Keeping a house clean?

[Cleanliness]

Does anyone else here share my obsession with cleanliness?
With little ones in the house I am constantly aware of the the potential for dirt and germs on floors etc.

I used to be as concerned as you with dirt/germs on the floor when DD1 (almost 4yo now) was a baby. She had a nasty bacterial infection when she was 11mo which made me extra-hygiene conscious ... but at the same time, we weren't really LIVING, iyswim. I'd try ad keep her away from germs and often that meant keeping her away from other children; away from playgrounds, playgroups.

At some point when she was around 2.6yo, I realised that my fears were inhibiting her/our life. Germs are everywhere, but soap and water largely does the trick. A bit of bleach when you're worried about germs is wonderful (toilets, kitchen floors, when cleaning up after tummy bugs, etc) Our children need exposure to certain bacteria, otherwise their immune systems become weak and won't defend the body at times when it's needed.

Let's put it this way: I never knowingly expose my DDs to germs, but I don't freak out any more if something has been on the floor and one
of my girls picks it up. And they're okay. Certainly don't have more infections than when I was totally paranoid.