Coronavirus tip

sailaboutvic

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Some may find this useful we now have a bucket of water with bleach on stern which we wash our hands in every time we come back even tho if we go shopping we wear glove, but going to the toilet or shower even tho we wash our hand in the block we still have to open the door and then touch the gate , it may be going over the top but washing in bleach just as you get on board just give you that feeling you done all you can .
 

RAI

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Going around with a bleach soaked cloth and wiping every handle, work surface, grab handle, guard rail, everywhere you normally touch is not a bad idea either.
Shopping trolley handles, shopping bags and petrol pump nozzle grip need a wipe too.
 

Ric

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Apparently Bleach has little effect on COVID-19 virus. Soap is far more effective because it breaks down the lipid outer envelope of the virus. So probably better to add some strong detergent to your bucket too.
 

Mistroma

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Apparently Bleach has little effect on COVID-19 virus. Soap is far more effective because it breaks down the lipid outer envelope of the virus. So probably better to add some strong detergent to your bucket too.

I believe that Vic is being quite sensible, though a spray on the pontoon might spin out his supply of bleach and easy to make up fresh regularly.

Can you please give a reference to the claim that bleach has little effect on COVID-19?

I currently use a bleach spray to treat all incoming items in my garage prior to moving them into my house.

I believe the list of disinfectants with proven activity against this category of virus includes hypochlorite (bleach), alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium compounds and phenolic compounds. Obviously concentration is important and some of the above are less effective (e.g. Quats as found in Patio Magic etc.).

Pretty certain that bleach is effective against COVID-19. I use bleach at about 0.2% - 0.5% with a trace of washing up liquid to improve penetration of the bleach and leave it for about 10 minutes. I'll try to dig out a link with a reference regarding bleach.


EDIT: Just found a couple of documents.

The laboratory Biosafety manual is rather detailed but you can search for bleach.
https://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/biosafety/Biosafety7.pdf

The Laboratory biosafety guidance related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is only 12 pages and is pretty straight forward.
https://www.who.int/docs/default-so...y-biosafety-novel-coronavirus-version-1-1.pdf
 
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sailaboutvic

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Mike this virus is so new I think there little info the scientist know let alone the man in the street.
so as far as we are concern we feel better doing some thing then doing nothing.
there are people here in the marina making there alcohol hand wash using lemons , if that works or not who knows but again they feel they trying to keep safe by using it , so good for them for doing their part .
what I should had mention was if you do use a mix of bleach and water , you may need to use a bit of hand cream cos it can dry out your hands although mine seen ok so far .
 

newtothis

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Mike this virus is so new I think there little info the scientist know let alone the man in the street.
so as far as we are concern we feel better doing some thing then doing nothing.
there are people here in the marina making there alcohol hand wash using lemons , if that works or not who knows but again they feel they trying to keep safe by using it , so good for them for doing their part .
what I should had mention was if you do use a mix of bleach and water , you may need to use a bit of hand cream cos it can dry out your hands although mine seen ok so far .
Here's the science bit...
Why soap is preferable to bleach in the fight against coronavirus
 

Mistroma

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Mike this virus is so new I think there little info the scientist know let alone the man in the street.
so as far as we are concern we feel better doing some thing then doing nothing.
there are people here in the marina making there alcohol hand wash using lemons , if that works or not who knows but again they feel they trying to keep safe by using it , so good for them for doing their part .
what I should had mention was if you do use a mix of bleach and water , you may need to use a bit of hand cream cos it can dry out your hands although mine seen ok so far .

Apologies Vic, I was rushing off to eat and miss-read your original post. I thought you were rinsing down surfaces, not washing hands. Soap is more suitable for washing hands and I was talking about cleaning surfaces. I clean everything with a bleach spray whilst wearing gloves and then wash my hands even though the gloves have also been washed down with bleach.

The "Laboratory biosafety guidance related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)" isn't a "man in the street" document, it specifically relates to labs. working with Covid-19.

If you do continue washing hands in bleach then make up some Sodium metabisulphite solution to neutralise the bleach. It was common in dyestuff and pigment manufacturing for production operators to use bleach at the end of a shift. They dipped their hands in an extremely STRONG solution of bleach followed by a rinse in metabisulphite solution. The bleach literally removed the very top layer of skin along with the pigment or dye. A quick dip in metabisulphite limited the damage. Not a great idea but nothing else would shift the brightly coloured skin and guys had been doing it for years. I expect they also used cream afterwards.:D I'd stick to soap for hands.

