Mopping frontroom with same mop as downstairs loo

[Easilyanxious]

Help an I being paranoid
Asked dh to mop kitchen floor yesterday ( new mop and bucket ) washed with zoflora and hot water
Later on I refilled mop bucket and decided to lightly mop frontroom and floor as have lvt , just found out today after doing kitchen dh also mopped downstairs loo just lightly as have real wood in there
I have then used it to mop frontroom unknowingly - new water and disenfectant but mop was still wet from clean before
Have I risked contaminating the frontroom , I have just tan steam cleaner over it (now as just found out what he had done ( day after ) to be sure or would changing water and using more disenfectant at least keep germs at bay

Why on earth is anyone talking about cross infection control in the context of a normal family house?

Exactly. The levels of 'contamination control' are approaching the levels we use in our manufacturing facilities. May I also suggest alternating disinfectants every 2 weeks, making everyone wear Tyveks and using overshoes when moving from the hallway to reception rooms.

Ok, that’s good but I think you can see that what you’re suggesting is over the top. Perhaps try to see that you can actually harm your environment by using chemicals and destroying helpful bacteria. I know that realising that helped a friend of mine.

I’m talking to op btw.

Urine is sterile. Unless one of you is shitting on the bathroom floor then you’re mopping the front room with that human excrement (which would be an unusual approach) you’re grand.

If you want to worry about gems then mobile phones, computer keyboards and door handles might give you the common cold.

Good lord. I have a cleaner, we have one mop, head gets washed and dried every time it's been used at the end of the two hour cleaning session. Never been asked to provide more than one, and over the years we have had various people clean from us.

I am generally a bit on the slovenly side, but I have some exceedingly house proud friends, (and also friends who are surgeons) none of whom have bathroom slippers, or take their footwear off to go in the loo, or any of the stuff being suggested upthread. I have literally never heard of such stuff! Granted, I don't have toddlers or babies any more, and neither do we have any pets, or anyone who's ill or suffering from immune system problems, but blimey, this level of concern over 'cross contamination' for a regular home seems over the top.

The only person I know who did over the top cleaning anything close to this was caring for her DH who was immunocompromised because of his cancer treatment. She knew at the time part of her behaviour was driven by her grief. She still only had one mop.

Oh OP, you have my sympathies. Given that no one has been ill in your bathroom you will be fine. To those sneering at the OP it is a condition that cannot be helped. On my worse days I have washed my feet during the day, before getting into bed and at times removed socks after being in the bathroom, even full outfit changes if I'm convinced something bad is on my clothes. Yes I know it's ridiculous but at the time I was overcome with anxiety.

for your anxiety, OP. The more stressed/ anxious I am the more I worry about things like this too. But the disinfectant you used would definitely have been enough to kill any germs on the mop. The first round of disinfectant your DH used would have taken care of any bathroom germs.

I find it helpful to confine my worries to food preparation only.

I mop everywhere except the bathroom, I do that by hand on my knees.

Jesus, am so relieved that the general consensus is that one mop for everywhere is fine.

What the hell are people on about with 'Cross contamination'?!

Sorry if my early post was dismissive. It really annoys me when people are unreasonably judgy about perceived slovenliness. And it enhances people’s anxiety.

There is absolutely no problem with using one mop around the house, and antibacterial is not needed. Some low level germage is good for you and your immune system!

Do you change yojr footwear between walking across the loo floor and walkkng on the other floors, or do you howber above them somehow? Because if not then you will be walking any germs around anyway. And Inassume you habe survived that.

Just throwing out my mop drying suggestion as you said you don’t have anywhere to let it dry.

We have a spin bucket thing with a foot pedal that gets it almost dry for where you can’t have a “wet” mop.. and I mop in an order too.. livingroom, kitchen n then loo last. But after that I put the mop head into the wash on a setting with a high spin and some of the laundry dettol.. comes out practically dry and I know the room that’s likely dirtiest was done last.

I don’t like steam mops there’s too many don’t use them on xyz warnings.

Can you just clean the toilets last? Then the mop head can soak in disinfectant between uses.

Never washed a mop head before. It gets squeezed out with hot water and the disinfectant used to clean the floor.

Yes I am trying to seek help for my ocd and anxiety

And the very first thing you should do is get off mumsnet, because some of the advice on here is going to reinforce your OCD and anxiety tenfold.

@HopeClearwater
Stop telling OP what to do.
You don't know what adds to her anxiety.
You also don't know if she can "recover" from her OCD. Some just have to live with it. Regardless, I'm sure OP knows her own mind and what triggers her and aids her.

People nowadays (and particularly on MN) get too worked up about germs and contamination As long as you practice basic hygiene (wash surfaces/hands after handling raw poultry), wash hands after pooing and generally keeping things clean enough to smell OK you will be fine. Your house sounds more than clean enough OP.

There is such a thing as being too clean. We need contact with a certain amount of bacteria to maintain a healthy immune system. My SIL works in a day care centre in Manhattan where a lot of children are raised in sterile high rise apartments. When they start entering the real world and encountering other kids their immune systems are overwhelmed and they spend most of their first year or so off sick.

You do realise the you, your children and everything you ever come in contact is covered in bacteria don’t you? Totally teeming with them in fact. We need bacteria, elimination is impossible and unhealthy. All this e cleaning products that say they kil, “99% of household germs” are being flexible with the truth. Even if they did, that still ,eaves 1000s not killed. Get a life, use soap and water frequently to wash your hands and follow sensible food hygiene. That’s all you need to do.

I just start mopping in the downstairs toilet and work through the kitchen to the hall with the same mop and Flash in water, I have no bathroom slippers, I’m surprised I am still alive as I must be so germ ridden.

I have 2 mop heads ,one for the bathroom and one for downstairs. I wash the mop heads after use,I bung them in with towels to wash.

I wouldn't wash the loo floor first then the front room ideally but unles you have a crawling baby I wouldn't worry about it too much.