The Obsessive-Compulsive Person's Guide to House Cleaning

Obsessive-compulsive disorder has a strange affect on those diagnosed when it comes to house cleaning. While this certainly doesn't apply to all of those struggling with OCD, many find themselves turning into "dirty" perfectionists. In other words, when they view their home they don't see simple routine cleaning tasks. Instead they see mounds of work that, even when completed, will only lead to more tasks that absolutely must be done before the home can truly be called clean. While friends and family may enter the obsessive-compulsive person's home and simply see a carpet that needs a quick vacuuming, the homeowner sees a task that involves sweeping up debri, moving furniture around, getting into corners, pre-treating and shampooing. They see a task that would take hours to complete, and therefore leave the

untouched out of sheer surrender. It's not that they are lazy or unclean, but rather they are so inclined to perfection that anything less just doesn't seem plausible. If that sounds like you, you're certainly not alone. However, to keep the debris from piling up in your home, take a glance at the following obsessive-compulsive person's guide to house cleaning.

Tip #1: Daily upkeep is key. The obsessive-compulsive person looks at a generally clean home and sees hours of work. Of course, seeing a real mess evokes images of a life spent scrubbing on hands and knees. As such, it is sometimes easier for the obsessive-compulsive person to simply keep a day to day cleaning schedule rather than giving the home a good once-over a couple of times a week. Keeping your home from getting disastrous will encourage you to keep it in a liveable state every day. Even if one day is missed, it isn't likely that you'll give up completely. Keeping the home just short of perfectly clean is a must, and doing so means creating a daily commitment to chores. Cleaning once or twice a week becomes self-defeating and is rarely effective for persons with OCD.

Tip #2: Use an egg timer. Going back to that "lifetime spent scrubbing floors" theory, obsessive-compulsive individuals tend to do just that when it comes to good housecleaning. One task is left unfinished as another one is taken on until a long list of half-completed chores has been accomplished. The result is a feeling of general anxiety and failure every time house cleaning is done, regardless of a tremendous time commitment. Dishes washed but not dried, laundry folded but not put away, floors swept but not mopped....it's a common problem. End the cycle by allocating a certain amount of time each day to every room in the house, and then be done with it. You'll likely find that just five minutes is enough time to at least straighten up each room. 

When the egg timer goes off, move on immediately. The point is to finish a task before leaving the room.

Tip #3: Create a weekly "larger task" list. While keeping the home up daily is a must for the obsessive compulsive person, only so much can be accomplished when five minutes or so are allocated to each room. Chores like cooking dinner, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, etc, require hours. As such, post a weekly list of what large chores are to be accomplished on each day. Some chores, such as cooking, will have to be done every day, but chances are that mopping and dusting once a week will be more than you accomplish at this point. Be realistic and have a pre-set list of daily goals. You can add a task to the next day if it doesn't get accomplished, but if you find yourself often getting behind it may be time to re-evaluate your daily chore list and make it more reasonable.

Tip #4: Learn to ask for help, even if only from imperfect mortals. Those with obsessive-compulsive disorder who are afflicted with perfectionism often refuse help not because they don't want it, but because they can't imagine anyone doing the job as well as them. Even if those helping you don't fold the towels in your preferred manner or find hospital corners a necessary component of a properly made bed, consider giving someone else a shot. Even if you find yourself going back behind them, you'll at least be able to concentrate on more of the tasks you prefer to do rather than constantly battling a building mess.

Tip #5: Make the "lived-in" look your goal. A home that is well lived in has a few great books strewn about, perhaps a few children's toys lying on the floor, and maybe even, God forbid, a dish or two in the sink. If your home is in a museum state at all times, it isn't likely that it's very comfortable for anyone living in it, other than you. The same truth applies to visitors. Instead, focus on a level of reasonable cleanliness that can be updated quickly should an unexpected guest stop by. If you can make your home appear ready for overnight guests within thirty minutes to an hour, chances are it's perfectly ready for any impromptu visits. Leave it in a comfortable state of healthy but not perfect cleanliness the rest of the time.

Tip #6: Recognize the benefits of a "better" house. If you truly have a great deal of difficulty even lifting a finger to make a difference, it's likely because you feel that any efforts will be in vain. Many obsessive-compulsive individuals find housekeeping to be a monumental chore and wonder in awe at those who manage to keep clean homes. This is a direct result of focusing on perfection. Instead, write down the benefits of keeping a "more" clean home than the one you have now. If washing two loads of laundry a week constitutes an improvement, then do it. You don't have to go from domestic dummy to Martha Stewart overnight (or even at all). Just work on making your home better than it usually is, and then continue to improve upon it with time.

Tip #7: Try focusing on the home as a whole, not just one area. This tip flies in the face of what most house cleaning magazines and books advise, but most authors of house cleaning publications don't need to be told that it isn't necessary to use duct tape to remove dust particles from carpets. Because the obsessive-compulsive individual tends to spend the bulk of their efforts in one area in an attempt to kill every living microorganism that might lurk in it, they often end up with one perfectly clean area or room in the midst of what is otherwise a pile of rubble. Rather than perfecting one area, give the entire home a daily once-over that will improve it all in some manner.

Tip #8: Use those perfectionist tendencies to go on an organizing spree. There's nothing worse for the obsessive-compulsive person when it comes to housekeeping than disorganization. If there isn't a file for every scrap of paperwork, it will end up in a pile on a desk until it's thrown away. Use cubbies, drawer dividers, canisters, baskets, and whatever is at your disposal to make use of every inch of organizational space in your home. Another quick tip: the easier a storage component is to access and manage, the more likely it is to be used. If the cute piggy bank you use to keep spare change in is in your office upstairs, it's likely to be used much less often than a catch-all kept by the front door. Make your organizational choices about practicality, as well.

For the obsessive-compulsive person, house cleaning can be a tremendous source of stress. Organize your home for future cleaning purposes, and be willing to make changes that will allow you to adapt to routines that better suit your specific needs.