How to Stay Safe When Out Shopping

By Alyssa Laffitte on June 14, 2020

Due to the current global health situation, people are not going to restaurants as often. This means people are cooking at home and going grocery shopping. However, going to the grocery store could put you in contact with many people. In this article, we’ll discuss how to stay safe when you go out shopping.

Image via Isorepublic.com

Go shopping only when you need to

The best way to stay safe is to go out only when you need to. This means you shouldn’t go shopping for fun or for items you don’t absolutely need, but only for groceries or other necessary items. You could choose to have your groceries delivered or to pick them up in order to reduce contact with people. These would be your safest options. But sometimes, this isn’t possible. In that case, you can go shopping inside the store. Additionally, try going to the store as few times as you can. Use up the food you have before you go shopping again. To keep yourself safe, you should go shopping at a store only when you absolutely need to.

Do your research before you go

Different stores are dealing with the current health situation differently. For example, some stores have modified their hours to allow for more cleaning or to allow senior citizens a designated shopping hour to keep them safe. Some have even shortened their operating hours. Additionally, the store might require you to wear a face-covering, or not allow you to bring in reusable bags. There could also be rules to enforce social distancing. For instance, having one-way aisles (meaning, anyone walking through that aisle will walk only in one direction) or markings on the floor denoting 6 feet of distance. These are things you won’t know unless you do your research. Before going out shopping, do a quick online search to learn about how the store is handling the pandemic. Your shopping experience will be much smoother if you do your research.

Be prepared before you start shopping

Now that you know the rules of the store, be prepared to follow them. Bring hand sanitizer and a face mask. If the store allows reusable bags, bring them. If not, prepare to use the store-provided plastic bags. You should also wash your hands before you leave your house to prevent you from bringing any germs into the store. This will prepare you for the shopping trip.

Once you get to the store, use the wipes provided at the front of the store to wipe down the handle of the cart. It’s also a good idea to wipe down the child’s seat. Doing these things will help you be safe as you shop in the store.

Be safe while you’re inside the store

While you are shopping inside the store, it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind. First, try to maintain social distancing as best as you can. It might be difficult since stores can be crowded. Still, keep at least six feet of distance between you and the next person. Also, be aware of the items you touch while you’re in the store. For example, the freezer door handles or any produce. Don’t touch items and put them back on the shelves. Instead, touch only the items you intend to buy. Of course, be sure to obey all the rules of the store when it comes to wearing a face mask and staying away from other shoppers. This will greatly decrease the spread of germs.

Decontaminate yourself and the groceries

Once you pay for your groceries and have loaded them into your car, you should sanitize your hands. This will prevent you from bringing any germs from the store into your home.

When you get home and unload the groceries from your car, you shouldn’t put them away immediately. Instead, you could decontaminate them by wiping the packaging down. For fresh produce or food that doesn’t come packaged, wash with soap and water. If you brought a reusable bag into the store, you could also decontaminate it by wiping it down or spraying it with disinfectant. Additionally, if you want to be extra careful, you can also wipe or spray down any surface your groceries have touched while you were unloading them (for example, a kitchen counter). You could also wipe or spray down anything you might have touched while entering your home. These strategies will decrease the germs you bring into your home after grocery shopping.

If you’re shopping for someone else…

If you are shopping for someone else, it’s important to keep yourself (and the person you’re shopping for) safe. One of the ways you can do this is by not having contact with them while you drop off their groceries. Simply leave the food at their doorstep, ring the doorbell, and leave once you know they’re home (but before they open the door). They can get their food after you leave. This will keep you and the other person safe.

It’s important to keep yourself safe during the current health situation. If you follow these tips, you will minimize your risk of getting sick while shopping.

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