Safely Handling Food/Groceries

[Pea-n-Me]

DH goes to the store once a week (OK it's only been 2 wks in but whatever). He sets them on the floor. I grab one or two bags at a time, put them on the counter; put all the food away. Dispose of the bags.....(will recycle at another time) and then wash my hands to Queen's Bohemian Rhaposity when all done.

Do you wash your hands for 5:55?

 

[robinb]

I just bring stuff in, sort it then wash my hands. Counters get washed daily but I don't do disinfecting wipes, they're wasteful for us so we do cleaner and washcloths.
As others said viruses are living things and while you can still detect them it doesn't mean they're still viable. If it's takeout someone was just handling then we'll move it over to clean containers, wash our hands, toss the old ones, and done. I'm sadly much more likely to get this from a coworker than I am my groceries (I mostly shop where I work).

This is also what I do. Then again, I'm not a germaphobe.

 

[tzolkin]

At Costco, a LOT of employees are wearing gloves, which is a very good thing to protect themselves. But I went to one grocery store where I didn't see one single employee wearing any kind of PPE. Especially if I were handling money, I wouldn't work without gloves, but nobody was wearing them.

Wearing gloves does not "protect" anyone from viruses like this. That's not how they work. There is absolutely no difference between touching everyone's groceries and money with your bare hands or hands with gloves on them. You're still spreading germs exactly the same way. You're also going to get sick just as easily if you touch your eyes/nose/mouth with a gloved hand or your bare hand.

I personally find it fairly ridiculous that all these cashiers and other random people are wearing them (especially when there are shortages that could be used properly in hospitals). I see it as being just for appearances (tricking people into thinking they are safer/more hygienic) and that many people are actually LESS conscious of spreading while using them.

 

[sam_gordon]

DH goes to the store once a week (OK it's only been 2 wks in but whatever). He sets them on the floor. I grab one or two bags at a time, put them on the counter; put all the food away. Dispose of the bags.....(will recycle at another time) and then wash my hands to Queen's Bohemian Rhaposity when all done.

You wash your hands for 6 minutes?

ETA: @Pea-n-Me beat me to it.

 

[Christine]

The article I linked to above said this:

"According to Ben Chapman,[ a food safety specialist from the North Carolina State University and cohost of Risky or Not and Food Safety Talk. ] there is currently no consensus on the minimum viral load necessary for infection. Some scientists put the number as low as a single virion—given ideal conditions (read: if your food has a lone virion on it, you’d have to intensely smear the food on your hands then purposely rub them in your eyes and up your nose). "​

Link again: https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html

This

You wash your hands for 6 minutes?

ETA: @Pea-n-Me beat me to it.

https://alt1037dfw.radio.com/blogs/alt-producer/bohemian-rhapsody-being-used-for-hand-washing-advice
I don't think you do it for the whole song. It's 25 seconds of a certain portion.

 

[JimMIA]

Wearing gloves does not "protect" anyone from viruses like this. That's not how they work. There is absolutely no difference between touching everyone's groceries and money with your bare hands or hands with gloves on them. You're still spreading germs exactly the same way.

Nonsense.

If you wear gloves, evil stuff never comes in contact with your hands. You do what you're going to do, remove the gloves properly and discard them properly, and you've eliminated a huge route of infection. That's why EMS personnel, doctors, and nurses wear gloves.

On the Rescue unit I used to ride with, you didn't even get into the truck without gloving up outside. You didn't get in the truck without gloving up to clean, to inventory, to restock, for training, to respond to a call -- not for any reason. Never.

It seems senseless to me to go wandering around a grocery store with no protection at all, and suddenly get worried about infection from unpacking groceries. Somebody's not thinking clearly.

I'm not saying not to be careful with your groceries, but there are many other things to consider.

You're also going to get sick just as easily if you touch your eyes/nose/mouth with a gloved hand or your bare hand.

Of course if you get something on your gloves and then pick your nose, you're going to contaminate yourself. Keeping your hands away from your face is just as important as hand washing.

