a solution, I'll be happy to hear it.

I mentioned up thread that I use body wash in my soap dispensers. It’s made a huge difference. Are you willing to rub a teeny bit of olive oil onto your hands occasionally? Even if you only let it stay 10-15mins and then wash it will help.

 

[katie01]

Please don’t do this! It can actually make you quite sick. If you’re worried give them a good scrub in cold water or if that’s not enough for you, you can make a vinegar rinse but it can taste nasty.

All right, dumb question, but if water is enough to remove viruses and pesticides off the skin of an apple, why isn’t water enough to remove a drop or two of dish soap that is then thoroughly rinsed off?

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

All right, dumb question, but if water is enough to remove viruses and pesticides off the skin of an apple, why isn’t water enough to remove a drop or two of dish soap that is then thoroughly rinsed off?

Because produce is porous so while you’re scrubbing it with soap, the soap is being absorbed into the fruit. That bit won’t wash off during the rinsing process. When you eat that it can cause issues.

If you’re literally using one drop of dish soap then you’re probably not going to have issues but still not great over time. Most people don’t use just a drop of soap or are filling the awful advice to soak produce in soapy water. You don’t want gastro issues from eating soap

As a general practice it’s a bad idea. Also water can’t really remove all the pesticides for the same reason, but that’s a whole different safety issue.