How many of you disinfect car after work?

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So I’ve recently had some trauma that has resulted in some OCD behaviors. So After I finish my shift I immediately come home from work, shower, wash my scrubs, and I will wipe down my car with Lysol wipes.

I am just wondering if others do this too, specifically cleaning their car after working, or if this is excessive behavior and I don’t really need to be sanitizing my car. I have young kids, and the trauma/OCD behaviors is linked to them and feeling like I have to protect them and keep them safe. But if this is something unnecessary I don’t want to be feeding my compulsions and making my ocd worse.

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38 minutes ago, PHC-nurse said:

I am just wondering if others do this too, specifically cleaning their car after working, or if this is excessive behavior and I don’t really need to be sanitizing my car.

It's excessive behavior. If you want to continue with this behavior, at least be consistent and wipe it all down after leaving your home and going out in public at all. Disgusting shopping carts, door handles, handling money, touching your children (I mean kids are like walking petri dishes!), your cell phone! Ewww! That last bit is obviously meant as a joke, but do you see my point? Wiping your car down after working is excessive. I would think it would be a lot more reasonable to wear your own clothing in/out of work and only wear your scrubs while on the clock. If you launder your own scrubs then just take them home and wash them.

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Specializes in NICU.

Oh I had can of lysol spray in my car for years.Still keep gel and wipes.There are all kinds of critters you can bring home.Also did not share locker with someone with school age kids ,all those infestations you read about.Many of these things were never heard of years ago, no worries, wish to take back to past car.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
2 hours ago, PHC-nurse said:

So I’ve recently had some trauma that has resulted in some OCD behaviors. So After I finish my shift I immediately come home from work, shower, wash my scrubs, and I will wipe down my car with Lysol wipes.

I am just wondering if others do this too, specifically cleaning their car after working, or if this is excessive behavior and I don’t really need to be sanitizing my car. I have young kids, and the trauma/OCD behaviors is linked to them and feeling like I have to protect them and keep them safe. But if this is something unnecessary I don’t want to be feeding my compulsions and making my ocd worse.

I am truly sorry you experienced trauma, PHC-nurse and have the insight to see that one of the ways in which you deal with your anxiety is through cleaning.

A behavior is counterproductive only when it profoundly affects our abilities to function in a so-called normal manner. For example, if you refused to take your children to school because you hadn't disinfected your car, there might be a cause for concern. As long as you have your priorities reasonably intact, do what makes you feel safer or more secure.

We all have our foibles and idiosyncrasies. We really only need assistance dealing with them when our quirks profoundly affect our health, relationships, or work. If our lives are profoundly affected, then we need to seek professional assistance.

Good luck and the best to you, PHC-nurse!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I don't disinfect my car. That said, I do volunteer on my rural fire dept and go to the scene frequently in my own vehicle due to location. I do keep hand sanitizer and plastic bags in my car so that if I get something soiled I can place it in the bag.

Davey said it very eloquently - if this behavior bothers you then it might be excessive. However, its your car and your children so if it makes you more comfortable....

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Specializes in ER.

My car is chronically needing cleaning. My house is usually in decent shape, but the car tends to get dusty and a bit untidy. I'm in above average health so it's not a biohazard.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I worked with a physician who experienced one of his kids going through a bad illness with an extended hospital stay. He had some microphobia to begin with, he said, but after that his OCD spiraled out of control to the point where it would take him at least 45 minutes (sometimes more than an hour) to sanitize his area/computer/face/arms/hands/stethoscope whatever before he could start seeing patients. As you can imagine, this interfered greatly with his life (and our productivity). I actually caught him cleaning his face (scrubbing it!!!) with a Saniwipe. We were very concerned about him because he was a nice person and very smart, but we couldn't deal with being very busy and having a physician unable to see patients while he went through his ritual.

I ran into him recently in a totally different hospital in a totally different city, and I think he got professional help. He still had some of his behaviors, but they weren't interfering with his ability to function.

OP, does your employer have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? Typically you can get some free counseling via an EAP program. ❤️

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
9 hours ago, Emergent said:

My car is chronically needing cleaning. My house is usually in decent shape, but the car tends to get dusty and a bit untidy. I'm in above average health so it's not a biohazard.

Thank you, Emergent for that rippling status report!

Doncha think it needs to come with some sort of disclaimer?

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I used to be pretty obsessive about cleanliness. I'd come home, leave my shoes in the garage to be wiped down later, go down the back stairs to the basement, strip off all my clothes and put them in the washer, take a shower and then throw the towel in with my scrubs and start the washer. I also never stopped at the store on the way home (scrubs in public, ewww). The car, however, was another story---between four kids, my husband and me, it was pretty cluttered.

Bottom line, if you are worried that you're too obsessed with cleaning, please consider seeing a counselor or therapist. You didn't say whether or not you have a formal diagnosis of OCD, so I don't know if you're already seeing someone and just need to fill them in on this. I wish you the best.

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21 hours ago, Davey Do said:
3 hours ago, VivaLasViejas said:

I guess I should clarify. I am looking into getting counseling to deal with the trauma and help my compulsions. The cleaning of the car is wiping down my seat and steering wheel, and other things I have touched (“contaminated” in my mind with germs) in my car on my way home from work. But I feel like most nurses don’t do this, and is probably excessive. it’s a irrational, yet real fear I have of bringing home diseases from work and exposing my family. When really they could get the same things from the grocery store floor. So that is why I am so careful about washing my scrubs, leaving my shoes outside, and disinfecting my car etc.

So that’s why I was curious if this is a behavior I’ve developed that doesn’t have much base to it. And if most other nurses who deal with the same sicknesses I do at work, do these same behaviors such as disinfecting their seat and steering wheel. And if I am creating a compulsion out of a irrational fear.

Also sorry I am new to this posting, sorry if my responses end up in odd places.

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Specializes in ambulant care.

In Home Health desinfection makes sense.

I do the steering wheel, the key and the hand grips with 70% isopropanol.

Lysol seems to me rather toxic.

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It's excessive.

Apart from that, it sounds like counseling could be of benefit for you after experiencing a trauma.

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