Healthy Habits: Takeout Food

As the coronavirus rapidly spreads through the U.S.A., people's concerns rise, making it more difficult for all of us to not feel like everything has coronavirus. Have you gone to the supermarket and felt like the virus is all over you? 

With safer at home measures in place in many states, people are turning to delivery services. The question many of us have, is the coronavirus being carried in my take out? Do I have to disinfect my food or Amazon boxes? 

The most impactful precaution you can take when ordering food delivery or receiving a box is to avoid contact with the couriers. Once you have maintained your social distancing with them, there are steps to take at home to disinfect and significantly lower the risk of coronavirus spread. 

Experienced disinfectant expert Alexandra Lin has tips to manage and disinfect delivered goods to keep your loved ones safe during this pandemic. She is Business Development Manager at Durisan, a U.S.A. manufacturer that produces a range of alcohol-free and Triclosan-free, water-based products including hand sanitizers and soaps, disinfecting wipes and sprayers for residential and commercial use.

Here are some quick and easy tips for people concerned about contamination on takeout bags or boxes, some of these are (in the case of take-out food):

1. If you’re paying when the food is delivered to you, make sure to bring sanitizing wipes or hand sanitizer with you to disinfect the card reader and your card in case you need to sign or enter your PIN.

2. As you arrive home, take your shoes off (leave them outside, for the sanitization properties of the UV rays from the sun) and then wash your hands for 20 seconds following CDC guidelines. If you can’t leave them outside, spray your shoes with a good sanitizer or wipe them with a sanitizing wipe.

3. Place the curbside or take out bags in the sink rather than the countertop or dinner table.

4. Wipe food containers--including top, bottom and sides--for precaution with hand sanitizer wipes.

5. Transfer the food to a plate and wash your hands prior to consumption. It's important to discard the bags and food containers after transfer.

6. Store leftovers in your household’s storage containers, not the original packaging.

7. After your meal, clean and disinfect the sink.

In the case of mail and packages (although they pose a low risk of transmitting the coronavirus), it is important to avoid contact with the person delivering the package. You can also use disinfectant sprays to spray boxes (as the virus can live in cardboard for up to 24 hours) as a precautionary measure to lower any risk.