Is Being Too Clean Bad?

A fan of the show “F.R.I.E.N.D.S”, will have one person in mind when talking about cleanliness and home organization; Monica Geller.

Monica likes putting things in order and she is able to demonstrate various aspects of “organizing”. This can include getting rid of house clutter, being particular with furniture arrangement, being a hostess who plans parties and entertains guests, and showing great enthusiasm when tasked to plan details of a wedding. She loves to cook and works as a head chef in a restaurant, which both, to no surprise, require a great degree of organization.

Is there such a thing as organizing your home too much?

However, in the show, Monica’s friends think that her being organized is often taken too far. The show have banked on this trait of hers to inject more humor in certain episodes :

• Cookie Crumbs trouble 

Monica tries to be warm and hospitable in order to win a friend as a roommate. She does this by offering delicious home-made cookies. However, the cookies had to be eaten at the kitchen sink to prevent leaving cookie crumbs elsewhere. 

• Unsolicited Help

Monica offers to clean the cluttered and rodent-infested apartment of his brother’s ex-girlfriend. After making the kind gesture, she ends up getting the door slammed at her face. 

• Cleaning out of boredom

Monica’s boyfriend-turned-husband Chandler had her hiding in the bathroom to avoid revealing what used to be a secret relationship between them. As Chandler checks back on her , he discovers that Monica has cleaned their bathroom out of boredom. 

• Sleepless Nights

Monica tries to prove to her friends that she is not a “kook” and leaves her shoes (which she normally puts back on her shoe rack) in the living room before going to bed. This, however, has her staying up late just thinking about it.

Are there real-life Monica Gellers?

To some Monica Geller only exists as one of the main characters of the famous show. However, real-life Monica Gellers can exist. 

It’s totally fine to arrive at a clean and organized home, but is obsessing with it wrong? Is it already a disorder when the slightest distortion with the furniture arrangement becomes very bothersome?

The National Institute of Mental Health defines obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as “ a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over”. Some of the compulsions observed in Monica’s behavior are “ordering and arranging things in particular, or precise way” and “excessive cleaning and/or hand-washing”.

According to Medicinenet.com, OCD can be improved through behavior therapies. These can include exposure and ritual prevention, or by individual or group cognitive behavioral therapy. Medications can also be used. 

I am not a medical expert, but how can I help?

It may not come as a surprise that what used to part of the humorous facets of the show may be revealing something more serious in real-life. 

As housemates of real-life Monica Gellers, it may be crucial to consider how we act around them. Organizing your home is beneficial. However, we need to pay attention to how it affects the people doing it.

We may not qualify as medical experts, but we can always pitch in to help them with their situation. BeyondOCD.org advises about knowing more about OCD, and encouraging the affected loved one to undergo the therapy process. How we communicate with them is also equally important as much as the support we give to them.