Alright, who else is being a psycho about decontaminating packages? Please tell me I’m not alone! It may feel a little excessive but studies suggest that coronavirus may remain on surfaces for days. They believe it can live for 2-3 days on plastic, 24 hours on cardboard, 2-8 hours on aluminum and up to 5 days on glass (you can read more on this report here).

So my logic is that disinfecting certainly can not hurt. If anything, it can help you avoid falling ill so why not take extra precaution?

Here is how I’m handling packages/mail with care:

1. Leave all packages outside
Skip bringing any packages inside altogether. It’s impossible to know if your packages have been contaminated in transit. Instead, leave them outside in a designated safe area (to avoid package theft, rain/snow damage – your garage if you have one is a good option) and handle opening all packages outdoors.

2. Air out for 3 days before opening
For any non-perishable, non-urgent packages, leave them outside for 3 days to air out for any possible traces of CoV-2. This gives the virus time to die if it is in fact on your packages.

3. Use gloves to open up packages
When opening up your packages outside, use a pair of gloves – even after leaving packages outside for 3 days – and do not touch your face while opening. Slice boxes open with a box cutter (I like these ceramic ones from Slice) to minimize the amount of touching – be sure to disinfect your box opener afterward. Remove all items from your boxes (outside, still), break down your boxes and throw your boxes and gloves in the recycle bin or trash.

4. Disinfect receivables
Put on a new pair of gloves then thoroughly spray and/or wipe down all the items with disinfectant. Remove your gloves, throw them in the trash outside, thoroughly wash hands then bring your items inside. I wash one more time after bringing everything in because, again, I’m being a little over-the-top with all of this.

What other rules are you following right now with packages?