Doctor Gives Tips on How to Safely Clean Your Groceries

We've all been scrubbing surfaces, washing our hands, and social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. You have to eat, but it's likely that can of soup you just bought has been touched by several people before you brought it home - how do you make sure it's clean?

Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen, a physician with Family Medicine Specialists in Grand Rapids, Michigan posted a video to YouTube to share his tips on safe grocery shopping.

Dr. VanWingen points out that it's not the food inside sealed packages that could make us sick, it's the packages themselves.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the coronavirus can live on stainless steel and plastic for up to 2-3 days, and on cardboard for up to 24 hours.

What are the doctor's top tips?

• Wipe down the handle of your grocery cart.
• Don't shop if you're at risk, or if you've been exposed.
• Don't handle items, know what you want and buy it.
• Get in, get what you need for two weeks, and get out.
• If you can, leave items in your car or garage for 3 days.
• If you can't wait, dispose of external packaging and re-package items in your own containers or wrap.

“Imagining that the groceries have some glitter on them, on the packaging and the bags,” VanWingen says. “Our goal is to not have any glitter at the end of this process in our house, on our hands, or more importantly on our face.”

Check out the doctor's video here: