Am I justified to ask my cleaner to do these things ?

[DeleteIt]

Cleaner has a long journey on public transport plus we are the last call of the day twice a week.
I have asked her to take shoes off in the house, please wash hands on arrival and to not hoover the doormat first as then she is hoovering round the rest of the house with the hoover head having been all over outside bacteria ? I’ve been rolling up the mat after she arrives as she kept doing it despite me asking !

I offered to provide some indoor shoes if she wanted but she declined. Am I being over the top?

I think if your standards are that precise, you would do better to do your own cleaning.

The taking shoes off and washing hands are kind of reasonable, although it wouldn't really occur to me to be too bothered about either.

The doormat thing is insane.

I hope the OP is not feeling too battered by some of these responses.

I too think it is OTT, but can understand how it has developed and hope that there will come a time when she feels less anxious about it all and can just enjoy her lively little boy.

I think after seeing your drip feed post re your baby being born at 24 weeks and the precautions you had been advised by medical
staff, of course you are justified in your requests. Does your cleaner know the reason behind this?

if you had disclosed this information at the start you may have had slightly more supportive responses on this post

Radio rental.

You are in the minority. If you want to “baby” your cleaner by telling her what to do. Get someone else as you are clearly not happy. Find a company closer to home.

This

A family member had this level of germ phobia - they protect their child from all germs etc, with disinfectant touts that had been outside before they came into the house etc.

Ttheir kid has the worst immune system I know, they are forever contracting things. We need to be around bugs to build strength imo.

Sorry but worrying about a hoover running over an area where a baby crawls after hoovering a doormat is bonkers.

Babies touch all sorts and put all sorts in their mouths, that is how they build immunity! My baby crawls all around the park and in the sandpit, which is undoubtedly full of germs. It's life.

Edit: I just saw your update about your baby being in NICU, which makes more sense as obviously more vulnerable in that scenario. But in normal circumstances I don't think a cleaner would be thinking this way nor should they be expected to. You need to communicate.

TIL that a lot of people wash their hands as soon as they walk into their own home. And that some will even wash their hands on arrival at a friend's home.

It has never occurred to me to do that, nor have I ever seen anyone do that.

I have never cleaned my vacuum head! Not once in my entire life.
how do people get on with their lives with these weird germaphobe issues?
You can’t tell a grown adult when to wash their hands.
Shoes off is the only reasonable request.

I think you may benefit from talking to someone

You are being very fucking weird OP! Taking shoes off is ok, but the rest
is utterly batshit! And you actually going so far as rolling up the mat??? 😂😂 Wow! My gob is smacked!

Reminds me of Monica vacuuming the vacuum cleaner

This is all totally ott. Kids need to encounter bacteria to build up their resistance. They will for sure eat food off the floor and forget to wash hands when you aren’t round.

This is beyond paranoid OP! Honestly…you need to seek help for this level of anxiety. This is not healthy!!

I think the hoovering bit is OTT, the handwashing is not, neither is the footwear, buy a box of dispoable shoe covers.

I think you are the sort of person who won’t be happy ever. I don’t disagree with the handwashing and removal of shoes but after that, it’s a bit OTT.

Why not do the cleaning yourself? Then you get exactly what you want and you’re saving money.

Shoes off and hand washing = basic level of hygiene. You shouldn't have to ask for that.

I get the door mat hoover thing but I'm a germaphobe and probably have undiagnosed contamination OCD. The people around me don't see germs the way I do and therefore would never think to do the doormat last or to sanitise the hoover.

Realistically you can't watch a cleaner all the time. If you don't trust this person I'd find a new cleaner.

You'd be far better off without a carpet at all if you're that worried about your baby crawling on it. Because unless you actually wash and disinfect it, you're not removing 'germs' just sucking up grit and dust. Hard floors are more hygienic with a mat you can lay down for your baby. Or lay the mat over your carpet.
However if you're happy to put up with the hygiene compromise of a carpet, then the door mat thing is of no real consequence in the scheme of things.

Surely it's 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'? This is your home and this is how you'd like things done; that seems entirely reasonable to me!

Strangest rules I have ever come across 😆

Why not ask her to have a shower too. God knows what’s on her feet and body! 🤔🤔

@DeleteIt OP I have tagged you because I really hope you will see my post. I am also the mum of a 24 week baby. He celebrated his 21st birthday last week.

Mercifully few people need to understand just how terrifying it is being the parent of an extremely premature or very sick baby. I read your comments about washing the hoover and thought “that’s completely nuts” - but in the context that your baby is so vulnerable and is crawling, your fears are understandable.

I was completely obsessive about germs, and the blunt way of saying things is that we nearly lost him so many times in NICU that I was constantly terrified that this could still happen once he’d come home. I never thought of the hoover being dirty though and my DS was ok with normal vacuuming and no hoover washing. He had every chest infection imaginable and his first few winters were tough but dirt wasn’t more of an issue for him than for anyone else in our home. I’m not trying to dismiss your fears but hope I can bring you a little reassurance.

Top tips from me are that if you have any doubt at any time about how well he is, call the GP as much as you need to and always go with your instinct. We had a few occasions where the GP initially let us down and I had to push hard for the right medical treatment. All babies are special but ours were/are that bit more delicate.

Take care

If your so worried about public transport either hire a new cleaner who can drive or clean your own house .