But I guarantee you, based on my personal experience, that you are much less likely to touch your face if you're wearing gloves.

 

[Kitty 34]

Do you wash your hands for 5:55?

You wash your hands for 6 minutes?

ETA: @Pea-n-Me beat me to it.

OK.......really guys. I'm joking. I barely get thru Happy Birthday!!

 

[focusondisney]

If you wear gloves, evil stuff never comes in contact with your hands. You do what you're going to do, remove the gloves properly and discard them properly, and you've eliminated a huge route of infection. That's why EMS personnel, doctors, and nurses wear gloves.

Hand hygiene i.e. hand washing before you put on gloves & after taking them off is the way doctors & nurses are taught to use gloves for the most protection. Using gloves does not guarantee evil stuff won’t contact your hands.

 

[wenrob]

This is also what I do. Then again, I'm not a germaphobe.

Until now I thought I was a germaphobe. When my kids get the crud I bust out the Clorox wipes and they’re regulated to an air kiss until they’re better. I was practicing social distancing before I knew it was a thing. I have/had frail parents so if any of us were sick I wouldn’t go anywhere near them for 10-14 days because I would never forgive myself for landing them in the hospital. But man, some of this stuff is just next level and so much of it is unproven. People are going to make themselves sick from trying not to get sick. This isn’t a criticism, I know people are scared (I’m no spring chicken so I’m nervous too) and we should all up our game when it comes to awareness and cleanliness but if we follow the guidelines given to us by experts we’re going to be okay.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It was a little confusing. I do vaguely remember hearing the headline that the Coronavirus was still found on the cruise ship 17 days later. But, I hadn't heard anymore details then that.

What they found was genetic material from coronavirus, not a live virus.

 

[JimMIA]

Hand hygiene i.e. hand washing before you put on gloves & after taking them off is the way doctors & nurses are taught to use gloves for the most protection. Using gloves does not guarantee evil stuff won’t contact your hands.

OK, if you wear gloves, you won't get any NEW evil stuff from the grocery store on your hands.

 

[Kittyblue]

We've been wiping down everything we can with disinfecting wipes. TBH it never would've crossed my mind until a germaphobe friend of mine shared that she was doing it. Seemed like a good idea so we started doing it too.

 

[hellow]

I am sure there will be a new illness coming along here real soon from too much clorox/wipes/lysol spray in our environment.

 

[JimMIA]

I am sure there will be a new illness coming along here real soon from too much clorox/wipes/lysol spray in our environment.

I think my hands are going to just wash away...sigh.

 

[BearFamily]

This makes sense to me:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...pping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/

 

[wenrob]

This makes sense to me:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...pping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/

Blocked by a paywall/sign up.

 

[Searc]

We've been wiping down everything we can with disinfecting wipes. TBH it never would've crossed my mind until a germaphobe friend of mine shared that she was doing it. Seemed like a good idea so we started doing it too.

It isn't a good idea. It's wasteful, encourages panic/anxiety and does nothing.

 

[SaintsManiac]

It isn't a good idea. It's wasteful, encourages panic/anxiety and does nothing.

I actually think it is kind of gross to disinfect groceries.

 

[wenrob]

I actually think it is kind of gross to disinfect groceries.

When I buy boxes of crackers, cookies etc. I have my kids divide them into snack bags. A day or two after doing this my DD grabbed a snack bag of crackers and said they tasted like soap. They all did. All I can think of is that I had recently used kitchen spray to clean my countertops and it seeped through the baggies as they were filling them. Since then they work of of paper plates as they go. That’s what I keep thinking about when people talk about wiping down boxes with antibacterial wipes or spraying with Lysol. I’m worried people are going make themselves sick with chemicals.

 

[katie01]

I am sure there will be a new illness coming along here real soon from too much clorox/wipes/lysol spray in our environment.

yes! Like the wheezing I’ve been doing every time my husband decides to use those products in the house