Amid a pandemic, which has lasting effects on our daily lives, we currently find ourselves. While grocery shopping is one of life’s essentials that requires many of us to leave the house, we can all take steps to ensure our own safety and the safety of our fellow customers and the store’s personnel.

The risk of spreading COVID-19 increases with the closeness and duration of an individual’s interactions with others.” When going shopping, try to keep a safe distance from other people (at least 6 feet) and stay at home if you’re sick.

Think About Grocery Store Pickup or Delivery

To avoid potentially exposing yourself or others to the virus, it is best to do your grocery shopping online or on your mobile device. To ensure the safety of its customers and staff, many supermarkets now provide convenient curbside pickup and delivery options.

People who are more likely to benefit from these services (the elderly and those with chronic illnesses) are the ones who can reap the most significant rewards from grocery delivery and pickup services. Avoiding people altogether is possible by asking the grocery delivery person to leave your order at the door. If you want to tip them, you can do so digitally.

Put on a Mask

The CDC suggests mask use in all public places, including the supermarket. Masks should contain at least one layer that covers your nose and another that covers your mouth. Dr Rauf suggests that you double up on your mask right now for maximum efficacy.

Keep your hands clean before, during, and after grocery shopping.

If you want to reduce the spread of germs, wash your hands properly. You may do more to prevent the transmission of any germs you may have picked up while grocery shopping if you wash your hands both before and after you go. If you need a refresher on the proper way to wash your hands, read this article. To delay the spread of germs until you can wash your hands, using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can assist.

Use available cleansing options like paper towels and sinks with soap and paper towels.

The Fresh Market has improved its cleaning and disinfecting procedures for frequently touched surfaces, such as the doors of refrigerators and the handles of shopping carts and baskets. They provide free disinfectant wipes to customers as they leave the store. Before and after grocery shopping, always wash your hands and the cart’s handle with antibacterial soap.

Please try to restrain your grabbing whenever possible.

If you see your neighbour in the cereal aisle, all you have to do is give them a friendly wave because social distance standards still apply in the supermarket. It’s also vital to keep your hands away from your face, particularly your face, nose, mouth, and eyes. An infectious disease specialist has previously warned us that touching one’s face is a popular way to spread germs.

Go shopping at non-peak times to save money.

It could be helpful to contact the supermarket in advance to find the best time to visit. Stores may operate at different hours around this time because of the increased requirement for extra time to prepare for new stock, conduct cleanings, and implement sanitation measures.

It’s essential to find out if your local grocery store has “senior hours,” when the store is less busy to protect the safety of its elderly and other high-risk clients and to avoid going shopping during such hours unless you need too much.

Pay with a Debit or Credit Card

Although it may seem finicky, it’s better to use a credit card than cash, and Apple Pay is even better. Since there’s no need to get close to another person to exchange money, you may avoid spreading viruses.

Inspect and Disinfect All Surfaces

Cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to take up your whole day, and neither does sanitising your food before consuming it. To disinfect frequently used rooms. It’s a good idea to clean the counters and wipe down the fridge and freezer door handle as you arrive home from the store. Next, be sure to wash your hands well.

Put an end to your hoarding behaviour.

It could be tempting to buy as much as you can in preparation for the following few weeks but remember that you’re not the only one doing so. Since the pandemic’s beginning, hoarding has decreased, but it’s still considered to refrain from purchasing everything in your store. Split the cost of groceries for a week or two of meals and stock up together.

Clean Your Reusable Bags Often

To keep them clean, wash your reusable grocery bags often. The coronavirus has a more extended incubation period on hard, nonporous surfaces. Still, it may also survive on soft surfaces like blankets, clothing, and even tote bags (not to mention that they get disgusting). Check out the American Cleaning Institute’s advice on cleaning various types of reusable bags. Be cautious about double-checking the policies of your neighbourhood grocery store since some have temporarily stopped allowing customers to bring or use reusable bags or demand that customers bag their own items if they are using them.