Many adjustments have been made since we’ve all been under lockdown. We’ve all had to learn and experience many things during this transition. People have been able to understand and enjoy new skills, one of which could be cooking. But you can only cook so many things without certain ingredients. Mixing things with different cuisines is always fun and keeps your life interesting. This is where ordering food comes in. You have the freedom to order and enjoy whatever you crave. However, like everything else, COVID has changed things quite a bit. So, what are a few things to remember when ordering food online while remaining safe and cautious during a pandemic?

Many prefer eating at home instead of restaurants, as it is safer and doesn’t violate social distancing regulations. Thankfully, ordering food from your favorite restaurant is very easy today. However, it’s important to take precautions, as food delivery requires the involvement of multiple strangers until it reaches your doorstep.

Only Order from Trusted Restaurants

When ordering, choose to order from places you are familiar with. This eliminates the chances of ordering low-quality food or something that could make you sick. To ensure the food is high quality, check online reviews. You can also check the websites of the food outlets to see what precautions they take while preparing the food.

No Contact Delivery Is The Way To Go

Choose no-contact delivery and avoid the delivery person as much as possible. An option would be to ask them to leave the food outside the house’s doorway. You can leave a basket or carry a bag outside for them to place your things in. This eliminates any face-to-face contact and keeps you and your family safer. Another tip to remember is by using online payments instead of handing over cash, this will cut back on a lot of uneeded contact and exchange of anything.

Discard the Packaging

When you receive your food, it is our basic instinct to dive into our hot food as soon as possible. However, if staying safe trumps your desire to devour your food, you should take our advice. As the virus can remain on surfaces for up to nine days, removing the packaging immediately would probably be wise, as transferring the food contents into another container. Get rid of the restaurant bags and the containers, and the food came in immediately.

Wash Your Hands

As if there weren’t enough steps between you and finally eating your food, don’t forget the most crucial step: washing your hands. Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds to ensure they are squeaky clean. If soap and water are not readily accessible, your next best bet is to use hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after receiving your food packaging.

Heat the food

Unfortunately, depending on the cleanliness of how your food was prepared, there are chances of the virus being in your food. Not to mention the food, exchanging hands, and going outside for a (sometimes) quick journey. It’s not like vaccinating the food is an option, so heat your food for two minutes to kill the virus and make it safe to consume. Heat your food in a pan or microwave, and you should finally be ready to eat.

Delivery companies have also altered their services to accommodate COVID-19. Postmates and DoorDash have even stated on their websites the precautionary measures they’ve undertaken to protect their customers and employees. They introduced no-contact deliveries, which people can pick when ordering their meals. With no contact, your deliveries will be left at your doorstep. This is not mandatory, and Postmates has emailed registered users about their new option. DoorDash also has a strict mask policy, so all consumers and employees must wear a mask or face cover.

COVID-proofing your food requires some steps that may seem unnecessary to some extent, but they will prove essential in keeping you and your family healthy.

Contact us today to learn more about how Buckeye Northwest Realty can help you and your family find your next dream home in Toledo, Ohio.