2020 has thrown us some major curveballs that have caused us to reevaluate many of our everyday habits and activities. One routine that has required a closer look due to the coronavirus is procuring groceries. What was once as simple as driving to a store and tossing a few items in a cart has suddenly become laden with decisions about how to shop, when to shop, and how to handle our purchases once we've obtained them. Here is a post-grocery shopping routine we came up with keeping cleanliness in mind:
Clean Your Hands After Shopping
The CDC advises using hand sanitizer immediately after leaving the grocery store and washing your hands for at least twenty seconds once you arrive home. Make this practice automatic by keeping a spray or squeeze sanitizer in your car or purse for easy access. At home, stock up on vegetable-based Castile soap and wash your hands with eco-friendly, all-natural ingredients instead of the usual animal-fat-based products.
Clean Your Mask
While cloth face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread, they should be washed after each use and potential exposure. It is important to remove face coverings correctly and wash your hands after handling your mask. Make sure to always have at least one backup mask, that way you always have a clean face covering.
Wipe Down Purchases
Bulk sanitizer comes in handy if you'd like to wipe down your products at home. While the CDC has not reported evidence that food packaging plays a significant role in the transmission of the virus, this extra step may be beneficial to those who are immunocompromised or have had a delivery service do the grocery picking for them in order to ensure that products brought into the home are thoroughly cleaned of potential contaminants. We also recommend separating items that are immediately needed and ones that aren’t. The less important items can then be placed out of the way to avoid contamination.
After the groceries are put away, be sure to disinfect any surfaces that came into contact with them as you put them away. Disinfection your credit or debit card and phone might be a smart move!
Rinse Fruits and Veggies
The FDA and CDC advise washing fruits and vegetables just prior to consuming them to remove germs that can cause food-borne illness. A diluted mixture of water and Castile soap may be used to gently soak and remove residue from fresh produce, since Castile soap is a non-toxic cleaning agent composed of coconut oil, sunflower oil, and aloe vera.
While the coronavirus has caused us to reevaluate many of our routines, perhaps a silver lining is that it has also encouraged us to implement healthy habits—like using all-natural products and regularly washing our hands—that will serve us for a lifetime. What do you think, is our cleaning routine too much, too little? Let us know in the comments.