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?

well the bicarb didn't make a clean sweep of the grease accumulated over the last 5/6 years, but it has made a huge improvement. I'm thinking another once over and it might be almost nice to look at again!

I think maybe I should have worn gloves though...presumably neat bicarb paste isn't that good for skin!

cold I recommend floor wipes and then a stream cleaner. Mops spread dirt etc in my experience

Morphene you definitely need gloves when using the stuff it'll strip your skin otherwise

Op what was your main source of pleasure/joy before 18 months ago? What did you used to do to make yourself feel good?

Probably horse riding and shopping

would just say that something your in laws has said has struck a nerve somewhere. Or you’d have not given it a second thought.

Well yes, and I've said what already - What struck a nerve is knowing so many people struggling with MH issues and then being flippantly labelled as perhaps having OCD just because I love to clean and my standards are probably a lot different to most

Oh, and also - I'd never comment on someone else's house/cleaning rituals so I don't think it's okay for family and friends to do it to me, in my own home. Very rude to be honest

Well I did name change to start a thread about where to buy Christmas Mince Pies that failed terribly

Forgot about the Mince Pies

I am similar, if my house wasnt cleaned to my standard I wouldn't be able to relax in it. I also think because I keep on top of it, things that may sound like a 'big clean' to other people takes me hardly any time at all. Ie cleaning the bathroom every day means it never gets messy/dirty. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment & I just enjoy it.. Although if I had to go out without doing it I wouldnt worry I would just do it when I was home.

user I'm exactly like this too

I can leave the house work no problem, doesn't mean I don't enjoy or miss it sometimes

I'd be lucky to do that much cleaning in week. OK really a month.

Sounds like you have a bit of an addiction op, but as addictions go it seems fairly harmless. If it's literally causing no problems or anxiety and not having any negative impact on relationships then you may as well crack on.
I always think it's worth having more than one main source of pleasure, just because it seems healthier that way. So if there are other recreational activities which give you a buzz maybe try to make a concerted effort to develop those, or dedicate some time to them, just so that you don't have all your pleasure eggs in one basket. But it sounds like you have plenty of time to develop other areas of your life if the cleaning really doesn't take very long each day.

Whatthe I agree, I really should look into finding something else I really enjoy too.

I hate cooking and I don't like TV.

I love horse riding but 35 week bump making that one impossible and won't be much time with a baby.

It's a tricky one.

I love reading but not sure that counts?

My mum was exactly like this. We joked about her OCD but of course she wasn't. Obsessed by having a clean orderly house, yes. Compulsively driven by it - not at all.

She was a SAHM until I was 10 then did 16 hr/wk at the local library. The house was immaculate all through raising me and bro. She was also very ill with UC. It was not unusual to come home to the entire kitchen cupboard contents emptied out and every cupboard cleaned inside and all contents washed before replacing. This was done monthly. She had a lot of ornaments and crystal - that got the same treatment. Hoovered 2 x daily - all rooms. Repainted all walls herself 2 x yearly. She ironed underpants and socks, said they looked much neater folding in the drawer that way! She had specific pots too - god help you if you tried to brown mince in the potato boiling pot! Hence she did it all herself because she had 'her way' and couldn't bear anyone doing it any other way.

Looking back, I think she was a highly intelligent woman who was bored by her housewife life. Back in the 70s/80s there was nothing else for her to aspire to and I know she saw the doctor for depression when my bro was a baby. His answer was to have another baby (me!). So she made her career being a home keeper. She did all the financial stuff too. It was her job and she was fiercely proud of her home and she really did get satisfaction out of doing it. She too was happy to leave it if a better offer came up and as I got older we socialised more and the house took more of a back seat.

I find as I get older I am spending more time cleaning and getting satisfaction out of it too. I totally understand cleaning worksurfaces several times a day and I get wiping the toilet after he's been - how come men get more splashes around the pan than in it?!

OP if you are happy and not doing it out of duty or compulsion then, for you, it's fine. I do hate it when other people, who disagree with what you do or don't understand, deal with it by running you down or making out somethings wrong with you. Live and let live I say!

Reading definitely counts! A good book is like crack. Maybe set some reading goals for how many books you are going to read each week/month, or that you will read certain types of books or whatever. Join a book group if there is one locally. Anything to just make it a bit more even between how much pleasure you get from cleaning and how much pleasure you get from other things.

Reading counts. But you’re trying to replace a physical hobby so maybe something that makes you move a bit? But not too much if you’re impeded by a bump?

I sew and knit obsessively - it’s a ‘good’ obsession and i find it engages mind and hands pretty well. I can enter that ‘flow’ state of absorption (do google the concept of flow, because I think that’s critical.)

The problem with cleaning is it’s a bit of a Sisyphean task - you do it then you need to do it again. That’s not necessarily bad but it’s not a lasting sense of permanent achievement.

Have a crack at something practical and bump friendly?