When it comes to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors become so compelling that they interfere with your daily life, and the most well-known and recognizable symptoms of OCD are often connected to personal hygiene and cleaning. Obviously, going from the average neat and tidy person to obsessive cleaning does not happen
To help simplify your personal hygiene and cleaning habits and stop you from developing an obsession, here is our guide to how you can make your hygiene and home cleaning simple and more effective.
1. Buy the Right Hygiene Products
The Coronavirus Pandemic has made us all more aware of our hygiene and, in particular, how thoroughly we wash our hands. It’s amazing how many people found out that they weren’t washing their hands properly when the health officials announced the correct methods. The experts at https://totallypure.com/collections/all-products/products/1-gallon-liquid-hand-sanitizer-80-alcohol explain that it is really important to wash your hands with hot soapy water and use hand sanitizer whenever soap and water are not available. You should wash your hands for at least twenty seconds, or as long as it takes you to sing Happy Birthday twice. The good thing for all the obsessive hand washers is that if there was ever a time when a bit of compulsive hand washing was a good thing, it’s right now!
2. Hire Professional House Cleaners
Not everybody has the time to do the house cleaning themselves, and that is where professional cleaning services come in. Nowadays, there are excellent professional cleaning companies to be found wherever you live. These services can save you time, but more importantly, since these people are experts at what they do, they are far more thorough and efficient than a regular person cleaning their home. Depending on your needs, professional cleaning services can be used as a one-off or periodically based on a schedule that works for you. The latter will also save you some money in the form of a discount for being a loyal customer.
3. Establish a Cleaning Routine
Following a routine is always better than coming up with a different cleaning each time, as it will save you a lot of time and effort. Going back and forth randomly from room to room is a tiring task and you end up cleaning the same places twice and missing other spots altogether, therefore working in a systematic order is always beneficial. For example, cleaning from top to bottom, and left to right will ensure that you do not miss out on any areas while preventing you from having to clean the same area twice.
Another cleaning method that has been proven to increase efficiency is going through a group of similar things first, such as cleaning glass windows, glass tables, and glass cabinets before moving on to other things in the room.
4. Clean Regularly
Cleaning more regularly will shorten the cleaning process each time you do it, and whilst it might seem annoying at first, maintaining something frequently is always easier than starting from scratch. Try deep cleaning your house once for half a day and then follow up with maintenance cleaning every other week. With less time spent to maintain the cleanliness of the overall property, you will be able to keep your house in a nice and clean condition at all times. If you live with a partner or children, one way to make sure that the house is cleaned regularly is to set up a calendar of cleaning chores for everyone in the house so that cleaning is going on throughout the week.
5. Buy the Right Cleaning Tools and Products
In order for your cleaning results to meet your cleanliness standards, the right cleaning tools and products need to be used. For example, blinds, clocks, figurines, and pictures need to be cleaned using a feather duster rather than a wet towel for the best results. Cleaning windows with paper towels can leave dirty streaks on them afterward, so you might want to stick to a professional window squeegee for wiping, with a mixture of dish soap and hot water. Another effective method that is often used is cleaning the windows horizontally with a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth as this will leave no signs of streaks at all.
We are all a little bit OCD when it comes to cleaning and personal hygiene but for most of us, this is just the manifestation of pride in our appearance and home. The best way to simplify your cleaning is to use the right tools and equipment with a logical routine and schedule.
