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Original poster

Do I have OCD?

109 replies

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:23

I grew up in a house that was only cleaned when people came to visit. This would happen about 4 times a year so we were all drafted in and it was very stressful. My sister has reacted to this by never cleaning her house and never inviting anyone round. I on the other hand like to have a house that if someone knocked on the door, they could walk in and I would not be embarrassed.
Family are now saying I have OCD and it is not healthy to live in such a clean house.

So I am setting out here what I aim to do and how often so you lovely people can tell me who you think is right.

Daily
keep kitchen and bathrooms clear of mess and tidy, wiping down kitchen surfaces after each meal
Hoover small entry hall to stop muck being walked in
Keep rest of house as tidy as possible

Every 1 to 2 weeks
Clean bathrooms
Hoover whole house
Dust whole house
Change and wash bedding and towels

Less often
Clean windows
clear our a cupboard
declutter
skirting boards

OP posts:
Larrythecatforpm · 06/07/2026 13:24

Nope that’s definitely not OCD. hoovering every 1-2 weeks is grim. I do mine daily and certainly don’t have OCD. What a odd post.

BauhausOfEliott · 06/07/2026 13:21

Sounds like a very normal cleaning regime to me. Of course you don't have OCD. But you already knew that.

ThisIsHowItStarts · 06/07/2026 13:18

I actually think cleaning the bathroom, changing bedsheets and hoovering every 1-2 weeks is more on the dirty side than the clean!

newberry · 06/07/2026 13:15

Mistymaglets · 06/07/2026 13:11

People are offended because it's reducing a serious mental illness to a ridiculous stereotype.

I'm glad you are not offended and I hope you are doing well.
I've also previously commented to OP that none of this should be taken personally.

Anyone with experience of OCD knows how long many people suffer in silence due to lack of public knowledge around this disorder. So this type of post is bound to attract responses that urge people to educate themselves and not perpetuate harmful stereotypes .

Show quote history

Thank you, these days I'm doing really well.

Sure, maybe OP could've read up on OCD before posting. But she wasn't saying she agreed with what her family was saying. I don't think being bad-tempered at her and chastising her will help break any stigmas.

Jamesblonde2 · 06/07/2026 13:13

Your cleaning arrangements are completely normal OP. Your family have dirty standards. Ignore them. It’s nice for your children (if you have any) to be brought up in a tidy clean house. Completely healthy IMO.

Mistymaglets · 06/07/2026 13:11

newberry · 06/07/2026 13:03

I have OCD and I'm not offended. Why is everyone getting at OP? It's her family who's accusing her of having OCD, it's not her fault.

Show quote history

People are offended because it's reducing a serious mental illness to a ridiculous stereotype.

I'm glad you are not offended and I hope you are doing well.
I've also previously commented to OP that none of this should be taken personally.

Anyone with experience of OCD knows how long many people suffer in silence due to lack of public knowledge around this disorder. So this type of post is bound to attract responses that urge people to educate themselves and not perpetuate harmful stereotypes .

Chesspitofbacteria · 06/07/2026 13:10

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:55

I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE OCD.

Hope that helps any confusion.

So why have you started a thread asking whether you do?

Stompythedinosaur · 06/07/2026 13:07

OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by intrusive thoughts and ritualised behaviour. It's nothing to do with cleaning, although that's one way some people's OCD is demonstrated.

So, no, just because you clean a lot doesn't mean you have OCD.

newberry · 06/07/2026 13:03

Batties · 06/07/2026 12:50

No. It means you should educate yourself about what OCD is. It’s a debilitating mental health condition that has nothing to do with keeping a clean and tidy house. It’s highly offensive to those people who do have OCD to throw around the label so casually.

Show quote history

I have OCD and I'm not offended. Why is everyone getting at OP? It's her family who's accusing her of having OCD, it's not her fault.

Yogafiend · 06/07/2026 13:01

That is not having OCD. That is having a clean house. For context I do (well sort of) similar if not more. OCD is more like
someone cleaned and you can tell things aren’t exactly how you like them such as the toaster is 1cm to the left and you can’t let it go so you need to go fix it. And before people comment on this post - it’s one way it can present itself and I’m describing it in very simple terms and I am aware there is a wide spectrum.

Mistymaglets · 06/07/2026 13:01

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:55

I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE OCD.

Hope that helps any confusion.

