Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

I have watched all of the series since it started and wish they would bring it back! Hayley was my favourite, so real, honest and kind to the homeowners, Especiialy Sheren.

Was sad when it finished, however found Hayley has her own YouTube channel, so I just watch her on there now lol.

Great series well done Channel 4!

This show does a very good job of showing both sides of the story. It shows the painstaking efforts of the "cleaners" to keep their homes pristine without making them sound like total freaks. Some of them share their fears and their compulsions, to the degree they feel comfortable to share with strangers. The "clutterers" also share part of the cause behind the clutter, and it helps me get over the "I can't believe how disgusting that house looks!".

Sometimes I feel like shaking the "cleaners" to snap them out of their exaggerated cleaning routines, other times I feel like shouting of the "clutterers" to get their act together. But each episode has a cathartic progression, from their extremes to a precarious equilibrium at the end.

I particularly love the way the show chooses the "cleaner"/"clutterer" pairs. The symmetry in family situation, age, phobias makes each episode feel right.

The main appeal of this show (for me) is that I can see myself going into one extreme or the other. I tend to get emotionally attached to things I own, because they were gifts from people I care about or just because it makes me feel wasteful to throw away something I paid good money for, even if I haven't used/worn it in a while. When I start cleaning, I tend to go into crazy detail and whatever I do, the house still looks and feels messy.

I love this show. It helped me look at my life and find a balance I didn't think I could achieve. I'm using this show to make better spending decisions, to cut down on impulse shopping and to keep my house tidy. I'm not going to buy one of those devices to measure how clean are the surfaces in my house, but it's tons better than it was before I discovered this show.

I have OCD. I have friends that know I have OCD and some that don't. There is one thing I've noticed about most of the people that I know when OCD is mentioned in conversation. Almost always, someone either thinks they are 'a bit OCD' about some aspect of their lives or they think that someone they know is 'OCD' about cleaning. This has been further fuelled by the Channel 4 program Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners which to my dismay is very popular in general and amongst my friends.

The OCD charity that I am a member of are very much against the Channel 4 programme OC cleaners. There are many reasons for this:

Hoarding is actually within the spectrum of OCD related disorders and some people with OCD do have hoarding tendencies themselves.

OCD is a very complex issue. People with contamination OCD aren't all the same. Some people will have a spotless bedroom but won't change an item of clothing for weeks. Others may have one section of the house that they spend 5 hours plus cleaning a day and the rest of the house is completely neglected.

For people with OCD the obsession and compulsion is a matter of life and death. A person who considers themselves tidy may want to rid their kitchen of germs / clutter and then once done, put their feet up with a cup of tea. People with OCD may clean because otherwise they think they may contract a deadly virus or someone in their family will be in a car accident if they don't (no matter how irrational this seems).

The level of fear involved in OCD is very serious and if compulsions are interrupted, the sufferer may feel something catastrophic is about to happen.

People with OCD derive no pleasure from their compulsions. People may gain satisfaction from lining up their books and may state 'I'm so OCD'. People with OCD find the whole process highly distressing. They may not be able to leave the house all day until their compulsions are complete, they may not be able to have a job and many will feel complete despair to the point where they may see no way out.

The programme itself can trigger people with OCD. They may initially start to watch it thinking it is something that may help them but all of the germ tests etc are irresponsible and can cause great distress.

The show presents itself like a 'freak show'. It isn't educational in anyway and further reinforces outdated stereotypes.

Contamination OCD is only one aspect of a disorder that is very wide ranging and presents many types of obsessions and compulsions that have nothing to do with contamination / cleaning.

Channel 4 do not care about the concerns of mental health charities despite numerous communications and only seem concerned with ratings. They would rather upset the wellbeing of OCD sufferers and continue the mistaken beliefs that are prominent in society regarding OCD.

As you can see after reading the above, Channel 4 really could provide a better service by addressing some of the issues and offering a more balanced view of what obsessive compulsive disorder really is.

Channel 4 need to rethink their policy of choosing ratings over education when it comes to broadcasting.

Its not that its a bad show, but what disturbs me the most is the fact that you are overly celebrating the cleaners and don't discuss enough the other side.It appears as if the ocd is not such a bad disorder and the other side is just filthy and shameful.Maybe some of the producers could tell these ocd people, that just because they've got a sterile home, doesn't mean that they're better from those who don't- in fact they are really worse.Why...?They are using tones and tones of bleach and unhealthy products that are destroying the environment in a lot bigger way than anything else!they are actually living like they are the only people on earth, completely selfish behaviour ..... throwing their junk and bacteria and poison to our waters and environment..They are not saving the world, but are actually destroying it..So you shouldn't celebrate and glorify them so much!And by the way, by avoiding the healthy dose of germs, they are instead eating poisonus fumes, they are breathing them and touching them and chances are greater for them to die from being clean, than being dirty!