How are you handling packages?

[simpsongal]

Meaning, are you wiping the box and contents down when they come in?  Unwrapping in the garage?  Unpacking everything and just washing your hands after?  Do we know how long the virus can live on items?  Is anyone waiting like 24 hours to unpack things?

For groceries, are you wiping down the items individually?  Is your answer dependent on whether the groceries were delivered or from the store?  Are you unloading in the house or from the porch/hall/garage? 

Just curious if I'm being too cautious or not enough....

ETA - forgot about takeout - that too!  Thanks wildrice obviously can't let that sit too long.

[smock]

We're throwing packages in the garage for a day. That's long enough to kill the virus on cardboard. And it's always been 2+ days since anyone touched the inside contents, so we're not wiping anything down.

I've gotten more paranoid since the last time we went to the grocery store, so I might start wiping some things down.

[jinkies]

We are handling everything as usual and just washing hands after.

[candreco]

If it's stuff that we don't need right away, we let it sit for a day or two. Packages that need to be unpacked we wipe down first, then wash hands before taking items out.

[InBetweenDays]

Mar 23, 2020 8:56:37 GMT -5 jinkies said:

We are handling everything as usual and just washing hands after.

Pretty much this. If the contents in the package aren't sealed (like a Spanish book we ordered for dd) then I'm wiping it down with Clorox wipes. Otherwise I'm just recycling the package right away and washing my hands thoroughly after.

[melmel48]

Mar 23, 2020 8:56:37 GMT -5 jinkies said:

We are handling everything as usual and just washing hands after.

Same

[wildrice]

We got a package on Thursday, I think, and I haven't grabbed it yet (we live in an apartment so it's downstairs). I will probably grab it today. Nobody likely touched it since it was delivered.

In general if it's something you can wait to open, I don't think it could hurt. If you need it immediately, I'd try to open it in the garage (assuming you have one) and dispose of the packaging right away. I am guessing unless it was overnighted, the contents haven't been touched for a long enough period that you should be ok.

I have not been wiping down individual grocery items, though I am realizing I probably should? I am honestly going to run out of cleaning supplies if I do that though. I did buy a 6 pack of beer at a brewery on Saturday and sprayed that down before drinking. We've also been careful about handling take out (washing hands several times, removing everything from packaging before eating, etc).

[gastro]

Packages are usually left on our front doorstep. I leave them there after delivery for as long as I don’t need the item. I open the packages on the doorstep and take the cardboard directly to the recycling bin. Wash hands.
I’ve been using Clorox wipes for some grocery stuff - especially where I set down the grocery bags.

[TBM]

We're still figuring out out. If it isn't something that is perishable or that I need right away, I leave the box on the inside covered porch or in the studio for a few days before opening it (outside), and deciding how to proceed with what is inside the box. We have probably not been as cautious as we should with groceries, but I can see that changing.

DH has started spraying things with plastic or metal surfaces with disinfectant and leaving them out of the way to let it do its job. I read that washing things with dish soap is effective, and have used that on some stuff.

I think we wash our hands before, during, and after everything....roughly (no pun intended) 36644678 times a day.

[circa1978]

Honestly, we haven't changed much. I have let a few packages sit but I'm not wearing gloves to unpack our Shipt or whatever. I already have OCD and sometimes it's hard for me to get what is reasonable in a situation.

[ssmjlm]

Nothing for the inside contents, just recycling the cardboard and then washing hands.

I told DH I feel bad b/c the delivery guys are probably working as hard as Christmas, but I can't exactly put out bottled water and snacks during a pandemic, you know.

[ohgillian]

Bring it in from the porch, wash my hands, then let it sit untouched for a few days.

[icedcoffee]

Nothing really. Bring it in, unpack it and dispose of the packaging then wash hands. TBH, we don't order much. I've gotten 1 package in 2 weeks. Groceries we've just been unpacking and then washing hands.A

We're doing what we can, but we're not immunocompromised. We're staying home, limiting store visits and taking precautions, but I don't think I'm going to lysol down ever can and bag we bring into the house. So many chemicals and I don't know.