Sincerely I'm glad to hear it OP.
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

I hope you don't take these posts as personal attacks, they're really not meant to be, but it is crucial to educate people on what OCD really is
Someone posting that they like a bit of cleaning and asking if they have a serious mental illness is going to get fairly strong answers. Because of the lack of public knowledge or the cleaning stereotyping many sufferers are unaware of their condition for a long time and therefore do not access treatment.

KilkennyCats · 06/07/2026 13:00

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:55

I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE OCD.

Hope that helps any confusion.

So why take to the Internet to ask the question?
Pure nonsense.

pigsDOfly · 06/07/2026 13:00

Also really annoys me when people talk about being 'a bit OCD'

It doesn't work like that.

ImPamDoove · 06/07/2026 12:59

On what planet could cleaning the bathrooms and changing the bedding and towels every ‘1 to 2 weeks’ be ‘OCD’? 😂 (and I agree the casual use of this term is offensive)

Our cleaner does the bathrooms weekly and we give them a quick wipe around between that, we wash our towels every 2 to 3 days. Bedding is changed weekly. And we are completely not anal about cleaning. That’s basic standards imo.

Mistymaglets · 06/07/2026 12:57

OneLimePombear · 06/07/2026 12:52

I had diagnosed OCD any my intrusive thoughts were about my house.

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Yes, intrusive thoughts can be about anything. Literally anything.
They are not specifically related to cleaning though.

This nonsense about being super clean and tidy being OCD needs to be challenged.

Original poster
ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:55

I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE OCD.

Hope that helps any confusion.

OP posts:
RegretfulVaper · 06/07/2026 12:54

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:46

It isn’t coming directly from them but from people who I assume they have told about my house. It is exhausting being accused of things that are not true.

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Yes, it's crap being bombarded with opinions that contradict reality and it's easy to fall into doubting yourself. I hope this thread is reassuring despite some of the hostility.

OneLimePombear · 06/07/2026 12:52

Batties · 06/07/2026 12:50

No. It means you should educate yourself about what OCD is. It’s a debilitating mental health condition that has nothing to do with keeping a clean and tidy house. It’s highly offensive to those people who do have OCD to throw around the label so casually.

Show quote history

I had diagnosed OCD any my intrusive thoughts were about my house.

Batties · 06/07/2026 12:50

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:43

Who is this aimed at? I assume you mean I should educate the people accusing me of OCD?

Show quote history

No. It means you should educate yourself about what OCD is. It’s a debilitating mental health condition that has nothing to do with keeping a clean and tidy house. It’s highly offensive to those people who do have OCD to throw around the label so casually.

KilkennyCats · 06/07/2026 12:49

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:43

Who is this aimed at? I assume you mean I should educate the people accusing me of OCD?

Show quote history

Well, you seem open to the possibility that they might be right, so yes.
You too.

OneLimePombear · 06/07/2026 12:47

I had OCD (then I had CBT) I washed my 6 sinks about 10 times a day each. I’d hate people to come over, couldn’t manage if one stat of my blind wasn’t perfectly straight, I had no life, for me it was debilitating. I’d get up in the middle of the night and plump my cushions and things like that. Getting any work done in the house was a nightmare, I once had a massive argument with the guy fitting our new kitchen accusing him of not putting the work top on straight.
CBT literally changed and maybe saved my life.

Original poster
ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:46

RegretfulVaper · 06/07/2026 12:30

I thought I was about to read that you deep clean everyday and that it dictates how you organise your life.

What you've described is a perfectly reasonable level of cleaning and tidying. By "family" do you mean your parents and siblings? The ones who do no cleaning?

It isn’t coming directly from them but from people who I assume they have told about my house. It is exhausting being accused of things that are not true.

OP posts:
Mt563 · 06/07/2026 12:46

ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:43

Who is this aimed at? I assume you mean I should educate the people accusing me of OCD?

Show quote history

Educate yourself. Why did you come on here with such a stupid question if you know that it's not OCD?

Swiftie1878 · 06/07/2026 12:44

Totally normal amount of cleaning.

Original poster
ToyStory20000008 · 06/07/2026 12:43

MyIcyHeart · 06/07/2026 12:34

Please educate yourself around OCD.
It's bloody offensive to those who actually struggle with it to suggest that it's around cleaning frequently/too frequently.

Who is this aimed at? I assume you mean I should educate the people accusing me of OCD?

OP posts: