What to Buy for Home Quarantine: A Complete List of Essentials.

Pasta and canned food disappear from shop shelves. Toilet paper goes like hot cakes. Some people clog garages with so much food that most of it will go to waste. Meanwhile, experts recommend to stock up a maximum of a two-week supply of food for each family member, including pets. How not to go crazy in all this muss? If you want to prepare yourself properly, read our guide on what to buy for home quarantine and how to cope with being trapped within four walls.

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Before You Leave the House

The point of stocking up is not to prepare yourself for a sudden shortage of goods, but to limit your visits to the stores. The less time you spend in a crowd, the less likely you will be exposed to the virus. For this reason, good planning of your visit is crucial. Go check your household supplies, unlock your mobile phone, and note down all the products you are missing. 

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We also encourage you to think about those who might need help with grocery shopping. As sick people and the elderly are particularly at risk of contracting the virus, your little favor significantly reduces their risk of infection. 

What to Buy for Home Quarantine?

Food

First, you should buy products with a long shelf life. Pasta, rice, and grains will be fit for consumption after several days of quarantine, they are easy to store, and provide you with practically all the essential minerals (More here). But rice alone is not dinner yet. Take a stroll down the canned food aisle and pick up some canned soup, vegetables, and beans. They can be just as healthy as fresh food.

WAIT, canned goods are healthy?

Absolutely! As you can read here, canned alternatives are generally nutritionally not worse than their fresh counterparts! What’s more, canned food is usually already partly cooked, which means less trouble in the kitchen. However, it doesn’t mean you should don’t give up on fresh food entirely! Although it can’t stay too long on the shelf, nothing can replace the smell of fresh herbs and vegetables.

Cleaning products

Nothing annihilates the virus as effectively as a good old bar of soap. It is hands down the most important cleaning item on your list. Even hand sanitizers are less effective because alcohol-based disinfectants do not always reach under nails and between fingers. 

But you’ll also need something to wipe wet hands and to maintain hygiene in general. Add paper towels, tissues and toilet paper to your list of essentials. 

Heavier items like washing powder and dishwasher capsules pick up on your way to a cash register. 

Medicine

If you take any medicine, try to get at least a month’s supply of them. Pharmacies are full of customers and you may have to wait for a supply of drugs. To avoid additional trouble, ask if the pharmacy offers to send medicine by post.

You may also be unfortunate enough to suffer from period pains, toothache or diarrhea during the quarantine. Check your medicine cabinet and make sure you are prepared for this scenario. 

Board and video games

Cinemas, pubs, and gyms will remain closed for some time. But quarantine is not a boredom sentence!

Actually, it’s a great opportunity to dig out old jigsaw puzzles, scrabble, monopoly, and other board games, and gather the family together. If you are a solo player, use the quarantine to catch up on some video games! Many companies offer discounts on digital copies of games to encourage people to stay home.

So, should you buy up all the toilet paper? God, no. The situation is new to all of us but there’s no reason to panic. As long as you plan your shopping ahead, you’ll supply yourself with everything you need to make your home quarantine will pass easily and pleasantly.