As we all find ourselves looking at self-quarantines in the long-term, we must all be mindful of our habits when meeting our grocery needs. There are many factors that we should look out for during this time. The video below outlines a few tips to help minimize any health risks when getting groceries:
There are several points from that video that are good to note. We have included a few additional ones below:
- Coronavirus can live in the air for three hours, on cardboard for one hour, and on metal or plastic surfaces for three days. For this reason, try to avoid bringing your groceries into your house for three days, perishable goods aside.
- Wipe down the handle of your shopping cart with antiseptic wipes
- Don’t take any items from store shelves until you are certain your are going to take them home.
- Avoid grocery stores if you have respiratory issues or are over the age of 60. NOTE: If this can not be avoided, find out if stores near you have designated certain days and times during the week for at-risk shoppers.
- Shop as infrequently as possible. Aim to get groceries to last for two weeks at a time.
- Avoid using reusable cloth bags to shop at this time. If you must use them, make sure that they are thoroughly washed after each use.
- When standing in checkout lines, try to maintain the recommended six foot distance between others in line. It’s okay to politely ask others to respect this distance if you feel too crowded.
When you get your groceries home, here’s how you should prepare them:
- Remove any excess packaging. External packaging may have touched several hands recently, but the inner contents should mostly be sterile.
- Move items to alternate containers (cereals, snacks, bread, etc.)
- Spray down thicker packaging (cardboard boxes, glass jars)
- Rinse fruits and veggies with water for 20 seconds or more. Do not use soap! Fruits and veggies tend to have porous skins, and we wouldn’t want soap to get in our oranges!
If you ordered takeout from a restaurant:
- Try to transfer the food directly from the takeout packaging to a clean plate/container, without touching the food during the transfer.
- Microwave or heat the food to ensure that any coronavirus particles are destroyed.
- Choose hot foods over cold ones whenever possible.
We hope that these tips are helpful to you. Be safe, and God bless!