To not wish to be called OCD?

[BlueButTrue]

Every day I:

Clean my floors with floor wipes (twice a day, more if I see any mark etc).

Wash up as I go.

Make my beds first thing

Hoover all rooms (about 3/4 times a day)

Wash on, put a wash away

Clean kitchen surfaces (3/4 times, more if I'm using kitchen more).

Clean cupboard doors/draws

Hoover sofa

Hoover living room rug (twice)

Wipe down living room surfaces (3/4 times)

Clean toilet (3/4 times a day, sometimes more)

Clean bathroom (about twice a day top to bottom, and little wipe downs etc whenever else).

Empty bin

Wipe down bedroom furniture/dust surfaces


Every other day I:

Steam clean bathroom and kitchen. Sometimes this is every day too.

Hoover behind sofas (will do this each day if any actual messes are created).

Twice a week:

Clean out fridge

Clean inside cupboards


My Nan is apparently "worried" at the extent I'm cleaning, but I think it's healthy and normal. It keeps me calm and makes me happy. I don't believe it's extensive. "Cleaning isn't good for the soul" says DNan.

MIL has hinted I should be checked for OCD.

Personally, I find this quite offensive. OCD is a serious health issue and not one to joke about.

AIBU to clean the way I do and think it's healthy? AIBU to think it's offensive to others who really do suffer that it isn't acceptable to go around, throwing the term 'OCD' about?

[WhooooAmI24601]

Does your cleaning reduce the time you spend with family/friends/DC? Does it bother you if you're unable to do those things? Do you get irritated at people if your house isn't perfect?

I don't think it matters what others think; if you're happy cleaning regularly that's your choice. It matters and becomes an issue if you're allowing cleaning to take precedent over other more important things, like having fun and enjoying life.

[Time40]

You are doing way too much cleaning. I think your MIL has a point. Sorry.

[steff13]

I don't know. I tend to think that we aren't always able to accurately recognize our own mental health issues. If two people who presumably care about you have suggested there's an issue, perhaps there is.

What if you're unable to complete your routine? Do you feel upset or anxious?

[jaseyraex]

It does sound excessive, but doesn't automatically mean you have OCD. I have been diagnosed with OCD, there are different categories and different ways of diagnosing it.

Simple questions being: does the cleaning consume excessive amounts of time? Usually an hour or more is considered excessive. Does it cause you significant distress if you don't clean to this standard every day? Does it interfere with daily functioning at home or work or interfere with social activities/family?

If yes to any of them, it's worth a trip to the GP. I didn't think I had it until I spoke to a professional.

[Ohwell14]

How is it healthy to Hoover all your rooms 3/4 times a day?

[Pastaagain78]

How would you feel if you couldn't do you cleaning routine for a day? Are you able to do other stuff and not do the cleaning or does cleaning take priority?

[ZaraW]

It's excessive behaviour, I would say you are OCD.

[Nikephorus]

It's not necessarily OCD but it is obsessive. There is no need, for instance, to clean inside cupboards twice a week - they're not going to get dirty. Ditto the fridge. And what are you doing in the bathroom that it needs wiping down top to bottom twice a day?

[WorraLiberty]

Firstly, she 'hinted' you might have OCD - she didn't start 'throwing the term about'.

Secondly, why would you need to hoover all rooms 3 or 4 times per day?

Unless there's going to be a massive drip feed, that's not really normal behaviour.

Where do you find time to work or do anything for yourself or your family if you have one?

[JamPasty]

It sounds very excessive to me, sorry.

[AgentProvocateur]

Hugely excessive. How do you fit in work/children/friends/fun?

[Ummmmgogo]

very excessive when do you get time to do anything else???

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

That's a lot of cleaning. The crux though, is not so much how much cleaning you do, but the effect it has on your life. How much of your day is spent cleaning? Do you neglect our avoid other things (family/friends/work/study) to find time to clean instead? How do you feel if you can't carry out the cleaning you want to do? Why do you feel so much cleaning is needed (eg why does each room need vacuumed four times a day - why would once not be "enough"?)

[2014newme]

Yes you may have ocd. Stop hoovering and start living

[mrwalkensir]

Try imagining if you were watching a person like this on Wifeswap or similar - would you think it normal? It does sound like you spend most of your cleaning time cleaning stuff that is already clean. If you really enjoy it, that's fine... (And it's not healthy to make beds first thing - they need to air)

[Supermagicsmile]

It's excessive and could possibly point towards OCD.

I consider my house to be very clean and tidy and I only Hoover my house once a week!!

My kitchen cupboards get cleaned about 4 times a year and they're still shiny!!

[Llamacorn]

I have severe OCD and it pisses me off that people think ocd is just for super tidy people, and they throw the term around so flippantly.
I am quite messy actually OCD is a way of thinking, uncontrollable obsessions and compulsions. Yes it can manifest as obsessive cleaning for some people, but there are many other ways it can present too.

If I was you, I'd be asking myself do you have to clean all the time, do you feel something bad would happen or be uneasy if it wasn't done as often? Would you be happy to leave it for a day or 2 if you had to and then catch up, or would that make you feel ill? Some people just like cleaning, sometimes it can be an issue.

[MyPatronusIsAUnicorn]

That is very excessive. It's not normal to need everything that clean. Being exposed to germs/diet builds immunity. You must spend all of your time just cleaning.

[OuchLegoHurts]

Hoovering all rooms three or four times a day??? You definitely have OCD. Ask yourself what would happen if you didn't Hoover that many times.

[LadyDeadpool]

This was the sort of thing I was doing when I got my diagnosis of OCD.

The big question is - is it impacting on your life? Do you believe there will be bad consequences if you don't complete your ritual?

It is ritualized behaviour.

[PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon]

It's excessive cleaning. Even by the standards of my friend who does have OCD.
Can you go a day without doing the bare minimum? E.g. Wash up, wide down sides but leave the washing and the floors. Hoover twice a week (or even once a day)

[Rheged]

Your regime sounds excessive to me too. It's perfectly possible to live in a clean home and do a third (or less!) of the cleaning you are currently doing. Unless you have a pack of dogs, I can't see any need to hoover 4 times a day.

Do you feel stressed or anxious if something disrupts your cleaning routine? What do you think will happen if you don't do all this?

[LadyDeadpool]

LLama I'm the same now used to be quite a clean OCD sufferer when DS was a baby now I'm messy and it manifests more as ritualized thinking.

[Graphista]

I'm also diagnosed with OCD. U agree the test is NOT doing it.

What happens when you're ill? Do you not work and if not is that because you'd rather be home cleaning? Do you have a relationship? Social life? Hobbies?

What jumped out at me was it makes you feel 'calm' which suggests you do it as a response to stress which isn't healthy.

It's also unnecessary.

[lookingbeyond40]

This does sound excessive. Like others have said, if you don’t do it, does it make you anxious, fretful and unable to think of anything else? If you prioritise your cleaning routine above spending time with your family, going out and about, staying up late to make sure your routine is getting done, then yes, I think you have some concerning behaviour.