I was questioning post #3 which said "Bleach has little effect on COVID-19 virus. Soap is far more effective" and I did not agree with that general statement. Bleach does have a significant effect and actually preferred for cleaning many surfaces (glass, plastic etc.). You then follow up with detergent and water to remove remaining bleach.

Quote from:Laboratory biosafety guidance related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Highlights of 2019-nCoV laboratory biosafety
Appropriate disinfectants with proven activity against enveloped viruses should be used (e.g. hypochlorite (bleach), alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium compounds and phenolic compounds).


I'd suggest a coarse spray or sponge to apply bleach to items prior to bringing them on board. I'd leave it for about 10 minutes before rinsing if using a weak bleach solution. Wear gloves and then wash your hands when finished.

I assume you are removing extraneous packaging before transferring to your boat as that's something we all do anyway. Why collect extra rubbish and hidden bugs to the boat? Handy habit to already have in current situation. Stay safe.

I remember the labs. where I had to strip off, change clothes, go through a shower, don protective gear and respirator. Some stuff we made was still effective at dilutions approaching a few drops in a swimming pool. Glad I didn't work there regularly, just the odd visit.:D
 
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V1701

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I'm now visiting the communal bathrooms less often, shaving, brushing teeth & using the loo on board (I have a separator loo so not discharging in to marina), I just go there now for a shower every other day. Do not use hands on way out, wash hands when back on board anyway. Anything I can do to reduce the risk however small...
 

sailaboutvic

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Mike I should had added once we wash our hands in the bucket of bleach and water we then re wash with soap once in side it's just a extra precaution, but now we read the link maybe we leave a bar of soap out side too .
 

sailaboutvic

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I'm now visiting the communal bathrooms less often, shaving, brushing teeth & using the loo on board (I have a separator loo so not discharging in to marina), I just go there now for a shower every other day. Do not use hands on way out, wash hands when back on board anyway. Anything I can do to reduce the risk however small...
We use the shower/ toilet block for one reason it a was of stretch our legs but more important there around 25 boats with people on board and if everyone started to pump out it be one smelly marina , most will have holding tank but sooner or later the will need emptying and the only way is out through the sea cock , I sure now and then the odd person get caught out and do use the heads , personally I don't think that's here or there but 40 or so people while make a nasty mess over a short time , plus it's our garden the water around us.
But as you said if you can find other ways around it , you probably better off not using them .
 

Yngmar

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After washing your hands in the shower block, just don't touch the door handle. Bring a bit of string to pull down the door handle to open it and then to pull the door shut from the outside. I use the lanyard on my keychain.

Don't pick your nose while you sit on the toilet or use your phone either (washable phones are extra useful now) :p

Another top tip, if your power is out, check your breakers first :ROFLMAO:
 

sailaboutvic

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After washing your hands in the shower block, just don't touch the door handle. Bring a bit of string to pull down the door handle to open it and then to pull the door shut from the outside. I use the lanyard on my keychain.

Don't pick your nose while you sit on the toilet or use your phone either (washable phones are extra useful now) :p

Another top tip, if your power is out, check your breakers first :ROFLMAO:
it was too bloody too rough out there to check the breaker , better to wait for some kind soul to walk pass and do it for me ;)
 

Denek

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I think you should do whatever makes you comfortable whilst taking note of the science they keep talking about. On a slight tangent some people’s personal hygiene Beggers belief. Just before the lockdown I visited a KFC and after making my purchase I went to wash my hands before eating. Whilst in the bathroom a guy exited the trap ,did not wash his hands and then went straight out and used the touch screen To order his food. On a different day I would not have been able to contain myself but not wanting to get close to anyone let alone this dirty selfish git I left it. Still regret not saying anything.
 

Sandydog2

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Be careful though if using dilute bleach, that it has not degraded. It disappears amazingly fast. A bottle of dilute bleach one day is mostly salt and water the next. If open to the air and sunlight it disappears even quicker. I do a lot of water testing at work. If I put 90 litres of bleach into a cooling tower system where it is exposed to air over a large surface every trace if it has gone within an hour.
 

geem

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We are isolated on our boat at anchor. We cant get hand sanitiser here but I found some surgical spirits in the cupboard. Mixed it with a bit of shower gel as it was all I could find. It seems to make quite a convenient hand wash. It doesnt need too much shower gel or it leaves too much of a residue. We are keeping it in the dinghy when we go to pick up groceries from the dinghy dock.
We just clean our hands with it where we touch the grocery bag or dock.
 
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