Maybe I'm wrong here and will regret this.

ETA:  I'm also trying to limit what I order online so that people who really need stuff can get the stuff they need.  Although---I might place an order of things to entertain the kids soon.

[TR]

I wiped down our groceries with a Clorox wipe today out of an abundance of caution, but it was kind of a PITA so I don't know if I'll do it again. And I wash my hands after handling things.

[gardengal]

I wipe take out containers and just leave packages to sit (we have a dedicated corner where we put them, wash hands & don't touch b/c we don't have a garage or porch)

I oddly am not wiping grocery store stuff which is not logical if I'm wiping take out. The grocery store stuff probably had more hands on it...

[flygirl]

I haven’t really been doing anything except pulling the inside stuff out and then washing my hands. I did wash a package DS got though. I figured I’m much more likely going to get it from the dumbasses who won’t stay home at the grocery store than the Fed ex driver

[minzy]

thewirecutter.com/blog/coronavirus-packages/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=ig_wirecutter

[VillainV]

We’ve been opening as normal, immediately removing all packaging to the outside recycling bin and washing hands afterward. I just heard this morning the recommendation to let it sit for 24 hours, so we will probably start doing that as much as possible.

[namasteak]

I’m Lysol spraying the boxes and bags as thet come inside.

[wanderingback]

Mar 23, 2020 8:56:37 GMT -5 jinkies said:

We are handling everything as usual and just washing hands after.

This. Although I get packages very rarely, only a few times per year. I got one about a week ago and I didn't do anything differently. Same with bringing my groceries home. 

This is a news article and not a direct link to the cdc or who, but there's little evidence that coronovarius is traveling through the mail and that's how most people are getting it. 

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/21/can-coronavirus-travel-though-mail-experts-say-no/2862947001/

[mags]

Same as usual just with much more handwashing than usual.

[tacokick]

We are wiping everything down and have stopped all deliveries we could.

We haven’t been to the grocery store in 12 days but we will wipe that all down too. I wash my hands after handling any packaging while cooking.

Lots of hand washing.

[steamboat185]

We are letting them sit for a day or two. I don’t want to burn through Lysol and wipes so leaving them alone seems the most reasonable. We are doing that with anything we bring gone from the grocery store that can last at room temperature for a bit too.

[nicolewi]

I'm carrying them to the garage, washing my hands. Letting sit for a day or two, and then opening. Wash hands again.

I'm not wiping down the items inside or anything like that.

[macmars45]

Letting them sit in our garage for a few days. Then opening in the garage and washing hands afterwards.
Groceries we wipe down stuff that needs to be put away immediately.

[muffin0]

Mar 23, 2020 8:48:18 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

Meaning, are you wiping the box and contents down when they come in?  Unwrapping in the garage?  Unpacking everything and just washing your hands after?  Do we know how long the virus can live on items?  Is anyone waiting like 24 hours to unpack things?

For groceries, are you wiping down the items individually?  Is your answer dependent on whether the groceries were delivered or from the store?  Are you unloading in the house or from the porch/hall/garage? 

Just curious if I'm being too cautious or not enough....

ETA - forgot about takeout - that too!  Thanks wildrice obviously can't let that sit too long.

Bringing in, opening, disposing packaging, and then washing our hands.

[isabel]

Question: What are you guys doing with fresh fruit and vegetables where you're eating the skin/not removing an outer layer? Is simply rinsing in water enough? Should I be doing some sort of vinegar rinse or something?

[Doggy Mommy]

We’re leaving them in the garage for a day or two. If it’s something that can be wiped down, we are wiping it down or spraying with Lysol spray.

[killercupcake]

I’m opening everything in the garage, taking things out while using Lysol
Wipes, and then washing hands

[JayhawkGirl]

We are leaving the boxes in the garage for a couple of days. We wear gloves to check the mail box and move boxes in.