Shopping for clothes used to be a relatively simple process three months ago: walk into a store, try on a number of items, buy what you want, leave the rest.

As retailers begin to re-open nationwide after months of shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few more steps are being added to the customerB次元官网网址檚 shopping experience.

Waiting in line to reduce in-store traffic, putting on hand sanitizer once you get in, and following physical distancing guide markers will be commonplace as Canadian shops and boutiques try to keep customers and employees safe.

But experts say the risk of picking up the novel coronavirus while shopping remains.

B次元官网网址淚f many people are touching the items B次元官网网址� and that will be the case B次元官网网址� then yes, it could be a concern,B次元官网网址� said Satinder Kaur Brar, an expert in environmental biotechnology and decontamination at York University.

Diane Brisebois, the CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, says stores are putting more emphasis on training their staff to sanitize high-touch areas like cash terminals after each client passes through, as well as B次元官网网址漵trict, regular sanitationB次元官网网址� of surfaces throughout the store.

But what about the clothing itself?

Contact with clothes can be separated into B次元官网网址渢wo types of touching,B次元官网网址� University of Toronto epidemiologist Colin Furness says: casual browsing when looking for a size, and the more intensive contact that comes with trying pieces on.

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Because viruses donB次元官网网址檛 live as long on soft materials as they do on hard surfaces, Furness says clothes are typically safer to navigate. But touching each hanger as youB次元官网网址檙e shuffling through racks, and handling zippers or buttons when trying garments on can be a different story.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a potential (for transmission) there, no question,B次元官网网址� Furness said. B次元官网网址淥n zipper handles and buttons, you can expect the virus to last longer than a day.B次元官网网址�

Most retailers are still allowing people to try on their apparel B次元官网网址� Roots is one thatB次元官网网址檚 not B次元官网网址� and Brisebois said fitting room capacity will be cut down to half to ensure physical distancing in those areas.

The cleaning of fitting rooms is also of high importance.

B次元官网网址淓mployees will sanitize the change room after each customer,B次元官网网址� Brisebois said. B次元官网网址漇o they clean the sitting area, the hooks where you hang your clothes, the door handle, and so on.B次元官网网址�

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Quarantining unpurchased clothing thatB次元官网网址檚 been tried on, or steaming them before theyB次元官网网址檙e put back out on racks is another measure being enacted by stores.

HereB次元官网网址檚 what the experts say about some of those safety precautions:

QUARANTINING CLOTHING

Furness said introducing a B次元官网网址渙ne-day delayB次元官网网址� between when an article of clothing is tried on and when itB次元官网网址檚 put back onto a rack or shelf is B次元官网网址渁 reasonable precaution to take.B次元官网网址�

That timeline seems to line up with the policies of most Canadian stores, which say they will quarantine clothing for 24-72 hours.

Brar believes more caution is needed, however, since we donB次元官网网址檛 know how long the virus can last on various types of fabric. One day may work for cotton, but synthetics might need more time.

B次元官网网址淚 presume one working week would be enough B次元官网网址� five days,B次元官网网址� she said.

STEAMING CLOTHING

Brar said steaming unpurchased clothing thatB次元官网网址檚 been handled by customers would be an B次元官网网址渆ffectiveB次元官网网址� process because viruses dislike humidity.

Furness agreed, but added that we donB次元官网网址檛 know what temperature the steam needs to be, and how long we need to expose the clothing to heat and moisture before the virus becomes deactivated.

Still, Furness called steaming B次元官网网址渁ctually quite an impressive solution.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 wish there was a little bit more research to back it up. B次元官网网址� but in theory, I would say that should be deadly effective,B次元官网网址� he said.

WEARING GLOVES

The experts agree that asking employees or customers to wear gloves while navigating through a store isnB次元官网网址檛 very effective in helping prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Brar said gloves can be more likely to carry the virus to other surfaces, especially when theyB次元官网网址檙e being used for long periods of time.

Furness said gloves are also problematic because they canB次元官网网址檛 be sanitized.

B次元官网网址淪o youB次元官网网址檙e wearing something that you canB次元官网网址檛 clean, that youB次元官网网址檙e going to continue to touch and collect stuff on, and that youB次元官网网址檙e going to possibly continue to touch your face with,B次元官网网址� he said B次元官网网址淚 would much rather see people with hand sanitizer sanitize their hands periodically.B次元官网网址�

REMOVING HIGH-TOUCH INSTALLATIONS

Brisebois said most retailers are shifting racks with glasses and jewelry to behind a counter or Plexiglas case, where employees would hand customers the items they request, and sanitize them afterwards if theyB次元官网网址檙e not purchased.

Make-up counters are also evolving, Brisebois said, where stores are introducing video technology to replace tester samples that would normally be used by customers to try on products.

Furness said removing high-touch displays is a good idea, as long as staff has disinfectant wipes to sanitize the merchandise that customers ask to try on.

B次元官网网址淩ight now a rack of glasses, for example, would be really hard to clean routinely and rapidly. But to do it as things are taken off by handing them to people and back, yeah I think that sounds like an excellent idea.B次元官网网址�

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press

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