# Does freezing (or refrigeration) kill the virus? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936 "2020-04-03T06:21:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/1 "2020-04-03T06:21:59Z")
If I bring frozen food home without disinfecting it, and put it immediately into the freezer, is any COVID-19 on it killed? And how about refrigerated items? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/2 "2020-04-03T06:31:32Z")
The WHO person talking on CNN says the virus can live on surfaces for short while. I would think if you waited 24hrs the virus would be dead anyway. Freezer, fridge or cabinet. We are wiping everything with Clorox wipes. Except produce. DIL came upon 4 3pks of Clorox wipes yesterday. We kept 2 and she took one home with her. So we’re good there. I always have bought those. They are great for countertops and the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/3 "2020-04-03T22:27:33Z")
No Clorox wipes here. So if I just put things in the freezer or refrigerator and not touch them for a day or two, they don’t need to be disinfected? How about canned goods? If I just put them away and not touch them for a day or two, won’t the virus just die? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/4 "2020-04-03T22:31:18Z")
Don’t biology labs store virus samples in the freezer? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/5 "2020-04-03T22:37:01Z")
The virus will only live so long outside of a host. IMHO ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/6 "2020-04-03T22:46:26Z")
I am isolating stuff I bring in: 24 hours for paper, cloth, cardboard; 72 hours for plastic or metal. We have a staging area we leave stuff in. Then I go throw my mask in hot soapy water, wash my hands. There’s nothing in the stores. We are experimentally using what we happened to have – hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol. There won’t be more when we use our supply up so we are being sparing with it. It seems probable that a low exposure to the virus is more likely to produce a weaker form of the disease – this is true of some other viruses. So people in the trenches are at the most risk of severe effects. The point being that anything you do to lessen your exposure is of benefit, even if total elimination isn’t possible. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/7 "2020-04-03T22:56:13Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > No Clorox wipes here. you can make your own disinfectant liquid by mixing 4 teaspoons of bleak with 1 quart of water. After you have that you can keep it in a jar or spray bottle. You could spray a paper towel or washcloths to wipe surfaces down. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/8 "2020-04-03T22:59:57Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > you can make your own disinfectant liquid by mixing 4 teaspoons of bleak with 1 quart of water. > > After you have that you can keep it in a jar or spray bottle. You could spray a paper towel or washcloths to wipe surfaces down. Bleach oxidizes rapidly. You need to make it fresh frequently. We thought we had a bottle of bleach but it was too old, it had turned into a bottle of unpleasant water. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/9 "2020-04-03T23:10:22Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Bleach oxidizes rapidly. You need to make it fresh frequently. We thought we had a bottle of bleach but it was too old, it had turned into a bottle of unpleasant water. Thank you for that. Does anyone know how often you have to remake the solution so that it keeps its antimicrobial properties? Clorox says it only lasts a few days. > **[Cleaning Tips and Advice | Clorox®](https://www.clorox.com/learn/)** > > As pioneers of cleaning, we’ve seen a bit of everything. Follow our expert cleaning advice and laundry tips and tricks on stains, smells, sanitizing and disinfecting. > [@](#): > > To simplify things for you, you could make a smaller amount (2 tablespoons diluted in 4 cups water) that you use up over several days for general countertop cleaning I wonder if there is any reason you can’t make a smaller solution. 1 teaspoon bleach per cup of water instead. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/10 "2020-04-03T23:14:02Z")
> **[How long can coronaviruses survive in a freezer? Up to two years, warns expert](https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2020/03/19/How-long-can-coronaviruses-survive-in-a-freezer-Up-to-two-years-warns-expert)** > > The COVID-19 coronavirus could last up to two years at below freezing temperatures if it is similar to coronaviruses from the same family, according to a ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-freezing-or-refrigeration-kill-the-virus/850936/11 "2020-04-03T23:23:18Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If I bring frozen food home without disinfecting it, and put it immediately into the freezer, is any COVID-19 on it killed? > > And how about refrigerated items? Viruses are coated with proteins and fats. Soap destroys that coat. Not a doctor but everything I know about viruses would lead me to believe that cold temperatures might actually give viruses a better chance of staying in tact than just staying at room temperatures. Apparently viruses can survive a ridiculously long time in extremely cold temperatures such as permafrost.