NOT April Fools - How I Sanitize My Amazon Deliveries & Stay Safe

Sanitize Amazon Deliveries - Here Is How I Do It

It is April 1st also known as April Fools Day. A day where people love to play pranks on each other. If you told me 3 months ago that I would be writing a post about how I sanitize Amazon deliveries on April 1st I would have thought you were crazy. Or at least that it was an April Fools prank post. What do you mean sanitize Amazon deliveries? I grab the box, rip it open and enjoy what is inside (that I probably ordered 2 days earlier with Prime). Well this is the world we live in these days. I will share the system I have put together for this and some info on how long things can remain infected. Remember that I am not an scientific expert, I am simply sharing how I am handling the situation in an attempt to stay safe.

How Long Does Covid-19 Survive On Objects

The first thing I did was look up how long coronavirus can live on certain objects/materials. Here is what Science Daily had to say on the subject:

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• Scientists discovered the virus is detectable for up to three hours in aerosols.
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• Up to four hours on copper.
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• Up to 24 hours on cardboard.
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• And up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

I read somewhere else it can live up to 5 days on wood as well. So how does this play into deliveries?

How I Sanitize Amazon Deliveries

So now that we have our guidelines in place I want to take a look at the worst case scenario. Most everything that I order from comes in a cardboard box. That has a timeline of 24 hours but what about the stuff inside the box? Pretty much everything is made of or wrapped in plastic or metal. That has a shelf life of up to 3 days so that is what I am focusing on.

As you can imagine I am ordering a ton of stuff from Amazon, almost on a daily basis. Since I am trying to avoid going to the store, if I can, much of my non perishable food and household items are coming from them. And you better believe I am maxing out those $3 no rush shipping credits!

My Approach

I am usually ordering things before I run out or as they become available so I don't need access right away. If you need immediate access then you will need to approach this differently which I will discuss below. But if you have at least 3 days before you need the items here is my process:

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• I set up a designated area to place boxes when deliveries arrive. I selected a spot inside my garage.
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• Once a package comes I open the doors I need opened and leave them open so I don't need to touch anything.
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• I grab the package and walk through the previously opened doors as needed. You can wear gloves if you want when handling the package.
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• Then I place the boxes in the designated area in my garage and stack them according to arrival day.
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• I wash my hands for at least 20 seconds before touching anything else.
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• Then I grab a marker and write the date of arrival on the boxes.
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• After 2-3 days has passed (taking into account at least 1 day in transit) I open the boxes since any active virus should be dead by then.

This process works well because you are getting non perishable items delivered from Amazon so there is no need to refrigerate or store anything. This also cuts down on your need for cleaners or wipes which are hard to come by right now.

What If I Need Immediate Access

But what if you need access to the delivery right away? Then you need to take a different approach. You should treat the delivery the same as how you should be handling groceries. Here is a great video detailing the process.

Final Thoughts

Did I ever imagine I would live in a world where I would need to sanitize Amazon deliveries? Nope! But here we are and I think it is a smart move even if some think it is overkill. Hopefully I have given you some useful tips on how to handle all deliveries and your groceries. At least until we get past this pandemic.

Share your tips on handling goods and groceries below. Stay safe and stay healthy everyone!

Disclosure: Miles to Memories has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Miles to Memories and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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