Coronavirus viability on different surfaces / washing clothes / wash fruit and veg in soapy water

Click on the following links for articles.   Coronavirus and viability on different surfaces New England Medical Journal paper https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces detectable in the air for up to 3 hours for 4 hours on copper,  for up to 24 hours on paper & cardboard  for up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel

 

Wash clothes: Above 60 degrees. There is a suggestion not to use non-Bio detergent to wash clothes and that washing powder is better because contains bleach. If able to tumble dry – do tumble dry! Coronavirus: How to wash clothes and kill germs – Which? News Coronavirus Could Mean You Need to Change How You Wash Your Laundry

 

Other advice is wash fruit and vegetables with soapy water before peeling If receiving home shopping deliveries fruit and veg and all plastic packaging without holes in should be washed in warm soapy water and then rinsed in clean water. Where this isn’t practicable with large cardboard cereal and tissue packets, or because of holes in the packaging (evident with soft fruit packaging in particular) you should wipe the packaging thoroughly with Dettol Wipes (check that they specifically mention anti-virus as well as anti-bacteria, as some don’t). You could also leave the items untouched  e.g. in the garage or in an unused room to let the virus exceed its viability (see above).